Jeremy Cohen, Co-Founder & CEO – The Talent Studios

Jeremy Cohen is a career-long executive search professional with expertise in organizational behavior and integrating key leaders into businesses amid scale, growth, and transformation. He leads The Talent Studios’ Executive Search Practice and was formerly the youngest Principal firmwide at DHR Global.

Jeremy is a talent contributor to Inc. Magazine, Mashable, and FastCompany and a thought leader within the new paradigm of business-to-consumer at the intersection of omnichannel commerce, iconic brands, content & technology, physical & digital consumer services, hospitality & experiences. Jeremy earned his B.A. at the University of Pittsburgh and his M.A. in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University.

Doug Chisholm, Partner, Global Co-Head of Corporate Risk & Due Diligence

He has worked as a corporate investigator for more than 25 years, including 20 years with the Mintz Group. Doug specializes in providing enhanced diligence support to investment professionals making decisions around the globe. With a deep appreciation for both online sources and “off-line” public records, Doug uses his experience, including his interviewing skills, to thoroughly investigate investment targets, identify areas of concern for investors, and present them clearly and concisely. He also works regularly on litigation support matters and proxy contests.

Doug’s recent work at the Mintz Group has included:

• assisting investors carefully consider investment opportunities in Russia by singling out potentially problematic relationships that were carved out of the deal
• identifying the participants in a corporate check fraud scheme
• conducting discreet interviews to prove contract fraud against a major corporation
• helping investors and executives vet prospective hires and deal partners

Doug received a B.A. in communications from Fordham University.

Carissa Clark, Founding Partner & CEO — Assembly Group

Carissa began her executive recruiting career over a decade ago at Bespoke Partners, a boutique executive recruiting firm, where she was one of the firm’s first hires, and played an integral role in building the company’s infrastructure and client base. Carissa’s passion for partnering with Founders and CEOs to build world class leadership teams is what led her to start Assembly Group in February 2019.

Throughout her career, Carissa has worked exclusively in software and technology and partnered with top PE/ VC firms like Insight Partners, Summit Partners, Thoma Bravo, Hg and TA Associates. Carissa leads Assembly’s CEO and CFO practice.

Carissa graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Marketing and is based in Austin, TX.

George Corrigan, Managing Partner – The Corrigan Group

George Corrigan is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Corrigan Group, LLC, a retained executive search firm based in New York City. With over 30 years of experience in the executive search industry, George established the firm in 2012 with a focus on transformational recruiting to build world-class management teams for founders, entrepreneurs, and private equity/venture capital investors, particularly within the retail and consumer products sectors.

Before founding The Corrigan Group, George served as Chief Talent Officer and Head of Talent Acquisition at Burch Creative Capital, where he played a key role in launching and building several successful brands. He also spent 12 years as a Partner at Korn/Ferry International, specializing in portfolio company leadership searches for private equity and venture capital clients.

George began his search career in 1988 at JM & Company and later worked at Howe & Associates, where he focused on private equity, consumer products, and manufacturing.

As an active investor, George continues to stay up to date with venture and industry trends. He holds a B.A. in History from Washington and Lee University.

Julia Dashuta, Managing Director – PierceGray

Julia Dashuta is a Managing Director with PierceGray in the Chicago office, focusing on recruiting senior executives into private equity-backed environments. She is PierceGray’s Go-to-Market Practice Leader, specializing in Sales, Revenue Operations, Growth, Transformation, and P&L leadership positions across multiple industry verticals including business services, healthcare, and industrials. Prior to PierceGray, Julia spent 11 years with Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy and Operations practice, where she led engagements for clients primarily in the healthcare industry with a focus on assessing, designing, and implementing large-scale transformations. Julia holds a BS in Management from Boston College and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Adrienne Filipov, Managing Director, Chief Human Capital Officer — Warburg Pincus

Adrienne Filipov is based in New York, joined Warburg Pincus in 2014, and is the firm’s Chief Human Capital Officer. In this role, she is responsible for new professional selection, recruiting, and development, oversees human capital on a global basis, and works with investment teams and portfolio companies on best-practices in human capital management. She is also a member of the firm’s Executive Management Group. Prior to joining Warburg Pincus, Adrienne was a Managing Director at Barclays and held several senior operating positions including Chief Operating Officer for the financing and distribution businesses there and at Lehman Brothers. She has a BS from Cornell University and an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School.

Jessica Fiesta George, Head of Talent – Atlantic Street Capital Advisors

Jessica Fiesta George is a seasoned talent acquisition and HR leader with nearly 20 years of experience optimizing recruitment strategies and building workforce solutions for private equity-backed companies and SMBs. As the HR/Talent Operating Partner at Atlantic Street Capital Advisors, Jessica collaborates with portfolio companies to design scalable, people-focused talent programs that fuel growth and operational excellence.

Jessica’s career spans industries such as retail, technology, medical devices, energy, financial services, and direct-to-consumer services, where she has led transformative initiatives in both high-growth and turnaround environments. Her expertise includes high-volume recruiting, ATS/HRIS implementation, employer branding, recruitment marketing, and human capital strategy development. Her ability to navigate complex workforce challenges has made her a trusted advisor to executives and a recognized thought leader in the talent space.

Jessica is also the creator and host of Jess Get Hired, a top-rated podcast that explores workplace trends, talent strategies, and career development for professionals and business leaders.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Arts from the University of West Florida and certifications in Predictive Index and DISC assessments.

Keith Giarman, Managing Partner, Global PE Practice – DHR Global

Keith Giarman serves as Managing Partner of the Private Equity Practice, based out of the San Francisco and New York offices. He is also a member of the firm’s North American Executive Committee driving overall strategy for the organization.

Keith led the launch and successful expansion of the Private Equity Practice over the past 10 years. Under his leadership, the practice manages approximately 100 board, C-level and senior search assignments per year working with management teams and top-tier investors. He is also a core member of the Board & CEO and CFO practice groups.

Prior to joining DHR, Keith built the CEO practice for one of the premiere boutique executive recruiting firms in Silicon Valley serving the venture capital community. Previously he worked extensively with VC and PE investors, most recently as President and CEO of Clarus Systems. He was also Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing at Citizens Communications. He was one of five executives on the senior leadership team responsible for 800 employees, $1 billion in revenue and $200 million in operating income.

Keith earned his Bachelor of Arts at UC San Diego and his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He serves as the Chairman of the Board at Mission Dolores Academy. He is the former Vice Chairman of the HBS Association of Northern California, former Trustee for Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, former Trustee and President of the Alumni Association at the Hopkins School in New Haven, Conn. and former Chairman of the Western Region Board of Jumpstart based in Boston, Mass.

Jillian Gilloran, Managing Director of Talent – L Catterton

Ms. Gilloran is a Managing Director on the L Catterton Portfolio Operations team, focusing on Talent. Prior to joining the firm, she was a Principal at Heidrick & Struggles in their Consumer Markets practice, where she led leadership searches for CEOs, COOs, Presidents, and Marketing/Digital Officers at growth-stage, private equity-backed, and transforming legacy brands.

Earlier, she was a Principal at Rich Talent Group, a boutique search firm serving high-growth consumer and digital brands.

Ms. Gilloran earned a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Ripley Hartmeyer, VP, Talent – General Catalyst

Ripley Hartmeyer is a leader on General Catalyst’s talent team, where she focuses on their AI, Enterprise, Fintech, and Consumer talent efforts, partnering closely with founders and key stakeholders on talent strategy through all their phases of growth, from inception to exit. She also spends meaningful time proactively building out relevant operator, board member, advisor, and future founder networks. Prior to GC, she led talent and community at Canvas Ventures, where she partnered with early-stage founders across enterprise, fintech, and healthcare. Before her career in venture capital, she served as a member of Spencer Stuart’s Board, CEO, and Technology practices, focusing on global board and cross-functional executive searches for pre-IPO and publicly traded companies. She started her career in sales, operations, and project management, helping build two startups in risk management and cybersecurity before their successful exits. Ripley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL), from the University of Richmond.

Anthony Keizner, Co-founder – Odyssey Search Partners

Anthony Keizner is a co-founder of Odyssey Search Partners, a premier retained search firm for investment and marketing professionals at private equity firms and across the alternative investment landscape. In addition to search work, strategy and team management, Anthony leads Odyssey’s market intelligence arm, which generates white papers and compensation reports in private equity, and across other asset classes. He is frequently cited in the financial media.

Anthony started his career in strategy consulting and at Citibank, before turning to the talent industry over the last fifteen years. He holds a Bachelor’s from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kelly Maslow, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Search – BrainWorks

Kelly Maslow leads the BrainWorks Sales and Marketing Practice after exceptional performance at a top-tier Executive Search firm. With a focus on privately held and midsize organizations seeking to scale and use a deeper understanding of how Human Capital partnership can impact their short- and long-term strategies, she successfully places sales and marketing executives across industries, including manufacturing & industrial, CPG consumables & durables, SaaS & technology, insurance and professional services.

Kelly has a high sense of urgency, rapidly establishing trust for clients and candidates through a highly consultative style and personalized approach. She provides a deep focus on understanding a client’s needs and business goals, matching those with a candidate’s personal and professional goals. She brings transparency, integrity, and honesty from the start of the search, through recruitment, presentation, negotiations and placement, ensuring long-term placements beneficial for candidates and clients alike.

Lisa Maxwell, Founder – L. Maxwell

As one of the top 100 most influential people in the staffing industry, the name Lisa Maxwell is synonymous with global executive search.

As founder of L.Maxwell, Lisa is a 20-year veteran of the human capital industry with an unparalleled track record for placing CEOs, C-level executives and board members for professional services and workforce solutions firms around the world. Her firm manages key leadership assignments that range from emerging growth enterprises to global leaders in staffing, human resources technology, and outsourcing. She is the strategic pillar and advisor to private equity firms with investments in human capital. Before founding L. Maxwell in 2005, Lisa served as a senior partner with Lucas Group, where she launched and built their human capital practice. She graduated from Purdue University with a BA in International Business and Spanish.

Ariana Moon, VP, Talent Planning & Acquisition – Greenhouse

Ariana is the VP, People Transformation and a long-standing member of the Senior Leadership Team at Greenhouse. She previously spent her career in workforce strategy and talent acquisition, and has helped Greenhouse 10x globally. In 2022, Ariana was named one of the top 20 Talent Leaders In Tech US, amongst leaders from Workday, Google, and Reddit, and in 2023 and 2024, she was named one of the top global 100 Talent leaders by HIGHER. Recently in 2026, she was nominated as a Talent 100 honoree alongside leaders from OpenAI, Netflix, and Robert Half. She has spoken at various conferences hosted by Transform, LinkedIn, Greenhouse, SHRM, Lattice, Voray, and more.

Outside of her role, Ariana has served as Chair of Greenhouse’s ERG for Asian-Pacific Islanders and on the customer advisory boards of leading tech companies, inclusive of CodeSignal and BrightHire.

Cara Nealon, EVP – Bain Capital

Cara Nealon is an Executive Vice President in Bain Capital’s Portfolio Group and a member of the North America Private Equity team. Since joining Bain Capital in 2021, she has led the human capital agenda across the firm’s North American portfolio—building inclusive, high-performance organizations and ensuring companies have effective leadership teams. A talent specialist, Cara partners with CEOs and boards on executive assessment, succession, leadership development, and team effectiveness. Prior to Bain Capital, she was a Senior Principal at ghSMART, advising corporate clients and investors on executive selection, development, and organizational change. Earlier, she was a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group, where she focused on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability building, and private-equity due diligence.

Darcey O’Halloran, Chief Talent Officer – Artemis

Darcey O’Halloran is a seasoned human capital and talent strategy leader with deep expertise in partnering with executives, leadership teams, and HR functions to strengthen organizational performance and build high-impact teams. She currently serves as Chief Talent Officer at Artemis, where she is responsible for building exceptional management teams and implementing human capital strategies that drive performance, enable growth, and optimize organizational effectiveness across the portfolio. She also leads all Human Capital internally for the firm.

Before joining Artemis in 2023, Darcey was Vice President of Human Resources at Gryphon Investors, a San Francisco-based middle-market private equity firm. In that role, she developed and implemented HR playbooks and processes including portfolio talent and HR assessment frameworks, benefits and compensation optimization, recruiting best practices, and developed an ecosystem of preferred people-solutions partners.

Darcey’s career also includes impactful experience in consulting, where she partnered with clients across industries on human capital strategy and organizational transformation. She previously held roles with Korn Ferry in the Organizational Strategy Practice and with Deloitte Consulting within Strategy & Operations and Human Capital, leading strategic initiatives in talent, workforce development, and change management.

With a strong foundation in strategic HR and a focus on enabling organizational growth, Darcey is known for her ability to build scalable people strategies, elevate leadership effectiveness, and foster inclusive, performance-oriented cultures. She holds a B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Annie Paydar, Global Head of Human Capital – General Atlantic

Annie Paydar is the Global Head of Human Capital at General Atlantic and leads the firm’s human capital and talent development initiatives. She also serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and was a founding member of the firm’s IDEA Council. Before joining General Atlantic in 2018, Annie spent 14 years at The Carlyle Group where she held several Human Resources leadership roles in North America and EMEA. Prior to that, Annie served on the Human Resources team at The Blackstone Group.

Scott Ratliff, Partner – Beecher Reagan

As a Partner at Beecher Reagan, Scott leads the firm’s Private Equity and Commercial Excellence practices, partnering closely with investors and management teams on some of their most critical leadership decisions.

Scott specializes in recruiting senior leaders who drive value creation, growth, and transformation in Private Equity–backed businesses across Professional Services, Digital and IT Services, and Business and Industrial Services. His work spans top-of-house leadership, board-level appointments, and executives responsible for scaling platforms, professionalizing go-to-market, and leading complex change through key inflection points.

Prior to Beecher Reagan, Scott was a seven-time All-Star in professional lacrosse and a Hogan/Verity-certified executive leadership coach.

Carly Risom VP, Human Capital, Portfolio Operations – H.I.G. Capital

Carly Risom is a member of H.I.G. Capital’s Operating Partners team, where she serves as a Vice President of Portfolio Talent. In her role, Carly specializes in C-suite recruitment across the firm’s 85+ North American portfolio companies, with a specific focus on office of the CFO. During her tenure at H.I.G., she has managed the hiring of seven chief financial officers across various industries, including healthcare, business services, and industrial manufacturing.

Prior to joining H.I.G. in June of 2025, Carly spent two years at Cerberus Capital Management as a member of the Firm’s Operations & Advisory platform (“COAC”), where she supported executive leadership needs across Cerberus’ 70+ portfolio companies. At COAC, she and her team successfully completed various C-suite searches, as well as expanded the Firm’s advisory network to support the diligence needs of the private equity, corporate credit and real estate funds.

Carly began her career in executive recruiting at Spencer Stuart, where she was a member of the Global Consumer practice with a specialty in Retail, Apparel & Luxury Goods. As a direct report to the practice lead, Carly supported more than 65 searches, covering both Fortune 1000 and private equity backed retailers.

Carly earned her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Lehigh University. She is based in New York City.

Richard Stein, CEO – HSiQ Talent Intelligence

Richard Stein is CEO of HSIQ. He has a distinguished career supporting the C-suite of many of the world’s top corporations and financial services organizations in all aspects of talent acquisition, development and retention. Richard is one of the industry’s top advisors with experience across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

In previous roles, Richard has driven innovation and strategy in human capital by focusing on turning talent intelligence into actionable revenues. His expertise includes market intelligence, due diligence, and expert witness services, helping companies navigate market disruptions, pre and post-merger due diligence and competitive challenges.

Richard is an acknowledged industry leader and expert in creating high performance organizations, as well as lucrative outcomes through collaborative leadership efforts with board members, C-suite leaders and other stakeholders, with a focus on identifying top drivers of organizational value through talent. He is a frequent speaker and consultant on leadership, management, and corporate governance. Richard has held leadership roles at some of the world’s largest executive search firms and has served as CEO and founder of his own firm.

Richard earned a B.A in History, Politics and English from the University of Buckingham.

Morgan Taylor, Partner and Practice Head of Executive Diligence – Mintz Group

Morgan Taylor is a Partner in the San Francisco office and heads the Mintz Group’s Executive Diligence practice. She specializes in managing cross-border investigations into potential partners, transaction targets and executive or board placements to support pre-deal and pre-hire due diligence. She also oversees investigations for law firms and employers related to issues such as employment disputes, fraud investigations and allegations of workplace misconduct.

Prior to joining the Mintz Group in 2014, Morgan worked for a start-up due diligence firm, where she conducted investigations for private and public sector clients in dispute-related cases, including international asset tracing and link analysis to uncover fraud. She is also an experienced researcher, with a focus on financial crimes, anti-money laundering, counterterrorism and Middle East history and politics.

Morgan has an M.A. in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in International Affairs.

Carin Van Vuuren, Chief Marketing Officer

Carin Van Vuuren is Chief Marketing Officer at Greenhouse where she is responsible for driving business growth through a focus on go-to-market strategy, brand management and corporate communication. Prior to joining Greenhouse, Carin was a Partner at CapGemini Consulting, and CMO of Fahrenheit 212, an innovation consultancy. Additionally, she is a marketing advisor to startup tech founders. Carin earned her undergraduate degree in languages and marketing from the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa.

Deepali Vyas, Managing Director, Sector Head of AI & Data – ZRG

Deepali Vyas is the Global Head of the Data & AI Sector at ZRG, where she leads executive search and talent strategy for organizations seeking to transform through data, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. With over 25 years of experience advising Fortune 500, private equity, and venture-backed companies, Deepali is recognized as one of the foremost experts in identifying and placing transformative leadership across the global data and AI ecosystem.

Her deep expertise spans fintech, crypto, and the broader financial innovation landscape, having worked extensively with private equity firms, digital asset platforms, and high-growth VC-backed startups to build forward-looking leadership teams.

Before joining ZRG, Deepali was a Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, where she led the firm’s Global Data, AI, and FinTech Practice. Her work focused on building leadership teams at the intersection of technology, innovation, and financial services. Prior to Korn Ferry, she served as Sector Leader for the Global Markets Practice at Heidrick & Struggles, advising C-suite leaders and Boards on executive talent strategy across data/quantitative analytics, digital transformation, and capital markets.

Deepali has successfully placed senior leaders in roles including Chief Data Officer, Chief AI Officer, Chief Analytics Officer, CEO, CTO, and Chief Product Officer, spanning financial services, healthcare, technology, consumer, and industrial sectors. Her expertise also includes organizational design, talent assessment, and leadership advisory.

A recognized thought leader, Deepali has been featured in Bloomberg, WSJ, CNBC, Forbes, Business Insider, and FundFire. She was named one of Business Insider’s Top 10 Global Headhunters in FinTech and frequently speaks on topics such as AI-driven hiring, blockchain, data science, and the future of work. She also serves on advisory boards for Correlation One and Rutgers University’s Big Data Program, and actively supports diversity in STEM through initiatives like the Women’s Summit in Data Science.

A graduate of the University of Colorado with a B.S. in Finance, Deepali currently resides in New York.

Known to her digital audience as the “Elite Recruiter,” Deepali delivers bold, actionable career insights across social media platforms and her newsletter The Elite Edge. She is a frequent keynote speaker on work culture, hiring, and leadership—helping professionals future-proof their careers in an age of constant transformation.

Max Woolger, VP Revenue – Ezekia

Max is VP Revenue for Ezekia. Having spent 12+ years in executive search running BD, Data and CRM for the founders of 3 global search firms, using a range of CRMs, he is well placed to advise and assist prospective clients as they make their CRM choice. His experience in executive search firms has also helped him lead Ezekia’s in-house deployments with executive talent teams at corporates and PE/VC firms. Prior to joining Ezekia, he spent 3 years in a B2B relationship technology business selling in to search firms, law firms, consultancies, insurance brokers and underwriters so he has an in-depth understanding of relationship selling and the technologies needed to support it, across sector.