Pedersen & Partners Names Head of Boston Office
March 27, 2024 – Dubai-headquartered executive search firm Pedersen & Partners has appointed John Durkey as a client partner and head of Boston office. “We are excited to welcome John Durkey to our team as client partner and head of the Boston office,” said Gary Williams, CEO of Pedersen & Partners. “John’s extensive experience in the life sciences & healthcare and industrial sectors, combined with his track record of driving growth and delivering results, will be a significant asset to our clients and the firm. His expertise will further enhance our ability to serve clients with our best team forward approach in these key industries and strengthen our presence in the United States.”
Mr. Durkey brings over 25 years of experience in the retained executive search industry. He is skilled in building senior management teams for emerging growth companies and global multinational corporations. His expertise spans various functional disciplines, including clinical, engineering, manufacturing, quality, regulatory affairs, and research and development, across the Americas, Europe, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom.
Most recently, Mr. Durkey was a partner with August Leadership, where he focused on life sciences & healthcare, industrial, and aerospace / deep tech. Prior to that, he served as a executive director at Coulter Partners. Before that, Mr. Durkey was vice president, executive search at Harvey Nash. During his search career, he also gained experience with JobPlex, ZRG Global, The Onstott Group, Thorn & Graves, and The Madison Group.
“I am pleased to join Pedersen & Partners and firmly believe in the value of the firm’s business model, particularly the global reach, which is well-suited for serving clients,” said Mr. Durkey. “I look forward to collaborating with the team to support growth throughout the region and globally.”
Boston continues to be a hot spot for executive search firms. The city and its outlying suburbs are seen as attractive hubs for companies and the search firms that service their talent needs. Massachusetts itself, meanwhile, is a growing global hub for life sciences innovation. According to the Boston Business Journal, the biotech sector accounts for many of the fastest-growing companies in the state. Coupled with an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent, the result is low labor supply and intense competition for top leaders. Given these realities, Deloitte’s “Global Life Sciences Outlook” identified talent shortages as a continuing obstacle for companies looking to grow and evolve.
Related: Pedersen & Partners Names Global Head of Insurance Practice
Pedersen & Partners operates 54 wholly-owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Recent Growth
Pedersen & Partners recently added Leonardo de Souza as a client partner and the country manager, Brazil based in San Paolo. “We are very pleased to have Leonardo join the firm to lead the business in Brazil as we further develop our capabilities in Latin America,” Mr. Williams said. “Leonardo is an experienced executive search professional who has a deep understanding the market and industry dynamics in the region. As part of our global organization, Leonardo will be able to drive value to local, regional, and global clients as they develop, expand, and transform their organizations in Brazil and the broader Latin America region.”
Mr. de Souza has over 20 years of experience with multinational executive search, professional services and automotive organizations. Throughout the course of his career, he has developed expertise in B2B business development, executive search, and strategic business advisory. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Mr. de Souza had leadership positions with international search firms, where he led C-suite and senior level mandates across numerous sectors, including technology, oil & gas, construction, and automotive, as well as had responsibility for the overall operations and strategic development of the organizations in Brazil.
Pedersen & Partners also added Paul Chau to their team in the role of client partner, market leader – Hong Kong. “We are pleased to welcome Paul to our team in Hong Kong, and we look forward to the valuable contributions that he will make with his significant experience in executive search within the Asian markets,” said David Law Man Co, client partner, head of Greater China/head of industrial practice – Asia Pacific. “As a trusted advisor in this dynamic business environment, we are confident that Paul will play a key role in delivering lasting value to our clients and candidates in the region.”
Related: Pedersen & Partners Appoints Country Manager for The Netherlands
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
