Save the Children Picks Boyden to Lead CIO Search

November 28, 2018 – Save the Children has retained Boyden to lead its search for a chief information officer. The incoming leader will be responsible for delivering technological change over the next two to three years. U.K. managing partner Nick Robeson is leading the assignment.

The CIO will be expected to facilitate and lead Save the Children on the delivery of its three-year technology roadmap, said Boyden.

The executive will be responsible to continue to develop the future-state technology landscape for Save the Children, working across the organization to create a business aligned, scalable IT strategy providing synergies, cost efficiencies and high performing resilient infrastructure, systems and platforms.

The search firm said that the new CIO will be charged with leading the technology leadership team and serving as a critical member of the high performing organization committee, which leads the business process change strategy for Save the Children globally.

Save the Children is one of the largest and best known international non-governmental organizations that promotes children’s rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries. It was established in the U.K. in 1919 in order to improve the lives of children through better education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters, war, and other conflicts. In addition to the U.K. organization, there are 29 other national Save the Children organizations that make up the Save the Children International network.

In 2016, the organization turned to Russell Reynolds Associates to recruit Kevin Watkins as CEO of Save the Children UK. He joined Save the Children after a three-year term as executive director of the influential U.K. think tank Overseas Development Institute.

Boyden is a global provider of executive search services with more than 70 offices in over 40 countries. Founded in 1946, the firm specializes in high-level executive search, interim management and human capital consulting across a broad spectrum of industries.

Mr. Robeson, who has a 20-year track record, is recognized as a leading figure in the U.K. executive recruitment industry. Starting his career with Boyden in 2000, he consistently recruits high-caliber executives, board members and interim executives.

CIO Recruiting

The chief information officer is considered among the most strategic roles in any organization. Executive search consultants who specialize in recruiting for the position say that the best CIOs can dramatically differentiate a company in the market, while a poorly performing one can be an organization’s weakest link. Still, headhunting within the function remains challenging, and skilled C-suite IT professionals are among the toughest to find.

It only makes sense that CIO hiring and recruiting information technology teams are on the riseNearly a quarter (22 percent) of U.S. CIOs plan to expand their IT teams, according to the Robert Half Technology “IT Hiring Forecast Trend Report.” It represents a three-point rise from the beginning of last year and an eight percentage-point jump from one year ago.

In recent months, a number of organizations have turned to executive search firms to help them find top flight CIOs. Here are a few of the top assignments tracked by Hunt Scanlon Media:

Harris Search Associates, based in Dublin, OH, is considered one of the top search boutiques in this thriving area. The firm recently placed Amy Belew as chief information officer for the University of Tennessee at Martin. Managing partner Jeffrey Harris led the assignment. Ms. Belew had been in the role in an interim capacity since late in 2016. 

New Zealand-based executive recruiting firm Ichor Leadership Search placed Alastair Turrell into the position of CIO at the Department of Corrections. Mr. Turrell was most recently director of the software division at Datacom, a strategic leadership role he held over a decade

Major, Lindsey & Africa placed Matt Tader as CIO at AmLaw 200 firm Ice Miller. The assignment was led by partner Amanda K. Brady along with managing director Dustin Laws. “Matt’s strong record of developing and executing turnarounds involving significant change with processes, people and technology, ideally position him to drive process efficiencies,” said Ms. Brady.

Howard Fischer Associates (HFA) has placed Nassar Nizami as chief information officer of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health. Most recently, Mr. Nizami was vice president for information technology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Prior to that, he served in several senior IT roles at Yale New Haven Health System.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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