Search Veteran Peter Alan Rabinowitz Dies at 74
May 30, 2018 – Peter Alan Rabinowitz, founder of executive search firm PAR Associates, died on Saturday in Boston. He was 74 years old.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Rabinowitz worked closely with senior corporate officers and boards to evaluate their business needs, define leadership roles and governance structures and ultimately, assist in the selection of key management personnel for their organizations.
He has addressed major companies on such topics as executive selection, compensation, and position analysis and description. Famously known as “the Rabbi” within his chosen field, Mr. Rabinowitz’s impact on his clients, many of whom became lifelong friends, was extraordinary, according to those that knew him best.
Since establishing PAR Associates in 1980, the scope of Mr. Rabinowitz’s search consulting extended to include healthcare, cultural, financial services, manufacturing and commercial organizations, nationwide. He derived several engagements through the venture capital community, including referral work from: Parthenon Capital; Cardinal Health Partners; Acacia Venture Partners; Accel Partners; Ferrer, Freeman, Thompson; Sierra; Oak Investment Partners; Mayfield Fund; and Salix Ventures LP. His work has covered several functional areas: administration, operations, finance, human resources, marketing and development.
Prior to PAR Associates, Mr. Rabinowitz was EVP of Bartholdi & Company (1973 to 1980). While building this from a two to 53 person search firm, Mr. Rabinowitz was responsible for handling senior engagements for some of the nation’s largest organizations including AT&T, Exxon, Chase Manhattan Bank, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, and others.
Mr. Rabinowitz grew up in Brookline, MA, where he was born in 1944, the son of Joy and the late Samuel Rabinowitz. A graduate of Milton Academy, Lawrence University and the Jacob Hiatt Institute of Brandeis University, Mr. Rabinowitz held positions on a number of local and national boards, including: Overseer of WGBH, Boston; executive committee of American Jewish World Service, New York City; environmental scanning/strategic planning committee of the United Way of America, Washington, D.C.; member of advisory board of the Family and Children’s Policy Center, Brandeis University; board of directors of the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Boston.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
