Solomon Page Launches Retained Executive Search Practice
September 25, 2026 – New York City headquartered executive search firm Solomon Page has launched a retained executive search practice dedicated to artificial intelligence leadership. The practice is led by managing director Ryan Kellner. The practice partners with organizations in financial services, healthcare, life sciences, and venture-backed technology to place chief AI officers, heads of AI, heads of data science, and the senior technical leaders responsible for turning AI investment into business results.
“The practice addresses a hiring problem most organizations are facing for the first time,” Solomon Page said. “Few companies are building AI teams of twenty. Most are hiring one person, and that person is expected to define strategy, build capability, and lead a transformation the organization has never attempted before.”
The practice conducts retained searches across AI strategy, engineering, research, and product leadership. Executive roles include chief AI officers, heads of AI, and directors of AI, along with heads of data science and senior data science and machine learning engineers. Applied engineering searches cover applied LLM and AI application engineers, agentic AI and generative AI engineers, forward deployed engineers, retrieval-quality and rag engineers, ai solution architects, and MLOps engineers.
Additional roles include AI product and program managers, AI research scientists, AI readiness consultants, and AI information security specialists. Searches are conducted on a retained basis and are industry-agnostic.
Mr. Kellner brings 15 years in the data and artificial intelligence talent market, spanning business intelligence, data science, machine learning, and applied AI. He has advised both large enterprises and high-growth companies, building specialized teams and placing leaders in roles that were new to the business.
Before moving into executive search, Mr. Kellner worked in life sciences, selling laboratory automation and clinical systems into large health systems and partnering directly with C-suite executives, senior researchers, and laboratory leadership. “That experience taught him how technical organizations evaluate new capability and how to translate a complex solution into terms a business leader can act on,” Solomon Page said. “An AI search asks for the same skill, because the difficulty is rarely sourcing qualified candidates. The difficulty is defining what the organization needs the role to accomplish before the search begins.”
“Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations approach growth, innovation, and the leadership required to succeed,” said Mr. Kellner. “Most of the companies I speak with are hiring their first AI leader, not their fifth. The work is helping them define what that role has to accomplish, and then finding the person who can actually do it.”
Continued Investment in Technology Talent
The launch follows the recent additions of Leslie Stolic as senior vice president and Maribel Delgado as senior recruiter to the technology division. Together, these hires expand the technology and executive search solutions available to organizations navigating emerging technologies, evolving workforce demands, and long-term transformation.
Related: Solomon Page Grows Locum Tenens Offering with Strategic Leadership Hires
“The addition of Leslie and Maribel reflects the company’s continued investment in technology consulting service offerings and its commitment to providing specialized recruitment solutions that meet clients’ evolving needs,” Solomon Page said. “Their combined expertise will further strengthen the firm’s capabilities in supporting organizations seeking innovative technology talent to drive digital transformation and long-term success.”
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Founded in 1990, Solomon Page is a specialty niche provider of recruitment and executive search solutions across a wide array of functions and industries. Lloyd Solomon and Scott Page are the firm’s co-founders and managing directors.
Mr. Solomon provides leadership and direction for the execution of Solomon Page’s vision. He is accountable for creating revenue growth and enterprise value through the implementation of profitability targets and achievement of financial goals within disciplined guidelines and parameters.
Mr. Page provides leadership and direction for the execution of the company’s vision and objectives. In addition, he has built and led the financial services division since the firm’s inception in 1990. For 30 years, the practice has served global financial institutions including investment banks, alternative asset managers, private equity, and private family offices.
Related: Solomon Page Expands Accounting & Finance Practice
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
