SpenglerFox Announces Leadership Changes
January 30, 2026 – Global executive search provider SpenglerFox has announced leadership developments designed to strengthen the firm’s ability to serve clients in high-growth sectors. Michael Klingler will be taking on expanded responsibilities as he assumes leadership of the firm’s life sciences and healthcare practice in addition to his current role heading the private equity practice. “This move reflects the increasingly strong overlap we’re seeing between these sectors, particularly as PE investment in life sciences and healthcare continues to accelerate,” said Jens Friedrich, CEO of SpenglerFox. “Michael’s deep expertise in both domains positions him perfectly to deliver integrated solutions for our clients operating at this intersection.
“Michael has been instrumental in building our private equity practice into a powerhouse, and I’m confident he’ll bring that same strategic vision and energy to our life sciences and healthcare work,” Mr. Friedrich said. “His ability to understand the unique talent needs of growth companies, whether backed by PE or scaling independently, makes him the ideal leader for this expanded mandate.”
Mr. Klingler is a senior executive with more than 20 years of proven experience in board search and leadership assessment, with a strong network amongst board members, CEOs, and private equity executives across Europe and the Americas. He combines this with deep sector expertise in the life sciences space.
In addition, Zsuzsanna Zimonyi will now be focusing on growing SpenglerFox’s leadership advisory service line. This is an area experiencing tremendous growth and innovation, and Zsuzsanna will be leading the rollout of new products and services that will help clients build and optimize their leadership teams for sustainable growth.
“Zsuzsanna’s pioneering work in establishing our leadership advisory offering has been transformative for SpenglerFox and our clients alike,” said Mr. Friedrich. “Her vision and dedication have positioned us as trusted advisors in leadership development, and I’m thrilled she’ll now have the bandwidth to take this to the next level. Zsuzsanna will continue to be an active contributor to our life sciences practice, ensuring continuity and maintaining the strong relationships she’s built in this sector.”
“These changes reflect our commitment to delivering specialized, best-in-class services to the growth companies we serve,” Mr. Friedrich said. “By aligning our leadership structure with market realities and client needs, we’re ensuring that SpenglerFox remains the partner of choice for organizations seeking top talent and strategic leadership guidance.”
Related: SpenglerFox Appoints Head of Talent Acquisition
Founded in 2003, SpenglerFox is a global search and HR services firm working across multiple territories serving both the mature and emerging markets. The firm further provides interim management, payrolling, and recruitment process outsourcing in both mature and emerging markets. The firm also has a dedicated focus on board work for small to mid-sized companies and a research team that provides talent mapping and pipelining solutions.
Expansion in DACH Region
SpenglerFox also recently expanded with the addition of Prianka Chaturvedula. Based in Frankfurt, she will play a key role as senior client partner in scaling SpenglerFox’ presence in the DACH region by supporting our cross-border leadership mandates globally. “We are delighted to welcome Prianka to the SpenglerFox family,” said Mr. Friedrich. “Her strong professional background will be an invaluable asset for us as we strengthen our team in the life sciences and medtech sectors across the DACH region. Welcome onboard Prianka, looking forward to working with you and celebrating many successes together.”
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Ms. Chaturvedula is a senior professional with over a decade of experience supporting clients across the life sciences, pharma, medtech, and healthtech sectors. “Holding a degree in chemistry, she brings scientific insight and business understanding to complex executive hiring needs,” SpenglerFox said. “Her consultative, relationship-driven approach focuses on building long-term partnerships and delivering strategic talent solutions across R&D, medical, regulatory, and other key functions.”
Before joining SpenglerFox, Ms. Chaturvedula spent several years with a boutique search firm. She is also founder and investor of MÉRAKI Health, an independent venture focused on advancing health and wellness initiatives. Her previous experience includes leading the Berlin team at Dwight Cribb Personalberatung and serving as senior team lead for the permanent business division at Hays in Berlin.
Related: SpenglerFox Appoints Head of Life Sciences and Switzerland
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
