The Alexander Group Appoints COO

February 26, 2021 – Houston-based executive search firm The Alexander Group has named Amanda K. Brady as managing director and chief operating officer. “Amanda brings a holistic understanding of the industry and appreciation for our team-oriented culture,” said John C. Lamar, managing partner. “She will be instrumental in the strategic growth of The Alexander Group and our sister firm, Alex & Red, and lead us into the future. And, to have the opportunity to welcome a former colleague back to our firm makes it that much more meaningful.” With 30 years of legal industry experience, including two decades as an executive search consultant serving Am Law 100 law firms and major corporations, Ms. Brady brings a multifaceted understanding of the latest market and operational trends, The Alexander Group says. Her expertise encompasses all business services, including finance, marketing, business development, talent management, and diversity and inclusion.

In addition to managing The Alexander Group’s business operations, Ms. Brady will recruit C-suite executives and board members for key clients and will serve on the firm’s executive committee. Ms. Brady previously worked at The Alexander Group for a decade as a director and executive search consultant. She then joined Major, Lindsey & Africa where she served as managing partner and global practice leader of the law firm management practice and as managing partner of MLA’s Houston office. She has also served as chief operating officer of National Litigation Law Group. Ms. Brady was elected a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management in 2017 and was named one of Lawdragon’s “100 Leading Legal Consultants and Strategists” for 2016-2019.

“I am delighted to return to The Alexander Group to lead the firm’s operations and growth strategies,” Ms. Brady said. “I’ve had some amazing professional opportunities. To now be able to apply all those experiences to a firm whose mission and values are like my own, and work with a group of people about whom I care deeply, is a dream come true.”

The Alexander Group is an executive search firm focused on C-suite executive- and board-level searches. For more than 30 years, the firm has focused on executive recruiting and consulting assignments for a wide range of clients including multinational corporations, professional services firms and non-profit organizations worldwide. It has offices in Houston, London, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Park City, UT.

Leadership Appointments Rising at Recruiting Firms

Top leadership appointments, of men and women, have been gaining traction at executive search firms over the past year. Here’s a look at several examples taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Isaacson, Miller appointed Ericka Miller as the firm’s next president and CEO. She will officially start her term on July 1, 2021, upon the retirement of current president Vivian Brocard. “As one of the first women of color to lead a major national executive search firm, Ericka brings a deep and lifelong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, consistent with Isaacson, Miller’s core values,” the search firm said. “Ericka has done an excellent job of building and leading our PreK-12 education and education improvement practice, chairing the promotions committee, and serving as an indispensable member of the board of directors,” said John Isaacson, founder and chair of Isaacson, Miller. “She distinguished herself with her colleagues on the board and was their unanimous choice for president and CEO,” Mr. Isaacson said. “They are both proud and grateful to welcome her as the successor to Vivian. Vivian has led the firm skillfully and leaves an outstanding legacy. She and Ericka will manage the transition together.”

San Diego, CA-headquartered executive search firm Bespoke Partners has added a new president and chief operating officer to its leadership team as it seeks ways to drive and scale its human capital advisory service offerings. Joining Bespoke as president is Eric Walczykowski, a technology industry veteran who has served in leadership roles in business development, sales and marketing. He is charged with driving Bespoke’s transformation from a pure executive search firm to a full-service human capital advisory firm. Mark Hood joins as chief operating officer, bringing decades of experience in operations, management, and capital market activities. Mr. Hood will be expected to build the firm’s talent and management infrastructure to scale its capacity across multiple service lines, while sustaining the firm’s track record of performance, quality, and client satisfaction.

Chicago-headquartered referral recruiting service Hunt Club has expanded with the addition of Stephanie Tysdal as its chief operating officer. “Stephanie is incredibly customer focused. We spent our first conversation talking about all the ways that the recruiting industry (to date) has neglected using technology to change the customer and candidate experience,” said aid Nick Cromydas, co-founder and CEO. “She immediately understood the advantage our business can have by further unlocking our expert network marketplace to access the best candidates via trusted introductions. She’s spent time in archaic industries in benefits and logistics, redefining how to use technology, engineering, data science to deliver an unparalleled experience, and we’re really excited to have her deliver that for Hunt Club and the recruiting space.”

Executive recruitment firm Development Guild DDI, which focuses on the non-profit sector, has named Victoria Jones as president and Deborah Brown as chief operating officer. “I’m delighted to share that Victoria Jones is our new president,” said CEO Suzanne Weber. “Victoria’s new role along with the promotion of Deb Brown to COO will drive our continuous evolution as trusted, innovative partners to non-profit leaders.” Ms. Jones joined Development Guild 20 years ago and has served as the firm’s executive vice president for the past seven years. Ms. Brown joined Development Guild 20 years ago and has served as its senior vice president of finance and administration for the past eight years.