The Christopher Group Recruits Chief People Officer for Ideal Image

September 16, 2024 – The Christopher Group (TCG), a boutique HR executive search and business solutions recruiting firm, has placed Monna Nevils as the new chief people officer of Ideal Image. Managing partners Nat Schiffer and Ayla Maloney led the assignment. “Leadership transitions can present both challenges and opportunities,” said Mr. Schiffer. “Recently, I had the privilege of collaborating with the interim CEO and private equity sponsor to place a new chief human resources officer in this pivotal role. Balancing the expectations of an interim CEO—focused on stabilizing and steering the organization—alongside the strategic vision of the PE sponsor was a unique experience. Success hinged on aligning immediate priorities with long-term objectives.”
“During the search, the interim CEO recruited the permanent CEO, Jason Feldman, who provided essential insights into the current operational landscape,” Mr. Schiffer said. “At the same time, the PE sponsor emphasized the importance of a transformative HR leader who could drive value creation, culture alignment, and talent strategy. We sought a candidate with the expertise to navigate complex organizational structures and the vision to align HR with broader business goals. This experience reinforced the importance of strong partnerships and clear communication when placing a senior HR leader during times of transition. It was rewarding to contribute to the growth and stability of the organization by securing a CHRO poised to make a lasting impact.”
Ms. Nevils is a strategic and operational chief people officer with over 20 years of HR expertise across PE-backed and Fortune 500 companies. “She excels in organizations that prioritize excellence in all facets of human capital management,” The Christopher Group said. “Monna is distinguished by her leadership style, serving as a partner and confidant to leadership while building high-performing HR teams. She translates business vision into human capital action plans that drive growth and employee commitment. With a data-driven approach, Monna addresses performance gaps in systems, processes, and practices to ensure operational excellence.”
Ms. Nevils’ core competencies include culture, leadership development, employment branding, high-performing talent acquisition, retention and engagement, compensation, organizational design and development, process improvement, communications, M&A due diligence and integration, and change management. Notably, Monna built scalable HR platforms that led to the successful sale of two PE-backed start-up healthcare firms, achieving strong investor ROI. She also led work streams for a $350M professional services acquisition and integration, a South American operations divestiture, and integrated over 25 acquisitions in 12 months by streamlining HR practices and implementing HR technology configured for business needs.
As the chief people officer of Ideal Image, Ms. Nevils will act as a cornerstone to a newly assembled executive leadership team that is operationally resetting the organization, deploying investments and resources. As the subject matter expert in all things people, talent and culture, she is responsible for guiding strategy around organizational design and effectiveness, talent management and assessment, culture and engagement.
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As North America’s top medical aesthetics provider, Ideal Image leads the category by delivering affordable and effective face and body treatments through the industry’s largest network of doctors and licensed professionals. With over 20 years of experience and more than 20 million FDA-cleared treatments performed, Ideal Image is committed to offering an innovative and effective suite of products and services that are medically led and backed by science.
Beyond Traditional Executive Search
Founded in 1998, The Christopher Group has expanded its offerings beyond traditional executive search to deliver agile HR business solutions, including executive search, interim HR leaders, fractional CHROs, and HR advisory & consulting. The firm serves large corporations, middle-market companies, private equity firms, family-owned enterprises, and closely-held businesses, providing comprehensive solutions to their human capital challenges.
Mr. Schiffer, CEO of the firm, specializes in all levels of HR search but frequently leads the firm’s most senior-level searches including CHRO, VP, and other levels. He has recently completed searches across multiple industries and HR verticals for organizations including Phillips 66, Lamb Weston, Parker Hannifin, Air Products, Altria, SC Johnson, Cal State Fullerton, and Acorn start-ups.
Ms. Maloney, who is also The Christopher Group’s chief development officer, has been with the firm for eight progressive years and sits on the leadership team. Before joining TCG, she spent over a decade in the food service industry as a divisional and organization-wide leader of culture, leadership development, and training. With TCG, she has partnered with clients such as Lamb Weston, Phillips 66, Quantum Health, California State University, Altria, Parker Hannifin, and others on opportunities across the HR spectrum, ranging from heads of HR to specialist roles. She also spearheads off-desk searches for finance, sales, and operations executives.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media