The Katris Group Fills Board Seat for Interface
August 23, 2018 – The Katris Group, an executive recruitment firm with offices in Sarasota, FL and Chicago, has placed Catherine M. Kilbane as a member of the board of directors at Nasdaq-traded Interface Inc., a global commercial flooring company and worldwide leader in sustainability.
“Cathy brings a sophisticated view on acquisitions and integration. We will also benefit from her broad experience in intellectual property rights, risk management and global market understanding,” said Jay Gould, CEO of Interface.
Ms. Kilbane served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of the Sherwin Williams Co., a Fortune 500 global manufacturer and retailer of paint and coatings, from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, she was the SVP, general counsel and secretary of American Greetings Corp. Ms. Kilbane spent 16 years as a partner at Baker & Hostetler, where she chaired the Intellectual Property Transactions Group. Kilbane also serves on the board of directors of the Andersons, a diversified agribusiness company, and the Davey Tree Expert Co., a provider of tree and landscape services.
The arrival of Ms. Kilbane adds to the growing diversity of the Interface corporate board. “Our last three appointments have all been top female leaders, respected in their fields, who bring important perspective to the board, our leadership team and our business as a whole,” said Mr. Gould. “I am excited about the work we will do together as we continue to focus on becoming the world’s most valuable interior products and services company.”
Interface is a modular flooring company with a fully integrated collection of carpet tiles and resilient flooring. Its modular system helps customers create interior spaces while positively impacting the people who use them and our planet.
The Katris Group is a boutique consulting firm that partners with client companies to link leadership, culture and shareholder value. The firm maintains that “clients deserve a customized, high-touch, conflict-free experience when seeking corporate governance advisory consulting, board and executive recruiting, and leadership development advice.” The Katris Group is led by founder and managing partner Stephanie Katris, who has more than 25 years of experience in talent management, executive and board director search, and governance consulting. Before launching her own firm in 2015, Ms. Katris was a partner with JamesDruryPartners.
Luring Directors
Director recruiting has grown markedly more challenging, say recruiters who conduct searches in that area. According to Egon Zehnder, heightened expectations now placed on boards have elevated both the professional standards and personal commitment required of all directors.
At the same time, many boards find that the supply of independent-minded “board experienced” directors – especially those who can add vital forms of specialized skills and expertise – is limited. Such candidates are widely sought but can be hesitant to take on the intensive responsibilities now required of board service.
As a result, companies continue to turn to executive search firms to help find new board members. Most in demand are women, senior leaders with global experience, ethnically diverse professionals and Millennials.
Here’s a brief look at a small selection of search firms and their recent board work taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:
Greenwich Harbor Partners placed Eric Johnson as a member of the board of directors at the New York Pops. He is the eighth director to be placed on the Pops board by the Greenwich, CT-based search firm. The assignment was led by managing directors Carrie Pryor and Ted Pryor.
Diversified Search has recruited Betsy Atkins, Dee Dee Myers and Wendy Webb as members of the board of directors for Wynn Resorts. Wynn Resorts is pleased to welcome Betsy, Dee Dee and Wendy to its board of directors following a thorough search process that included input from shareholders and Diversified Search.
Boyden has placed Joe Guith, Matthew Wadiak and Etienne Patout as members of the board of directors at Goodwill Industries International. “After an exhaustive search, Boyden is enthusiastic about the talent that Joe, Matthew and Etienne bring to the Goodwill team,” said Alicen Blair-Sibly, a managing partner of Boyden in Atlanta.
Greenwich Harbor Partners has been enlisted by Teach for America – New York to recruit for multiple board positions. The firm recently filled the first board spot with the placement of Deborah Rosado Shaw as a director. The assignment was led by Carrie Pryor and Ted Pryor, managing directors of the Greenwich, CT-based search firm.
Polachi Inc. placed Sam King and Angela Tucci as new members of the board of directors at Progress Software in Bedford, MA. Ms. King is senior vice president, general manager and chief strategy officer of Veracode, the application security business of CA Technologies. Ms. Tucci is CEO of Apto.
Kincannon & Reed placed Roland Wolfram and Elin Miller as new members of the board of directors at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery. Mr. Wolfram previously served as VP and general manager of emerging markets at Nike. Ms. Miller is a veteran agricultural and management executive with more than 30 years of senior leadership experience in the corporate, government and …
Executive search firm Diversified Search has placed Christopher M. Connor as a member of the board of directors at International Paper Company in Memphis. Managing director Lauren E. Smith led the assignment. Mr. Connor retired as executive chairman of the Sherwin-Williams Co. in December.
Korn Ferry assisted Mutual of America Life Insurance Company in adding Ellen Ochoa to its board of directors. Alan Guarino, vice chairman in the firm’s CEO and board services practice, led the search along with senior client partner Maureen Ryan. Dr. Ochoa is the director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
