Ward Howell Adds Financial Services Partner in New York
October 21, 2019 – Global recruiter Ward Howell International has continued its recent expansion with the addition of Van Leichter as a partner in its financial services practice. He will be based in the firm’s New York office.
Mr. Leichter has been advising global financial services firms in the U.S., Asia Pacific and Europe for more than 20 years. He has completed searches for chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief investment officer, global product development and senior distribution management roles for leading real estate, asset management, private equity, hedge funds and investment banks worldwide.
“Van brings a unique global perspective combined with deep financial services experience that will strengthen our team and bring added value to our clients,” said Asad Haider, president – Americas, and member of the board. “Van has lived and worked internationally for more than twenty years; his experience helping clients build successful leadership teams in Japan, Asia and Europe will be especially valuable as we build a globally integrated financial services practice.”
Mr. Leichter was previously founder and managing director of Leichter Ellison Advisors, a retained executive search firm headquartered in New York. Before that, he was managing director with Ferguson Partners, where he led leadership search assignments in the U.S., Japan and Asia with a focus on real estate, private equity and hedge funds. Prior to that, he was a partner in the financial services practice at Heidrick & Struggles. Mr. Leichter began his career in Tokyo and New York where he worked with global U.S. and European investment banks on global markets, principal investment and hedge fund strategies.
Ward Howell International is a global executive search firm with a network of more than 130 partners across 26 offices. As one of the pioneers in the search industry, the firm works with corporate boards and senior leadership to deliver immediate and impactful performance gains through better leaders, teams and organizations.
Growing Firm
In June, Ward Howell added Jim Theodore as a partner in its global travel and hospitality practice. Based in Boston, Mr. Theodore has more than 30 years of experience in retained search. He has worked in the hospitality and leisure industries serving clients of all sizes, ranging from Fortune 100 organizations to start-up companies. He has completed searches ranging from C-suite to general managers in some of the world’s leading hotels and resorts in sectors including hospitality, hotel real estate, cruise lines, trade associations, restaurants, food and entertainment, as well as luxury residential real estate management.
Ward Howell International Adds Two Partners
Global recruiter Ward Howell International has continued its recent expansion with the additions of Kenneth Greger and Phil Schneidermeyer as partners. Based in Portland, OR, Mr. Greger joins Ward Howell’s global travel and hospitality practice with more than 25 years of experience in retained search.
In March, the firm opened a new office in Houston and the addition of Thomas W. Dowdy, as partner, to lead it. He becomes a member of the firm’s energy practice. Mr. Dowdy worked for the predecessor firm of the current Ward Howell, in Russia, in the 1990s. He has 20 years of experience serving the energy industry in talent attraction in both executive search and human resources management.
Recently, Ward Howell also opened a new office in Milan. The office, which consists of 12 people, is led by Luigi Mancioppi, managing partner and chairman Italy, and Vito Gioia, managing partner and director Italy. The team is strengthened by Marcello Marcellini as partner, two associate partners, Massimo Misticoni and Marco Saltalamacchia, as well as Gabriella Espertini as consultant. “We are all very excited to have now such an experienced group of professionals in Italy,” said Bernd Prasuhn, chairman. “The competence and experience of the team is extensive and rooted in decades of experience in the executive search industry.”
Earlier this year, Ward Howell added Kenneth Greger and Phil Schneidermeyer as partners. Based in Portland, OR, Mr. Greger joined the firm’s global travel and hospitality practice with more than 25 years of experience in retained search. He has worked with businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, filling C-suite positions as well as top property-level roles in sectors including hotels and resorts, casinos and integrated resorts, restaurants, travel technology and more. Mr. Schneidermeyer joined Ward Howell’s technology and innovation, healthcare/life sciences and CIO/CTO/cyber practices. He has 25 years of executive search experience working across all sectors. Mr. Schneidermeyer specializes in cyber, CIO and CTO leadership and talent advisory services.
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
