ZRG Partners Recruits Chief Data Scientist for DLA Piper
March 9, 2023 – ZRG Partners, a leading search firm backed by private equity firm RFE Investment Partners, recently assisted in placing Bennett B. Borden as chief data scientist with DLA Piper. Lisa Hooker, ZRG’s managing director and technology practice leader, led the assignment along with Rahul Kapur, managing director and global head of fintech, and Jack Dart, managing associate. “As companies around the world deploy a variety of AI and machine learning technologies to automate their business processes, Bennett and his team provide a much-needed technical component unique to the legal industry,” said Danny Tobey, chair of DLA Piper’s AI practice. “We are excited to enhance our deep bench in AI with seamlessly integrated legal and computational capabilities.”
“AI development and adoption is crucial as companies look to grow their businesses and compete successfully,” said Frank Ryan, DLA Piper’s Americas chair. “The addition of Bennett and his team as part of the firm’s overall AI offering provides clients with a comprehensive compliance and government affairs strategy important to their success.”
Mr. Borden, an experienced attorney and data scientist, is an authority on helping clients monetize and productize data, develop AI systems and algorithmic models in a legal and ethical manner, and conduct discovery and internal investigations, including the verification of AI systems and detection of algorithmic bias. He began his career at the Central Intelligence Agency, using data analytics and machine learning to describe, predict, and influence human and organizational behaviors. In 2020, Mr. Borden was recognized by the Financial Times for his “standout expertise in data analytics and machine learning.”
Mr. Borden will work with DLA Piper’s newly-created artificial intelligence and data analytics practice. His team will offer a number of combined legal-computational services, including auditing client AI for algorithmic fairness and regulatory compliance, creation of AI-enabled tools to help clients leverage data for legal edge, and an intelligence-style enhanced e-discovery analytics team for next generation litigation and investigation fact development.
DLA Piper advises many of the world’s most prominent companies and governments on the legal and compliance risks of creating and deploying AI systems, and Mr. Borden and team’s unique-to-market technical and forensic offerings complement the firm’s existing capabilities in AI adoption, deployment, and monitoring.
Seasoned Search Consultants
ZRG, founded in 1999, is a mid-sized global executive search firm and one of the fastest growing in the search industry. It provides a full suite of executive, middle management, and customized search solutions through its offices in North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. The firm finds leaders across a broad spectrum of business markets, including aerospace, consumer, education, healthcare services and solutions, industrial, life sciences, non-profit, private equity and venture capital, and technology.
ZRG Partners Recruits Chief Technology Officer for Kantata
ZRG Partners recently assisted in placing Ken Ringdahl as the new chief technology officer for Kantata, a global supplier of purpose-built technology for professional services. Lisa Hooker, ZRG’s managing director and technology practice leader, led the assignment along with Kevin Anderson, managing director. “Ken’s customer-centric mindset, deep engineering experience, and proven record of building and leading world-class, global software organizations made him a perfect fit for Kantata,” said Michael Speranza, CEO of Kantata. “Ken will be instrumental in ensuring Kantata’s continued leadership position in the market. We are thrilled to welcome him into our organization and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish in 2023.”
Ms. Hooker is located in the Austin, TX office of ZRG Partners and is a member of the technology and board practices. She is also an active member of the firm’s private equity practice and the diversity, equity, and inclusion practice. She brings a career spanning more than 20 years of executive search consulting and has delivered board and leadership projects for Fortune 500, mid-cap, and SMEs as well as private equity, pre-IPO and venture-backed clients in the technology sector. Ms. Hooker serves as an advisor to the C-suite and boards of directors on topics including CEO succession, board efficiency, director onboarding, and leadership assessment and development.
Based in New York, Mr. Kapur has more than 30 years of experience in fintech with a focus on banking, payments, lending, capital markets, and wealth management. His clients include top-tier financial institutions, enterprise financial technology providers, and emerging non-bank challengers.
Mr. Dart works within the technology practice at ZRG Partners. In his role, he engages in the full spectrum of executive level recruitment and talent advisory activities. This includes research and development, candidate outreach and engagement, as well as client counseling in the effort to facilitate efficient and effective talent placement that matches the needs and desires of both the client and candidate.
Related: ZRG Partners Recruits Chief Digital and Information Officer for Enovis
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media