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Slayton Search Partners Adds Dan Plourde as Senior Vice President & Principal

Slayton Search Partners, a leading executive search firm, today announced the addition of Dan Plourde as Senior Vice President & Principal. Plourde will focus on supporting the firm’s Industrial and Consumer practices, bringing nearly two decades of executive search and recruitment experience to the team.Plourde joins Slayton from a consulting role with a private equity firm, where he led searches at both the fund and portfolio company level. Prior to that, he spent close to 17 years with a global recruitment firm, where he held a series of senior leadership roles across the Midwest and West Coast. In that capacity, he managed multiple practice areas, launched and scaled new offices, and delivered retained and contained searches for Director, VP, and C-suite roles across Procurement & Supply Chain, Sales & Marketing, Finance, and Real Estate & Construction.“Dan’s extensive experience in executive search, combined with his proven track record of building and scaling operations, makes him an excellent addition to our team,” said John Nimesheim, Senior Managing Director & President at Slayton Search Partners. “His expertise in the Industrial and Consumer sectors will strengthen our ability to serve clients across these critical markets.”Throughout his career, Plourde has built a reputation for delivering [...]

By |2025-10-15T21:16:30-04:00July 2, 2025|Member News|0 Comments

Lindauer: Eight Strategies for Keeping Teams Engaged in Uncertain Times

In times of uncertainty, leaders can sustain team engagement by employing eight key strategies. These include transparent and frequent communication to build trust, assigning meaningful and challenging work aligned with the organization's mission, and involving team members in decision-making processes to foster a sense of ownership. Additionally, focusing on a few impactful initiatives prevents burnout, while encouraging learning from mistakes promotes resilience. Supporting work-life flexibility and acknowledging systemic challenges further contribute to a motivated and connected team. By implementing these approaches, leaders can create a workplace where individuals feel valued and committed, even amidst change.Read the full articleConnect with Lindauer

By |2025-10-15T21:16:30-04:00July 2, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments

IIC Partners: Why Good Advice Is Expensive

In his latest article, Stephen B. Breitfeld emphasizes the importance of regularly reevaluating consulting fee structures, particularly during quieter periods like summer. It highlights that consulting rates are not arbitrary but are based on detailed cost models, with personnel expenses accounting for the majority of costs and non-billable work such as proposals and research playing a significant role. Specialized services like executive search face additional invisible costs, but these investments are essential to minimize risks like failed C-level hires, which can be extremely costly. The piece advocates for more transparency in pricing, encouraging open conversations about the true value of expertise and the economic rationale behind consulting fees. In an age of AI, it concludes, human insight remains a key differentiator, making thoughtful pricing and honest dialogue more important than ever.Read the full articleConnect with IIC Partners

By |2025-10-15T21:16:30-04:00June 30, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments

Acertitude: Why Real Innovation Starts with people

Chris Satchell, Managing Director of Technology and Digital at private equity firm CD&R, emphasizes that genuine innovation stems from people, not just processes or technology. Drawing from his eclectic career—including roles at Xbox, Nike, and Comcast—he believes in solving complex challenges by assembling strong teams, making courageous decisions, and maintaining a customer-first mindset. Satchell rejects the hype around digital transformation, instead focusing on fundamental execution tailored to real business needs. At CD&R, he supports leaders across 40+ companies in leveraging technology strategically, underscoring that true value creation is tech-powered but fundamentally human-led.Read the full articleConnect with Acertitude

By |2025-10-15T21:16:30-04:00June 30, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments

Russell Reynolds Associates Introduces Strategy Decode and Activation to Address the Leadership Gap in Business Transformation

NEW YORK – June. 17, 2025 – Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), the leading global leadership advisory firm, today announced the launch of Strategy Decode and Activation, a distinctive advisory capability that positions CEO and C-suite leadership as the central driver of successful business transformation.The new capability addresses a critical market need, as research shows 75% of business transformation efforts fail, primarily due to leadership execution gaps rather than strategic design flaws. This launch comes at a time of unprecedented urgency, as organizations grapple with rapid technological shifts, evolving market dynamics and the imperative to transform faster than ever before."RRA has been at the forefront of helping the world's largest organizations solve their most pressing leadership issues for decades," said Constantine Alexandrakis, CEO of RRA. "Today, transformation is at the forefront of those challenges. Strategy Decode and Activation is our direct response, providing the hands-on, leadership-centric guidance our clients need to navigate and succeed in this era of constant change."Read the Full Press Release 

By |2025-10-15T21:16:31-04:00June 24, 2025|Member News|0 Comments

Leadership Moves: June 12 – 25, 2025

Academic Search placed Dr. Ronald Hickman as Dean, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing for Case Western Reserve UniversityBoardWalk Consulting placed Crystal FitzSimons as President for Food Research & Action CenterBoardWalk Consulting placed Kimberly L. Jackson as President & Chief Executive Officer for the Women’s Foundation of AlabamaBuffkin / Baker placed Norman Storwick as Chief Actuary & Vice President of Underwriting for CurativeBuffkin / Baker placed Tiffany Coursey as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FBMMFuture Leadership placed Paul Gregersen as Chief Executive Officer of Mayflower GroupGlue Executive Search placed Sebastian Soneyra as Regional Chief Financial Officer for Iafis GroupHOBSON LEAVY placed Jeremy Togneri as Chief People Officer for the University of OtagoHOBSON LEAVY placed Keith Fraser as General Manager People, Culture & Transformation for TimberlandsJohnson Partners placed Brad Land as Group Chief Financial Officer for Avanti FinanceKaplan Partners placed Rebecca Seeman as Chief Operating Officer, Consumer Banking for WSFS BankMajor Executive Search placed Sandeep Vij to the Board of Directors for AdeiaPFM Executive Search placed David Prodanovic as President for DataCore Mail ManagementPFM Executive Search placed Diyan Achjadi as Vice President, Academic + Provost for Emily Carr University of Art + DesignPotrero Group placed Greg Peckham as President [...]

By |2025-10-15T21:16:31-04:00June 23, 2025|Leadership Moves|0 Comments

Leadership Moves: May 29 – June 11, 2025

Academic Search placed Dr. Natalya Delcoure as Dean of the Sam Pack College of Business for Tarleton State UniversityBoardWalk Consulting placed Shaylyn Cochran as Deputy Executive Director for Lawyers’​ Committee for Civil Rights Under LawBuffkin / Baker placed Matthew Thompson as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer for Shearwater HealthCcentric placed Caroline McElnay as Chief Health Officer for Victoria Department of HealthCoulter Partners placed Tue Hodal as Chief Technology Officer for Melt&MarbleFurst Group placed Alexander Bishop, PhD, as Director, Center for Childhood Cancer Research & Principal Investigator for The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s HospitalFuture Leadership placed Lucy Lyford as Deputy Principal for Billanook CollegeGlue Executive Search placed Javier Santolia as Chief Information Officer for Banco de la Nación ArgentinaHOBSON LEAVY placed Catherine MacGowan as Deputy Chief Executive Aviation Safety Oversight for the Civil Aviation AuthorityHOBSON LEAVY placed Louise Burgess as Executive General Manager, Business Development & Marketing for McKayIchor Leadership Search placed Paul Silk as Interim Chief Executive for Ferry HoldingsJohnson Partners placed Shane O'Hare as Chief Executive Officer for Queenstown Airport (ZQN)Kaplan Partners placed Karyn Polak as President, Chief Executive Officer, & Treasurer of the Association for The Delaware Bankers AssociationMajor Executive Search placed Hank Skorny as [...]

By |2025-10-15T21:16:31-04:00June 23, 2025|Leadership Moves|0 Comments

Odgers: Geopolitical Risks in Board Governance: 2025 Insights

Post-election uncertainty and accelerated global fragmentation, coupled with regulatory escalation in AI, ESG, and data governance, have prompted boards to shift from passive oversight to active navigation of external risks. Today’s directors are expected not only to understand these forces but also to anticipate and integrate them into long-term strategic decision-making.Several key themes have emerged as priorities in this new era:Governance for Complex Risk EnvironmentsAI, Cyber, and Digital OversightFrom Risk Identification to Strategic FOrecastingGeopolitical Disruption and Resilience PlanningFuture-Proofing the BoardroomSecuring a Board DirectorshipRead the full articleConnect with odgers

By |2025-10-15T21:16:44-04:00June 23, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments

Heidrick & Struggles: CPO focus: Leadership essentials for an AI-enabled HR function

AI is reshaping organizations, industries, and functions, and human resources is no exception. HR leaders find themselves at the center of the AI capability gap; they must not only ensure that the workforce adopts AI across their organization but also upskill themselves and drive the AI enablement of the HR function. There are three specific challenges for HR leaders that come with integrating AI into the HR function:Maintaining the Human TouchData Privacy, Cybersecurity, and RegualtionsManaging Workforce EvolutionRead the full articleConnect with Heidrick & Struggles

By |2025-10-15T21:16:44-04:00June 23, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments

AltoPartners: How to be better at communicating bad news – a guide for CEOs in troubled times

In 2023, Google, for years ranked as one of the top United States companies to work for, laid off 12,000 workers via email. The fallout was swift and brutal as employees took to social media in protest. Years of carefully cultivating a reputation as an employee-centric company, complete with climbing walls and free massage, were wiped out with one click of a send button.And yet, the actual blog post issued by CEO Sundar Pichai later that day informing employees of the decision was in many respects a model of how to communicate bad news: it provided context, acknowledged that it was a difficult decision, accepted responsibility and expressed sincere regret while being simultaneously clear and direct. For those left behind, Pichai painted a positive picture of a tighter, leaner business ready to face the future.In this article, AltoPartners provides their top tips on how to show leadership, build trust, and create a foundation for future resilience when delivering bad news:Get your communitcations team involved earlyFrame bad news as part of a larger storyEngage in dialogue, not monologueBe transparent but strategically hopefulDemonstrate fairness and respectsAcknowledge emotions openly and honestlyInvest in leader trainingEquip your line managers with practical guidanceUse clear languageBad news [...]

By |2025-10-15T21:16:45-04:00June 23, 2025|Member Thought Leadership|0 Comments
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