2024 Year in Review

Dan Dunn

Executive Vice President

Below are select search highlights from 2024.
 
 

Chief Financial Officer for a Leading National Manufacturer in FAAS (Food as a Service)

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an integral member of the company’s top Executive Leadership Team. This role will be responsible for all financial operations within the company, including financial planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, and strategic financial decision-making, with a primary focus on driving sustainable growth and profitability within the food industry. Collaborating closely with the ELT, the CFO will focus on accelerating the company’s growth trajectory and continue to strengthen its position as a leading end-to-end platform in the food space. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in financial management, including expertise in budgeting, forecasting, cash flow optimization, and strategic planning. They should bring at least 10-15 years of progressive leadership experience in finance with a proven track record of aligning financial strategies to business objectives.
 
 

Chief Human Resources Officer for a Publicly traded Manufacturer of In-Ground Swimming Pools & Covers

The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) serves as the top HR executive, responsible for leading a comprehensive human capital strategy to drive organizational performance through end-to-end HR initiatives, programs, and policies. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CHRO advises the CEO and other executives on all aspects of human resources management. Key responsibilities include overseeing the global HR and Learning & Development functions, ensuring excellence in hiring, performance management, employee development, and the full employee lifecycle. The CHRO also designs and implements strategic total rewards and recognition programs to support talent acquisition, retention, and performance. The ideal candidate is a trusted advisor and respected leader with expertise in HR practices, compliance across multiple regions, compensation principles, and data-driven decision-making. They must bring exceptional strategic and operational capabilities, critical thinking, collaboration skills, and the ability to connect with all organizational levels.
 
 

Managing Director/Operating Partner for a $9.2B AUM Private Equity Firm

The private equity Managing Director/Operating Partner will collaborate with the firm’s portfolio companies to drive growth and create value. This role involves strategic operating advice and hands-on support to help manufacturing portcos scale operations, improve efficiency, and navigate challenges while maintaining strong communication with the executive team. The ideal candidate should be well versed in Lean and Six Sigma principles, have experience leading multi-site manufacturing organizations and possess a background with P&L responsibility across multiple organizations. Additionally, they will support board initiatives and be involved in operational due diligence for acquisition targets.
 
 

Senior Vice President, Operations for a Leading National Manufacturer in FAAS (Food as a Service)

The Senior Vice President of Operations will lead and optimize manufacturing operations across multiple sites, driving strategy, execution, and cost improvements while ensuring operational excellence. This role has multisite accountability, managing budgetary and operational aspects, key metrics, and KPIs. They will navigate a high-growth environment, lead change initiatives, and implement a system to foster continuous improvement. Responsibilities include ensuring compliance with GMP and Food Safety standards, addressing non-conformance swiftly, and identifying operational risks while developing mitigation strategies. The ideal candidate brings an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for success, and the ability to build high-performing teams, with a track record of leading through dynamic change, driving new initiatives, and cultivating a customer-focused, engaging work environment. Strong analytical skills, strategic thinking, and a results-oriented mindset are essential, along with the ability to collaborate across teams and think creatively in solving complex challenges.
 
 

Vice President, Operations for a Private Equity-Owned Medical Equipment & Service Company

The Vice President of Operations reports to the President and oversees the Production and Biomedical Technician teams, ensuring quality, customer service excellence, and achievement of operational KPI goals. This role drives strategy and cross-functional collaboration to optimize production processes, implement continuous improvement initiatives, and integrate effective metrics for production analytics. The ideal candidate has 10+ years of experience in program management, operations, or project leadership, with strong communication skills, a strategic mindset for process improvement, and the ability to identify and eliminate non-value-added work to enhance quality and efficiency.
 
 

Vice President of Procurement for a Private Equity-Owned International Manufacturer & Distributor

The Vice President of Procurement, as the senior-most procurement executive, will lead the multi-site purchasing team to achieve shared objectives through effective leadership, training, and mentorship. Collaborating with North American Presidents and the Vice President of Finance, this role will develop and implement policies, systems, and strategies to drive cost reductions and improve overall financial performance. This role will strengthen supplier relationships, act as a key liaison between stakeholders, and foster a culture of continuous improvement to optimize costs and processes. The ideal candidate will have 10–15+ years of experience in a world-class purchasing function within industrial manufacturing and at least seven years of proven success leading and developing high-performing teams.
 
 

Vice President of Marketing for a Publicly traded Manufacturer of In-Ground Swimming Pools & Covers

The Vice President of Marketing, the top marketing role at the organization, will lead the global marketing communications and brand strategy functions, driving both short- and long-term initiatives to enhance corporate branding, customer engagement, and revenue growth. This role is pivotal in maintaining market leadership through innovative, customer-focused product branding and achieving strong ROI across marketing efforts. The ideal candidate will bring a track record of success in B2B and B2C marketing strategies, experience with traditional and digital marketing, and expertise in corporate and product branding. Preferred experience includes business-to-business marketing in manufacturing, consumer goods, or building products.
 
 

Vice President of Business Development for a Private Equity-Owned Engineering & Testing Company

The Vice President of Business Development will drive new business growth and strengthen relationships with manufacturers of internal combustion engines, electric vehicles, and their components. Reporting to the President, this role focuses on expanding existing customer relationships, winning new business, and commercializing innovation projects to achieve diversification and scale. The ideal candidate will have a commercial and technical background, a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach, and the ability to deliver results with lean resources. With a minimum of 10 years’ experience in the automotive or powertrain industry, they will play a key role in sales forecasting, business development KPIs, and long-term strategic planning. As the company scales, the role will evolve from hands-on business development to sales management.
 
 

Senior Director, IT Operations & Security for a Publicly Traded Manufacturer of In-Ground Swimming Pools & Covers

The Senior Director, IT Operations & Security will lead the infrastructure and operations teams, balancing both strategic and tactical responsibilities in a fast-paced, high-performance environment. This role involves mentoring, architecting, and occasionally being hands-on in a Linux/Windows dual environment across both data center and cloud platforms. They will ensure efficient delivery of IT solutions while collaborating with a talented team. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in network services, information security, infrastructure operations, VMware, and project management, along with 10+ years of managerial experience in coaching and developing employees. Expertise in the design, procurement, development, deployment, maintenance, and support of networks and infrastructure is essential.