BESPOKE PARTNERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Chief Marketing Officer / Pittsburgh, PA
"Boone" has orchestrated strategy, launches and marketing programs for more than 100 products, services and ventures generating billions of dollars in revenue and many multiples of enterprise value.
Sequoia Capital, Goldman Sachs, Greylock, Bessemer Ventures and other top tier private capital investors have backed Boone's companies in a range of sectors including software, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and networking.
Boone has led marketing, demand generation, branding, product management, services marketing, or alliances marketing programs for numerous successful companies including Avaya-acquisition Sipera, Sequoia start-up Syndesis, Subex, CoManage, and others. He has driven joint marketing programs and go-to-market initiatives with iconic industry leaders including Microsoft, IBM, GE, AT&T, Oracle, Comcast, Cisco, Ciena and Samsung.
Boone holds an MBA in Business Strategy from the WP Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and completed the Competitive Marketing Strategy Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
In his personal time, Boone enjoys travel, fine food and wine, mountain biking, playing and listening to music, and movies.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
Adelaide has more than 11 years of experience in management consulting in the technology sector, including extensive work in private equity backed companies. As the VP of Strategic Partnerships, Adelaide engages the Bespoke team with industry partners to deliver tailored solutions for clients and to drive strategic projects.
She previously held roles at Bespoke focused on human capital management, talent assessment and development, and business operations. Prior to joining Bespoke, Adelaide was a program management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton and spent a year in the AmeriCorps teaching peace building and conflict resolution strategies to inner-city elementary school students.
Adelaide graduated with honors from the University of San Diego with a B.A. in History, and two minors in Leadership Studies and Peace & Justice Studies. She has an MBA from Strayer University. In her free time, you can find Adelaide traveling, practicing yoga, dancing at concerts, and enjoying the San Diego sunshine.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / San Diego, CA
Born and raised in Phoenix, Adriana moved to California where she recently graduated from the University of San Diego with a major in Psychology and minors in Management and Biomedical Ethics. During her tenure as a full-time student, she worked three jobs and enjoyed service roles as a certified tutor and teacher's assistant.
Prior to joining Bespoke, Adriana focused her academics on the integration of psychology and business and served on the executive board of her university's industrial/organizational psychology club. She has pursued several projects surrounding DEI development and supporting the growth of professional women.
In her free time, Adriana loves to run, surf, cook, and watch basketball (specifically the PHX Suns). The Suns may have inexplicable bad luck, but she never loses hope that they will get that ring.
Job Titles:
- Research Associate / San Diego, CA
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President / Greensboro, NC
Before joining the Bespoke Partners team, Andrew worked as an Executive Recruiter for two boutique retained executive search firms where he focused on placing individuals in private equity, software, technology, financial services, industrials, and consumer industries across multiple functions.
Andrew graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a B.S. in Marketing. While earning his degree at UNCG, he served for two years as the president of the university's Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter.
Andrew currently resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, and spends his free time going to the lake, golfing, and hanging out with his family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Search Coordinator / Austin, TX
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director / New York City, NY
A Chicago transplant based in NYC, Brian brings his midwest charm, energy, and drive to the headhunting industry. Forgoing a career in the medical field to dive headfirst into the tech headhunting industry, Brian's passion for connecting disruptive technology companies with the leaders who can drive them makes him relentless in his recruitment of high-impact executives.
As a core part of the firm's Go-to-Market practice, his work focuses on Software and SaaS firms across the VP & C-Suite. He has been recognized for his work with top-tier Private Equity and Venture firms including Insight Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Norwest Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, and more.
Brian graduated with honors as a Presidential Scholar from New York University with dual Bachelor's Degrees in Economics and Biochemistry, on a pre-med track.
Outside of work, Brian stays active be it with pickup games of basketball, futsal, or pickleball. As the son of a restaurateur, he's always on the hunt for new recipes to try his hand at in the kitchen (with mixed success). When home you'll find him tucked in with his new pup, Neo.
Job Titles:
- Senior Team Lead, Research
- Senior Team Lead, Research / San Diego, CA
Bruno graduated from the University of San Diego, with a BBA in Finance and a minor in Supply Chain Management. During his time as a University student, Bruno served as a Board Member and later President of the International Student Organization at USD.
Prior to joining Bespoke, Bruno has held internships working for private equity portfolio companies in Slovakia where he helped improve their product offering and provided consulting services on Exchange Traded Funds and Securities Lending.
Later he interned as a research analyst at a boutique executive search firm where he helped execute searches for C-level executives and Vice President positions for Private Equity portfolio companies.
Bruno is an adrenaline fanatic and enjoys skiing, jet skiing, wakeboarding, and driving anything with an engine with a particular passion for cars.
Job Titles:
- Talent Acquisition Lead
- Talent Acquisition Lead / Philadelphia, PA
Carly is the Talent Acquisition Lead on the People and Culture team at Bespoke. She is based in the Philadelphia area and her role is focused on Bespoke's Campus Recruiting program and internal hiring.
Prior to Bespoke, Carly worked at LLR Partners, a lower to middle market Private Equity firm based in Philly. There she was a member of the Human Capital team, responsible for building and implementing a high potential leadership program for MBA graduates as well as handing executive recruitment for LLR's portfolio companies. With 10+ years of experience in the talent acquisition space, Carly has gained experience building out campus recruiting programs, managing full-life cycle recruitment at all experience levels, and managing key client relationships both internally and externally.
Carly attended Penn State University where she received her bachelor's degree in Crime Law and Justice, and competed on the woman's soccer team.
In her spare time, Carly can be found outside playing with her son Caden and her daughter Cameron. When she isn't chasing her kids around the playground, Carly enjoys playing co-ed soccer and trying new restaurants with her husband, Glenn.
Job Titles:
- Director of FP & a / San Diego, CA
Job Titles:
- Search Coordinator, Team Lead / San Diego, CA
Job Titles:
- Director
- Principal
- Director / Austin, TX
Chelsea Mansfield joined Bespoke Partners as a Principal in March 2021, based in the Austin office. Prior to joining Bespoke, Chelsea was a Senior Executive Recruiter in the Professional Services Firms segment at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). Chelsea is keen on being a strategic thought partner across clients and candidates alike.
Outside of work, Chelsea is an active member in Austin's fitness community, as anything human optimization related is her passion. Over her life span, she wants to leave a legacy behind of helping young athletic women live their best lives through community, mentorship, and giving back to those in need.
Originally a Californian, Chelsea graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA in 2015, where she received a Bachelor's of Business Administration concentrating on Marketing. She was an active member in both the business fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, as well as, the American Marketing Association. Cal Poly's motto is ‘learn by doing' and Chelsea plans to carry that value throughout the rest of her career path.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Founder and CEO of Food Haven Technologies
- Principal / San Diego, CA
Christopher is a Principal based in Bespoke's San Diego office. Prior to joining Bespoke, he was a Senior Consultant at Lancer Group and led the firm's search execution and business development initiatives. Over his four-year tenure, he worked with private equity clients to recruit high-impact, C-suite level executives into their B2B software and tech-enabled services portfolio companies.
As the visionary founder and CEO of Food Haven Technologies, Christopher created an innovative online platform connecting consumers with restaurants offering surplus meals at reduced prices. He successfully built a 10-person startup team from the ground up, crafted strategic plans for market differentiation, and secured $50,000 in funding through a pitch competition victory in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
Before his entrepreneurial venture, Christopher made significant strides as a Strategy Consultant at Craitor and as an Impact Consultant at Emzingo in Johannesburg, South Africa. His work at Emzingo was particularly notable, where he authored a comprehensive 70-page business management toolkit for township entrepreneurs, demonstrating his commitment to sustainable business practices and community development.
Christopher studied International Relations at San Francisco State University and later graduated with his Master's degree in International Affairs from UC San Diego.
Outside of work, Christopher enjoys going to the gym and indulging in a wide variety of tasty eats in San Diego County's restaurant scene.
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst
- Financial Analyst / San Diego, CA
- Financial Analyst on the Finance Team
Colby Walsten is a Financial Analyst on the Finance Team at Bespoke. Based in San Diego, he joined the firm in February of 2024. Prior to Bespoke, he worked for FMG Suite as a Financial Analyst where he was responsible for full P&L & budget management.
Colby has his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Chico State University.
Job Titles:
- Research Analyst
- Research Analyst / Austin, TX
Colin is a Research Analyst on the Search team at Bespoke. Based in Austin, he joined the firm in 2024.
Prior to Bespoke, he worked for Gartner, as an Account Manager where he partnered with his C-Level Executive clients to help provide in-depth technology-related insights to drive business results.
Colin has his Bachelor's Degree in Marketing & Business Analytics from Ohio University.
In his spare time, you can find Colin spending quality time with his friends, keeping up to date on the newest TV shows & movies, or watching almost all major sports games, especially the New York Jets.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST
- Senior Business Analyst / Towson
As a Senior Business Analyst, Colleen works with organizations to identify key pain points in business processes and develop solutions that improve their day to day operations. She works with customers to find places where automation can be inserted to make their processes more efficient without losing the attributes of what makes their business stand out from competitors. Colleen works directly with users to learn their business, creates technical process workflows, data flows, user interface wireframes, functional requirements, user stories, and system documentation.
Colleen graduated from Salisbury University with a B.S. in Management and a B.A. in Visual Communications. Colleen is currently pursuing her MBA at Loyola University of Maryland.
Colleen currently lives in Maryland and enjoys traveling and playing softball in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- ASSISTANT
- SENIOR EXECUTIVE
- Senior Executive Assistant / Phoenix, AZ
Corrie was born and raised in the Chicago area. After finishing college in Ohio, a variety of roles and opportunities have taken her across the country multiple times. With over 10 years of administrative experience, Corrie most recently supported Global Marketing at adidas, managing cross-functional relationships and bringing efficiency to day-to-day operations.
At Bespoke Partners, Corrie provides administrative support to Eric Walczykowski, President, and Prakash Patel, CFO.
When she's not working, you can find Corrie loving life with her husband and two kids. Most likely to be found outdoors hiking or finding a new vegan recipe to try!
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / San Francisco, CA
Daniel was born in Toronto and raised in Seattle where he spent 22 years of his life. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration and moved to San Diego shortly thereafter to pursue a Master's degree at the University of San Diego.
Prior to Bespoke, Daniel was an Analyst at Spencer Stuart where he led research efforts for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to high-growth startups. He then transitioned into the private equity space at Mainsail Partners where he was responsible for building out the executive leadership teams for their portfolio companies.
In his free time, Daniel enjoys backpacking, rooting for Seattle sports teams, and producing social media content for the mixed martial arts community.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Operations Team
- Director of Enterprise
- Director of Enterprise Architecture
David Evans is a serial entrepreneur with deep expertise in the commercial development and application of software. Originally trained as software engineer, he and two colleagues formed a hardware/software consulting company straight out of college, which grew to be the largest PC technology company in Australia. Moving into management, he built and ran the UK subsidiary. After that he returned to software, where he developed commercial applications using Microsoft technologies and consulted across a broad spectrum of organizations to solve challenging information architecture and integration problems.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / San Diego, CA
Raised in Moreno Valley, CA, Diana moved up north and graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in Sociology as well as a B.A. in International Relations. During her time at UC Davis, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy, where she immersed herself in the Italian language and culture. Shortly thereafter, she grew an interest in traveling and has been constantly planning her next trip ever since.
Prior to joining Bespoke Partners, Diana assisted in two unique research projects that fueled her passion to continue conducting research. One focused on the influence of Santa Claus in pop culture, while the other researched social movements that corresponded with changes in the Arson Penal Code.
In her free time, Diana loves planning trips, watching Netflix docuseries, and quickly reading books before they are adapted into movies.
Job Titles:
- MARKETING MANAGER
- Marketing Manager / San Diego, CA
Rooted in the belief there's always an opportunity to make something better - Dominique is driven by refinement and growth. Having established herself as a freelance Graphic Designer, she partnered with brands to redefine their identity and the mediums in which they express themselves. Her creative background lends itself to constantly explore new ideas and think outside of the box with clients.
Dominique graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a Bachelors in Business Administration and Marketing, as well as several accolades for her performance as a track athlete. Her background spans seven years combined experience in customer service, project management, event coordination, graphic design, and B2C marketing. She has strived in past roles to beat budgets, grow reach, and refine designs. Having spent time with both large-scale and small business growth, these experiences in combination with her role at Bespoke, provide her the tools and preparation to lead in Bespoke's marketing team.
Job Titles:
- Senior Sales Operations Manager
- Senior Sales Operations Manager / San Diego, CA
A born and raised San Diego native, Ellis attended college at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). She is an avid Tide supporter, and as a student, she had the privilege of witnessing one National Football Championship.
Growing up, Ellis always had a desire to go into business and took that passion to college, double majoring in Management and Marketing, and into adulthood! She brings 4+ years of Sales Operations experience and has a true appreciation for for the structure and organization she is able to contribute in this role.
Outside of work, Ellis can most likely be found reading, taking pictures of her perfect dog or watching a scary movie with her husband. Her favorite time of year is fall and she loves taking snowboarding trips every winter.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Senior Principal / Austin, TX
Ellyn Baumgardner is a Principal based in Austin. Prior to Bespoke, Ellyn was an Executive Recruiter at The Millard Group where she led GTM recruiting efforts for PE- and VC-backed technology companies.
Before Millard Group, Ellyn worked as a recruiter on the founding talent acquisition team for a hyper growth fraud prevention technology start-up.
Ellyn graduated with a degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona where she was also an 8x All American and team captain on the women's swim team.
Outside of work, Ellyn spends her time exploring Austin's local restaurant scene with friends and staying active by playing sand volleyball, golfing the muni courses, running town lake trail, and swimming at Deep Eddy Pool.
Job Titles:
- Senior Principal / New York, NY
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- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
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- Vice President / New York City, NY
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President / Los Angeles, CA
Haley is a Vice President within our Product and Technology practice at Bespoke. Based in Los Angeles, she joined the firm in 2024, bringing 12+ years' experience building and leading growth-stage talent teams, before moving into Executive Search in 2019 with a boutique, LA-based search firm. Haley has built a career developing Product, Technology, and Data teams throughout every level of the organization and is passionate about the role these functions play in creating value.
Prior to Bespoke, she led the Product and Technology practice as a VP at Safire Partners, a boutique executive search firm focused on VC and PE backed growth companies. Haley has completed over 70 VP and C-Level searches throughout her search career, placing executives across multiple portfolio companies at Greycroft, Benchmark, Lerer Hippeau, General Catalyst, Crosscut, and others.
In addition to her executive search experience, Haley previously held Head of Talent roles at growth-stage tech-enabled marketplaces, HauteLook (acquired by Nordstrom for $280M) and AXS (owned by The Anschutz Corporation).
Haley has her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, which she completed in 3 years while working full-time in a rotational leadership program at Nordstrom.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / Philadelphia, PA
Hayden, a native of Richmond, Virginia, cultivated his academic foundation by pursuing a degree in Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University, complemented by minors in History and Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies.
With a trajectory shaped by diverse internships in the realm of international trade, Hayden encountered the dynamic field of executive search, discovering a newfound passion. Prior to his association with Bespoke, he contributed as a diligent researcher at True Search, specializing in Private Equity-backed software companies.
When he's not working, you can find Hayden at the movie theater, gaming, or reading sci-fi novels.
Job Titles:
- Accountant
- Accountant / San Diego, CA
Job Titles:
- Search Coordinator
- Search Coordinator Manager / Chicago, IL
As a Search Coordinator, Jen manages several components of the recruitment process and provides administrative support to ensure a seamless and high-quality experience for recruiters, clients and candidates.
Jen brings over 15 years of administration and operational support in the finance and non-profit sectors at firms including DNS Capital, BDT Capital Partners, and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Born and raised in the Midwest, Jen enjoys road trips with her family, exploring nearby cities and experiencing the changing seasons. When not working or hanging with her husband and two kids, Jen enjoys listening to science podcasts and diving into all things interior design.
Job Titles:
- SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
- Senior Vice President / San Diego, CA
Jenny Gray is a Senior Vice President at Bespoke Partners within our CEO & Board Practice. Jenny specializes in leading CEO & Board searches for our clients across growth equity to buyout with portfolio companies in B2B SaaS. She has also specialized in Go-to-Market and Chief Customer Officer searches. She has led over 50 successful searches since she joined Bespoke in 2019 and has placed executives across multiple portfolio companies including Thoma Bravo, Insight Partners, Clearlake Capital, K1, PSG and others.
Prior to joining Bespoke, she spent four years working in advertising and sponsorship sales at the Wall Street Journal in New York and also worked an additional two years in software and PEO sales at TriNet. Jenny graduated from Goizueta Business School at Emory University with a BBA in Marketing & Consulting and a minor in International Business.
Jenny is based in our San Diego office and lives in Solana Beach with her husband, one year old daughter and golden retriever. On the weekends you can find her hiking, at the dog beach or sipping a spicy margarita.
Job Titles:
- Senior Team Lead, Research
- Senior Team Lead, Research / San Diego, CA
Jessica joined Bespoke Partners as a Research Team Lead in the San Diego, CA office in October 2022. Prior to joining Bespoke, Jessica held multiple leadership roles with Target, most recently as a Human Resources Manager. As an HR leader, she focused on team member engagement, staffing, training, and driving over $60M in sales in 2021. Prior to her HR role, Jessica served as a Service & Engagement leader and focused on developing a high-performing cohort of guest advocates dedicated to providing industry-leading guest service. Through conscious talent management and purposeful communication, Jessica has excelled at developing strong teams and leading them to success.
Jessica graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) with a B.A. in Cognitive Science and a minor in Consumer Behavior. During her time at USC, Jessica served as a Resident Assistant where she mentored over 100 students to support personal and professional growth. She also volunteered as a research assistant at USC's Brain & Creativity Institute. Outside of work, you can find Jessica hiking locally in San Diego or visiting her favorite coffee shop - Better Buzz!
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant
- Executive Assistant / San Diego, CA
Jordan is an Executive Assistant supporting Bespoke's Leadership Advisory Practice and is committed to providing clients and candidates with exceptional service.
Prior to joining Bespoke Partners, Jordan worked as a Senior Office Manager for a commercial real estate firm where she had her hands in all departments and made sure the office ran seamlessly with every detail taken care of.
As a native San Diegan, Jordan loves to go the beach and try out new restaurants in the neighborhood with her husband Paul. You can always find Jordan baking or playing with her corgi puppy Penny.
Job Titles:
- CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Chief People Officer / Philadelphia, PA
Julie Catalano brings to Bespoke more than 20 years of senior leadership in human resources, organizational culture, and business strategy. Immediately prior to joining the company, Ms. Catalano served as Vice President, Global Human Resources at Vertex Inc. During her time at Vertex, Julie served as a strategic human capital thought partner to the enterprise, enabling business solutions through proactive consultation leveraging her deep Human Resources expertise. Prior to that role, Julie held multiple key leadership roles across the HR disciplines at Vanguard.
Job Titles:
- Research Associate
- Research Associate / Los Angeles, CA
Karina joins Bespoke Partners as a Research Associate to support Bespoke's Go-to-Market practice. Prior to Bespoke, Karina was part of DoorDash's first in-house executive search team, and she spent two years at SPMB Executive Search, a retained executive search firm servicing venture capital backed and publicly-traded technology clients. At SPMB, she executed on 20+ retained searches as the lead researcher, covering a variety of functional roles. Prior to SPMB, Karina spent two years executive search at Parker+Lynch in Southern California, where she specialized in full-cycle recruiting for middle-management and executive level finance roles and was recognized as "Rookie of the Year" in 2019.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Karina holds a Bachelor's degree from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has enjoyed living in sunny Southern California for many years since graduating.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Partner / San Francisco, CA
Katelyn successfully leads our CFO practice and has placed executives across the C-Suite at numerous public and private equity backed companies. With a focus on the finance function, she has worked with notable firms like Thoma Bravo, Clearlake, TA Associates, Apax, and others in solving critical search needs, resulting in successful placements.
Katelyn has been with Bespoke Partners since 2015 and has conducted successful searches at companies such as: ECI, BeyondTrust/Bomgar, MyCase, Brightly, Medallia, QAD, Mailgun, Government Brands, WebPT, Imprivata, Pluralsight and many more. She has led more than 250 successful CFO searches during her time at Bespoke, driving over 15 company exits exceeding $20 billion. She has reach; Katelyn has orchestrated successful placements of high-impact executives for a wide spectrum of clients, including growth oriented, buyout stage, IPO Public carveouts and turnarounds, among many more.
Before finishing Law School (Magna Cum Laude) in San Diego, Katelyn graduated with her BA in Psychology from California State University Long Beach, where she was a Division I athlete, playing soccer for the 49ers.
Job Titles:
- PARTNER
- Partner / San Diego, CA
Based in Bespoke's San Diego office, Katherine co-leads the CEO practice and is a GTM practice expert to help build the executive teams for private equity backed software and technology companies. Over the last 6 years Katherine has completed over 100 searches for firms such as WCAS, Francisco Partners, Clearlake Capital, Insight Partners, TA Associates, Providence Equity, and more.
Prior to joining Bespoke in 2017, Katherine focused on recruiting Finance executives across all industries including SAAS, Biotech, Energy, and Defense from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She has led dozens of placement searches that have resulted in portfolio company exits, and billions of dollars of total transaction value creation.
Katherine graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor's degree in finance with a minor in Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / Greenville, SC
Kathryn joined the Bespoke team in 2023 as a Senior Research Analyst, having past executive search experience at Raines International, where she conducted searches for private companies in the software and technology, industrial, consumer, and financial spaces. Prior to that, she worked at Coleman Research, an expert network that connected management consulting firms with industry experts to provide research insight.
Born and raised in Clemson, South Carolina, Kathryn attended Clemson University, where she received her B.A. in Sociology, served on community leadership teams, and ultimately fell in love with the world of search and networking while working in the career center. Kathryn now resides in Greenville, SC, where she enjoys traveling, baking, Marvel movies, and hitting the gym (to work off the baked goods), in her free time.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director / Austin, TX
Kim is a Director at Bespoke Partners based in Austin, TX where she helps build the executive teams and boards for private equity-backed software and technology companies. Prior to joining Bespoke, Kim was a Management Consultant in the Talent & Organization/Human Potential practice at Accenture where she led change management initiatives on large business transformation projects through all stages of the software development lifecycle. In these roles, she created and delivered an end-to-end change strategy and roadmap helping her clients prepare and successfully adapt to change in their organization.
As a native Texan, Kim graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution. In her free time, she enjoys being active, including mountain biking around Texas and beyond.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Bespoke As Chief Information Officer
- Chief Information Officer / Columbia
Kirk joined Bespoke as Chief Information Officer in July 2021. He is a leader in the software and IT sector and has held executive roles in various industries. With over 20 years of experience, he is driven by a passion for utilizing technology to create efficiency and has built a proven track record of improving systems and programs for both internal and external clients. Kirk has worked with start-ups to enterprise businesses, most recently co-founding and serving as President and CEO of a software firm providing scalable solutions for regulatory bodies. He is not only an inventor of technology, but also is very active in customer relationships and plays an instrumental role in strategic planning.
He has worked with and led award winning teams, amongst being recognized with the Microsoft Healthcare Industry Leadership Award and the American Society of Quality (ASQ) Edwards Medal for the application of modern quality control methods. He grew up in middle Tennessee and studied engineering at the University of Memphis. He currently lives in Maryland with his family.
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member / San Diego, CA
- Founding Partner / San Diego, CA
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- Search Coordinator
- Search Coordinator / New York City, NY
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- Search Coordinator
- Search Coordinator / Pittsburgh, PA
Lauren, a seasoned professional hailing from Maryland, has cultivated a wealth of experience in various regions of the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a minor in Health Science from Towson University, located just outside of Baltimore, MD.
With over three years of dedicated service in the corporate realm, Lauren has honed her skills as a Coordinator, showcasing her proficiency in diverse environments. Her most recent position was at True Search, where she served as an Engagement Coordinator within the Product, Data, and Technology practice.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Lauren's interests include travel, culinary exploration, and quality time with her fiancé, friends, and family.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Analyst
- Senior Research Analyst / San Diego, CA
Raised in Silicon Valley, California, Lauren is a recent graduate from San Diego State University with a major in Business Marketing. During her time at San Diego State, Lauren was a member of various marketing clubs and committees, was an active member of her sorority, and enjoyed all San Diego has to offer by spending her time surfing, wakeboarding and hanging out by the beach. Prior to joining Bespoke, Lauren had various marketing internships before figuring out her passion for research in executive search. When she's not working, Lauren loves to surf, snorkel, and read crime fiction novels.
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- Search Coordinator
- Search Coordinator / Austin, TX
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- Benefits, Payroll & Compliance Manager
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- Senior Research Analyst / Los Angeles, CA
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- Director of Marketing & Product / San Diego, CA
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- Senior Research Analyst / Boise, ID
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- Vice President / Austin, TX
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- Executive Assistant / Austin, TX
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- Search Coordinator / San Francisco, CA
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member / Dallas, TX
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- Senior Vice President, Private Equity / Philadelphia, PA
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- Member of the Operations Team
- Chief of Staff / San Diego, CA
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- Principal / San Francisco, CA
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- Vice President, Research / Austin, TX
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- Principal
- Principal / Atlanta, GA
- Principal in the Finance Practice at Bespoke
Mike Pizarek is a Principal in the Finance Practice at Bespoke. Based in Atlanta, he joined the firm in February 2024. Prior to Bespoke, Mike worked for DHR Global as a Senior Associate in the firm's Private Equity Practice, working with PE clients that typically invest in lower-middle-market businesses across consumer, professional services, and specialty manufacturing. His DHR Team placed transglobal executives across finance, commercial, human capital, and operations functions.
Mike started his executive search career in 2019 with an Atlanta-based boutique firm that specializes in higher education and collegiate sports leadership placements. He has early career experience in higher education and with the federal judiciary, primarily across research and data analytics capacities.
Mike graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia, where he received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice. He decided to add on a Master of Public Administration (MPA), and with it, two more football seasons before leaving Athens in 2015.
In his spare time, Mike can be found hiking the North Georgia Mountains with his wife, exploring Atlanta's Beltline development, or escaping to Lake Hartwell to beat the summer heat.
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- Bespoke Leader Community Manager / San Francisco, CA
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- Senior Research Analyst / Boston
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- Member of the Executive Leadership Team
- Chief Financial Officer / Chicago, IL
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- Vice President, Search Operations / Denver, CO
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member / San Francisco, CA
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- Senior Research Analyst / Austin, TX
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- Member of the Operations Team
- Director of Accounting / Austin, TX
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- Principal / Nashville, TN
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- CONTRACTS SPECIALIST
- Senior Contracts Specialist / San Diego, CA
Samantha was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and has lived in California for almost 11 years now. Her career path has led her to various roles including Assistant Buyer, Sales/Marketing Coordinator, Project Coordinator and Contracts Administrator, with a focus in data management and process improvement.
Samantha is currently pursuing her bachelors degree in Business Administration. For fun, she likes to travel, hike, cook, work out, spend quality time with friends and family. She's a self-professed foodie and loves to explore new restaurants in San Diego.
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- Director of Talent Management / Philadelphia, PA
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- Research Associate / Arlington, VA
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- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Member / Los Angeles, CA
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- Research Associate / San Diego, CA
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- Research Analyst / Austin, TX