Odgers Berndtson Adds U.S. Sector Specialists

Executive search firm Odgers Berndtson has launched a new higher education practice in the U.S. and strengthened its life sciences and healthcare practices. In the process, the firm has added four executive search industry specialists – Nick Brill, Allen Reed, Jennifer McDonough and Ora Smith.

Mr. Brill joins Odgers as a partner and will head its U.S. higher education and academic medicine practice. He also serves as a member of the firm’s healthcare practice. Previously, he co-founded boutique search firm Brill Neumann and recruited senior academic and business leaders for top U.S. universities, academic medical centers and affiliated organizations. Earlier in his career, he was an officer of the Harvard Community Health Plan, a leading health maintenance organization and founder of health services company, Commonwealth Care, which was eventually sold to a publicly-traded company.

Mr. Reed becomes a partner with the firm and will serve clients in the healthcare and life sciences sectors. Based in Washington, D.C. and New York, he specializes in senior functional and general management roles, including at the C-suite and board level. Prior to joining Odgers Berndtson, Mr. Reed founded Reed & Associates, an executive search firm serving healthcare and life sciences clients. Before that, he led the healthcare practice for Slayton Search Partners, after serving eight years as managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates in its healthcare and life sciences practice.

Ms. McDonough joins the firm as a principal in the firm’s Boston office and will serve as a member of Odgers’ higher education / academic medicine and healthcare practices. She brings extensive experience recruiting for a wide variety of academic and operational leadership roles for clients that include research universities, liberal arts colleges, academic medical centers and biotech companies. Ms. McDonough built her foundation during tenures with search firms Brill Neumann and J. Robert Scott. Prior to her search career, she conducted pharmacology and infectious disease research at Johns Hopkins University and Yale University.

Mr. Smith becomes a principal in Odgers Berndtson’s higher education and technology practices. He has recruited in the public-private partnership arena as well as in technology commercialization, academia and research assignments. Previously, he was a senior leader at Brill Neumann. He also has experience in senior corporate positions, start-up companies and university organizations. Over the years, he founded and co-founded several technology-based companies including ISCO International, as well as a company acquired by Superconductor Technologies, Inc. and another by Gordian Associates. In addition, Mr. Smith was the first CEO of The Ohio State University’s affiliated research park and he is also a former Industrial research institute fellow in the White House Science Office.

According to Odgers’ U.S. vice chairman and director, John Hawkins, who heads the firm’s U.S. life sciences and board practices, the opportunity to cross-pollinate across practices allows for the transfer of knowledge, which provides clients with a “competitive advantage” required in today’s talent environment.

“The biggest benefit for clients in regards to these new hires is the synergies across the partners in terms of their different areas of expertise within life sciences and healthcare,” said Mr. Hawkins. “For instance, Nick Brill is also a specialist in the academic medicine area, so there is overlap with life sciences and healthcare, and Jennifer has both the academic and non-governmental organization medicine expertise. Ora brings a deep technology background, while Allen offers very specialized experience in areas such as pharma services, and medical devices and diagnostics. These are all seasoned recruiters who really know their markets and who, together, can deliver the best talent solutions to our clients.”