GHP Search was retained by Thrive Scholars to help expand their National Board of Directors. New members identified by GHP include Brian Baron VP, Data and Analytics at Electronic Arts, Miriam Daniel, VP & General Manager, Google Maps for Consumers at Google, Eva De La Rosa, Managing Director, Head of iShares Marketing for the Americas at BlackRock, and Vincent Shorter, SVP & CIO, Medical Segment at Cardinal Health.

Thrive Scholars began as a scholarship program focused on high-achieving Black and African American students in South Central Los Angeles who were the first in their family to go to college. Established in 2001 under the name South Central Scholars (SCS) by philanthropists James and Patricia London, we quickly realized the need for a multi-stage, integrated program of support.

In addition to Black students, SCS soon began supporting Latino, Indigenous, and other Scholars of color throughout college with scholarships, academic intervention, academic and social-emotional support, and career guidance and networking. Within a few years, we yielded impressive results: 90% of Scholars (many of whom were first-gen) were attending Harvard, Brown, Williams, USC, and other very selective schools were graduating within 6 years.

In 2020, SCS became Thrive Scholars, reflecting our commitment and dedication to helping our Scholars thrive in college and their chosen careers.

Recruiting for boards of directors, considered the backbones of organizations, has grown markedly more challenging, say recruiters who conduct searches in that area. As a result, companies continue to turn to executive search firms to help find new board members. GHP Search recently recruited Claudia Teran VP, deputy general counsel and global head of commercial legal at Snap Inc., Adam Waltuch, EVP, global distribution and partnerships at TelevisaUnivision, and Garrett Young, partner and general manager-human resources at Microsoft Corporation, as new members of the board of directors for Start Early.

Start Early, formally the Ounce of Prevention Fund, is a national nonprofit founded by businessman and philanthropist Irving B. Harris. For more than 40 years, Start Early has delivered best-in-class doula, home visiting and Early Head Start and Head Start programs. Start Early’s expertise in program excellence and innovation, applied research, and policy and advocacy drives direct impact — positive outcomes for the children and families we serve in our programs; widespread impact—quality improvements and adoption of innovative practices that reach over a million children nationwide; and systemic impact—ensuring that public funds are spent effectively and efficiently, and increase to meet the extensive needs of all families with young children in the United States.

As a public private partnership, Start Early collaborates closely with local, state and federal leaders, community-based and national organizations, researchers and policymakers to create transformational change where early learning is a full part of our public education system. Just as important, we partner with parents and caregivers to center their voice, unique needs and lived experiences to build a future where millions more children, families and educators can thrive and reach their full potential. Learn more at www.StartEarly.org.

Recruiting for boards of directors, considered the backbones of organizations, has grown markedly more challenging, say recruiters who conduct searches in that area. As a result, companies continue to turn to executive search firms to help find new board members. GHP Search recently assisted in the recruitment of Jean DeSombre, Floyd Fernandes, George Maddaloni, Jared Miller, and Jotham Nyamari as new members of the board of directors at PowerMyLearning. Ms. DeSombre is founder and CEO of Paragon Global Ventures. She is a healthcare executive experienced in managing multi-billion dollar, global vertically integrated healthcare products, and services businesses. Ms. DeSombre was most recently the chief operating officer, care delivery international at Fresenius Medical Care before founding Paragon Global Ventures as a way to invest in the next generation of industry disruptors in sectors underrepresented by women and minority leadership.

Ms. DeSombre is founder and CEO of Paragon Global Ventures. She is a healthcare executive experienced in managing multi-billion dollar, global vertically integrated healthcare products, and services businesses. Ms. DeSombre was most recently the chief operating officer, care delivery international at Fresenius Medical Care before founding Paragon Global Ventures as a way to invest in the next generation of industry disruptors in sectors underrepresented by women and minority leadership.

Mr. Fernandes is a chief information security officer with a lengthy international track record providing leadership and strategic direction in information security, software security, fraud, governance, privacy, risk and compliance management. He is currently the chief information security officer for Whatnot, the largest livestream shopping platform in the U.S. Previously, Mr. Fernandes was CISO at Credit Karma, leading all elements of their global security program.

Mr. Maddaloni is EVP, chief technology officer, operations at Mastercard, responsible for the performance and the modernization of their technology and platform services. Prior to that, he served as global CTO at AIG. He has a track record of defining and guiding IT vision, strategy, and execution for major organizations that have also included UBS, AT&T, GM and Merrill Lynch.

Mr. Miller is EVP and chief information officer at Sphere Entertainment and Madison Square Garden Entertainment. In this role, he is responsible for all technology across the enterprise, including the development of new immersive technologies being deployed at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Mr. Miller has spent his career at the forefront of driving large transformational change with groundbreaking technologies in the multiple industries, from airlines to sports and entertainment.

Mr. Nyamari has agreed to join the NY regional board and is currently a partner with Tata Consultancy Services in New York where he is leading a global practice helping financial services clients mitigate cybersecurity, technology, and privacy risks. Previously, he was with PwC, Deloitte, and EY as a risk management, audit, and information security professional.

Greenwich Harbor Partners was retained to partner with Thrive Scholars Chicago to expand its Regional Advisory Board. New members identified by GHP include Jared Banner, Vice President, Player Development for the Chicago Cubs, Teedra Bernard, SVP, Chief Talent and Diversity Officer at TransUnion, Sedhu Krishnamurthy, General Manager, Data and AI at Microsoft, and Talvis Love, SVP, Chief Information Officer at Baxter International Inc.

“We are excited to welcome our new board members – each with diverse expertise and experiences from various sectors–to join our effort to strengthen opportunities toward economic mobility for high-achieving students of color in Chicago,” said Kylia Kummer, Executive Director of Thrive Scholars Chicago.

Jared Banner is Vice President, Player Development for the Chicago Cubs and has 15 years of experience in baseball operations.  Mr. Banner started out as a fellow in Boston’s baseball operations department and rose to the rank of VP, Player Personnel, overseeing international professional scouting. After receiving three World Series rings with Boston, he worked for his hometown team, the Mets, for two years in player development before joining the Cubs. Mr. Banner earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Amherst College.

Teedra Bernard is Senior Vice President, Chief Talent and Diversity Officer at TransUnion, responsible for all global talent and diversity functions across the associate lifecycle. Ms. Bernard previously served as their VP of HR for Global Technology. Prior to joining TransUnion, she held a series of HR leadership roles at Hewlett Packard, including Head of HR for the HPE Pointnext Global Client Services organization. Her diverse industry experience includes Operations, Sales, Retail, Investment Banking, and Pharmaceuticals. Ms. Bernard holds a Master of Science in HR Management & Development from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Michigan State University.

Sedhu Krishnamurthy is a business and technology executive with over 10 years at Microsoft, where he currently leads the Data and Artificial Intelligence business for US Retail and Consumer Goods. Prior to joining Microsoft, Mr. Krishnamurthy has served in technical leadership roles at Innovex Technology, Insuresoft, and Allstate Insurance. He has an MBA from Northwestern University, a master's degree in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from College of Engineering, Guindy.

Talvis Love is SVP, Chief Information Officer for Baxter International Inc. Mr. Love joined Baxter in 2020 from Cardinal Health's Pharmaceuticals, where he was CIO responsible for overall IT service delivery. Previously, he held the positions of SVP, eCommerce, Governance Execution, Enterprise Architecture & Chief Information Security Officer of Cardinal Health. His career has also included several executive and management positions within TD Bank Group, Ford Motor Company, Oracle Corporation and Quaker Oats Company. Mr. Love holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a bachelor's degree in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland.

GHP Search was retained to partner with IDEA Public Schools to expand their National Board of Directors and Regional Advisory Board. New members identified by GHP include Michael Adams, Partner at DeCuir, Clark & Adams, L.L.P., Dr. Nanette Cocero, formerly Global President of Pfizer Vaccines, and Sali Osman, formerly Chief Security Officer, International Monetary Fund

GHP Search was retained to partner with Teach for America-New York to expand its Regional Advisory Board. New members identified by GHP include Laurent Desmangles, Retired Senior Partner and Managing Director at BCG, Julian Gonzalez, Managing Director of Accenture's Innovation Practice, Mike Henry, Founder and CEO of OpenSlate, Toretha McGuire, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Belonging at PayPal, and Anthony Ross, Managing Director, Head of Real Estate Private Equity Product Strategy at State Street.

GHP Search was retained to partner with Soho Rep to expand its Board of Directors. New members identified and recruited by GHP include Aretha Marshall, President and CEO of Lincoln Drive and former Senior Vice President, Casting/Talent Development and Executive Producer for NBC Universal, Sidney Madison Prescott, Global Head of Intelligent Automation for Spotify, and Anne O’Grady, former Executive Vice President, Marketing for CBS.

Greenwich Harbor Partners was recently retained to partner with Teach for America Miami-Dade in order to expand the Miami-Dade Board of Advisors. Candidates identified and recrutinted by GHP include Romina Rosado, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Hispanic Streaming for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and Deena LaMarque Piquion, Chief Marketing Officer for Xerox.

Education Reform Now (ERN) is national nonprofit dedicated to pursuing education policies that enable all students, particularly students from low-income families and students of color, to obtain a globally competitive education that empowers them to fulfill their limitless potential. Greenwich Harbor Partners was retained to partner with the ERN to help expand its board of directors. GHP identified and recruited Jim Anderson, Managing Director, Google Cloud and Andy Bluhm, Principal, Delaware Street Capital.

Jim Anderson runs the North American South Central business for Google Cloud. Prior to Google, Jim served as the Vice President of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Cloud Service Provider business. Jim was also the President of the Americas for BAE Systems Applied Intelligence. Before joining BAE, Jim spent led Sales for the Cisco Server – Unified Computing business. Previously, Jim was Vice President, Enterprise Sales for Dell’s Public Sector and spent 10 years in senior sales and management positions for Hewlett-Packard. Jim is currently an Independent Board Director for U.S. Olympic Synchronized Swimming and served as the Chairman of the Board for Make-a- Wish of Central Texas. Jim holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University.

Andrew Bluhm is the Founder of Delaware Street Capital where he serves as a Partner and Principal. He is also the Co-Founder and serves as Chairman of Board of Managers at DSC Quantitative Group. He is a Co-Founder and CEO of Otus, a K-12 learning platform for administrators, teachers, students, and families. He previously served as General Partner at Walton Street Capital. He serves as a Non-Executive Director at HFA Holdings. He serves as Advisor at Groundbreaker. Andrew is the founder and principal of Chicago-based DSC Advisors which is the investment manager of Delaware Street Capital Master Fund. He also serves as Board Member at Elevate K-12. Previously, he was a founder and Principal of WSC and Vice President at JMB and an Associate at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Bluhm has a B.S. magna cum laude from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Greenwich Harbor Partners was retained to partner with Teach for America in order to expand their Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota) board of advisors. New board members identified by GHP include Javier Alarcon, SVP Finance at CHS, Inc., Nina Goodheart, SVP at Medtronic, Joanne Knight, VP Finance at Cargill, Andrew Miller, COO at the Minnesota Vikings, Joseph Oppong, Consulting Partner at EY, Monica Schwarm, Partner at BCG, and Sherry Smith, retired CFO and EVP at Supervalu. This significant expansion of the Teach for America Twin Cities board was the result of a very strong recruiting effort by the Nominating Committee.