Consumer

Partner & Practice Leader

David Alexander

David Alexander is Partner in the firm and the Consumer Practice Leader. With more than 30 years of executive recruitment and talent management experience, David is passionate about helping organizations find people who will thrive in their unique business and operating culture.

He has served as a senior human resources executive for such world-class firms as SAP, AT&T, Washington Mutual, Allied Signal, Gateway and Compaq. Most recently, David served as the Chief People Officer for Raising Cane’s, which grew from 10,000 to 20,000 global employees under his leadership.

After working in public and private companies across multiple industries, David understands the challenges that both high growth and high turn around environments pose for organizations. That experience drives his mission to find, strengthen and grow transformational leaders for clients, both as an executive search consultant and executive coach.

David is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has served as an officer in the United States Air Force. He and his wife Meri live in New Braunfels, Texas, enjoying their children and 2 grandchildren. When not supporting clients and spending time with his family, David enjoys hunting, fishing and serving his church as a worship musician.

Partner

Jim May

Jim May is a Partner at the firm, with an impressive career in executive recruiting that spans over a decade. He has established himself as a trusted advisor and a go-to resource for top-tier organizations seeking exceptional leadership talent.

A passionate advocate for human resources (HR) and organizational success, Jim possesses expertise in HR, Finance, Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies, Operations, and other critical leadership roles. This diverse skill set allows him to provide a unique blend of talent acquisition and strategic consulting in every search he undertakes.

Earlier in his career, Jim held various talent acquisition positions, further enhancing his capabilities. He has successfully conducted searches for both U.S. and global companies across a wide range of industries, including notable names such as lululemon, Grail, Quantcast, Bluberi Gaming, Kyverna Therapeutics, Synaptics, Sirona Medical, Datavant, Clover Health, Academy of Art University, Schneider Electric, and Total Quality Logistics.

Jim earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising with a specialization in Communication Sales from Michigan State University and is a certified Professional Resume Writer. He currently resides in the Cleveland area with his wife, Kaitlyn, their son, Hudson, and their dog, Winnie. In his leisure time, Jim enjoys hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park with his family or spending a day on the golf course.

Partner

Ken Carrick

Ken has managed numerous search engagements throughout his almost 40 years as a search consultant while cultivating a diverse roster of clients in the education, retail, nonprofit, manufacturing, healthcare, and government sectors. Ken was a student-athlete and graduated summa cum laude with a BA degree in accounting and business administration from Catawba College and earned an MBA from Wake Forest University.

Ken began his career as an accountant with Duke Energy and later worked for a national insurance company before entering the executive search profession. Prior to joining Buffkin / Baker, he served as president of a national retained search firm with dual headquarters in New York and Charlotte.

Ken currently serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and Museum where he holds the position of Treasurer and is a member of the Executive Committee. He recently completed a seven-year term as a director on the Mecklenburg County ABC Board where he chaired the Audit Committee and served as a member of the North Carolina Association of ABC Boards’ legislative committee. He previously served two terms as a member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC)’s Council of the Americas board. Ken has been the President of the Catawba College Alumni Board, and on the boards of the Greenwood Genetic Center Foundation, Greater Carolina’s Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Covenant Day School.

He has also been involved with numerous volunteer service groups, including in the special needs community, and youth sports associations in the Charlotte area. He and his wife have three grown children.

Principal

Ian Turnbell

Ian Turnbell serves as a Principal in the firm, specializing in executive searches in the Consumer Practice and focuses on finding outstanding candidates for director level to c-suite level positions.

Ian enjoys working with a team to discover top-tier candidates, while assisting those candidates in discerning and pursuing new opportunities. He has experience recruiting within a variety of industries and functions, including accounting, construction, consumer packaged goods, financial services, higher education, healthcare, industrial/manufacturing, nonprofit, private equity, retail and restaurant/food & beverage.

A servant leader, Ian strives to help others achieve their professional goals. Colleagues and clients alike recognize Ian’s enthusiasm and willingness to help.

Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, Ian moved to Nashville in 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University and earned a MBA from Belmont University. He and his wife live in Nashville with their daughter and two sons. In his free time, Ian and his family enjoy hiking, music, and travel.

Associate Partner

Ryan Baggett

Ryan Baggett, CDR, has been in engaged in executive search, recruitment, and business development for over 20 years and is based out of our Nashville office. Ryan is an Associate Partner within the firm, where he is a key member in Healthcare, Private Equity, Digital Transformation, Academic Medicine, Entertainment, and TMT practices. In addition, he is an AIRS Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR), utilizing search techniques that enable him to locate diverse candidate pools using a variety of resources, including the internet.

He takes a highly professional and consultative approach with his clients and candidates, relating to clients and candidates as partners and maintaining communication with them long after he’s made a placement. He provides candid advice, market guidance, and consistent feedback throughout the recruiting and hiring process.

Ryan has conducted hundreds of searches in his career for the positions of CEO, COO, CFO, CIO, CTO, CMO, CAO, President, GM, and other senior-level roles nationally and internationally for a wide range of private, public, venture-backed, and private equity-backed companies.

Before joining Buffkin/Baker, Ryan was a national recruitment executive for Maxim Healthcare. Responsible for the full-cycle recruitment efforts, management of 100 healthcare professionals, payroll, compliance, and HR strategy. Before entering the recruitment and search industry, he worked in business development and management roles for Troon Golf. In addition, he planned and facilitated NCAA championships and PGA-sanctioned events.

Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, where he was a member of the Ole Miss football team.

Principal

Evan Wescott

Evan Wescott serves as a Principal and member of the Consumer Practice where he works with clients across a variety of industries nationally.

Evan brings a passion for making human connections. As a recruiter, his goal is to build those connections with both clients and candidates. By partnering with consultants, coworkers, and clients, he identifies candidates’ career strengths and interests, matching them with clients’ business and leadership opportunities. Ultimately he strives to help organizations attract and sustain the right leaders in the right roles.

Evan earned a BA degree in theology and mathematics from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He moved to Nashville in 2019, where he married his wife Elizabeth. He enjoys a variety of interests including Ultimate Frisbee, reading, board games, and canning.

Senior Associate

Jennifer Conkle

Jennifer Conkle serves as a Senior Associate where she is a strategic team member focused on leading search execution in the Consumer Practice.

Jennifer previously served as a Search Consultant for Leapfrog Executive Search where she focused on leading search execution and developing market relationships. Leapfrog specializes in HR leadership roles for a variety of industries and clients across the US, and her projects included placing HR leaders in consumer goods, restaurant/retail, hospitality, banking, technology, industrial, and healthcare industries. Jennifer began her career in executive search with Ray & Berndtson, a global retained search firm. In this role, sher focused on placing technology executives across industries.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Master of Science in Social Work and from Northwestern State University with a Bachelor of Arts. Jennifer resides in Texas with her husband, Troy, and their three children, Caroline, William and Matthew.