Partner & Practice Leader

Alice Benson

Alice brings over 20 years of executive search experience, working tirelessly for organizations going through change. She is known for her close trusting partnerships with clients and candidates, getting a great outcome for both.

Prior to founding Benson Executive Search, Alice was the President & CEO of Gatti & Associates. Alice drove the revitalization of the brand while growing the business and expanding its reach across the US. Before leading Gatti, Alice was with a UK based Life Sciences executive search firm with Alice driving the firm’s penetration into the US market. Previous executive search experience included work in the Tech and Professional Services markets with a boutique and then a large multi-national executive search firm.

Her corporate experience included senior HR roles with companies going through significant change including BBN, Lotus, Bank of Boston and PTC. Alice serves as a board member of HRLF (Human Resources Leadership Forum) and the Weston Council on Aging and volunteers for Life Science Cares and Nevins Farm.

Partner

Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson is a Partner and Practice Leader, where he collaborates closely with CEOs and Boards of prominent biotechnology, high-tech, and Fortune 500 companies to identify HR needs and conduct essential HR leadership searches. His notable clients include Alphabet, Intel, Northwestern Mutual, StockX, Qualtrics, Interactive Brokers, Mozilla, ServiceNow, Kraken, Ford, Samsung, Mars, Rakuten, and Health Equity, among others.

As an internationally recognized thought leader in human resources (HR) management and retained executive search, Tom contributes to various industry publications. He is celebrated for his strategic leadership, global expertise across diverse industries, ability to forge strong partnerships, comprehensive planning, and precise execution.

A Fulbright Scholar, Tom holds an M.A. from the University of Toronto and a B.A. from Penn State. He began his professional journey in retained executive search with Sullivan & Company, now part of Heidrick & Struggles. He has previously held senior executive positions in global talent acquisition and human resources at leading firms in the financial services sector. Tom is married to Barbara, a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry.

Partner

Bob McCarthy

Bob brings 20-plus years of experience in executive recruiting, employee and recruitment communications, culture development, marketing and technology to the Benson team. Leveraging his experience working with HR leadership teams at transformative organizations, Bob joined Benson Executive Search to focus on bringing top human resource talent to the best organizations across all industries.

Bob’s career began at Omnicom working with large global brands on communication strategies. He was part of the team that launched the web’s first job site, CareerMosaic — which became Careerbuilder.

Bob’s work in communications and technology led to leadership positions at J. Walter Thompson, where he built a national sales organization and Akibia, where he created new revenue streams by delivering infrastructure and call center technical support to growing sales teams at Sunovian and Verizon. Bob returned to Omnicom/Hodes to develop employer brand strategies for Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Vanguard and, Raytheon before joining GattiHR in a venture to co-create and launch HR Technologies including, Wrkt and TalentBoost.

Throughout his career, Bob’s developed an ability to quickly comprehend the nuances of corporate cultures and has a deep appreciation for the tireless work being done in the Human Resources Community. He’s an active member of the HRLF (Human Resource Leadership Forum) where he chairs the Leadership Development Program Committee.

When not working, Bob enjoys spending time with family, travel, cooking and motor sports… with a soundtrack appropriate to the occasion.

Partner

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

Jami Herzberg

Jami Herzberg is a Partner with Buffkin / Baker, specializing in Human Resources & Compensation Consulting. Jami has over 30 years of human resources consulting and operational leadership experience and is a trusted advisor to client organizations in the areas of executive search, human resource strategic management, engagement strategies, and leadership development.

Prior to joining Buffkin / Baker (formerly Gallagher Executive Search), Jami spent eight years with Atrium Health, one of the largest integrated, not-for-profit healthcare systems in the US. Atrium Health was named to Forbes Magazine’s list of “Americas Best Employers,” and was named by Fortune as one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care.”

As a Vice President, Human Resources, she led the Workforce Relations Team and supported system-wide engagement strategies and initiatives, partnering with leaders to achieve performance metrics. In addition, Mrs. Herzberg had oversight into the system-wide administration of the annual teammate engagement survey.

Prior to Atrium Health, Jami spent 18 years at Integrated HealthCare Strategies (Integrated), a national healthcare human resource consulting firm, providing multiple aspects of human capital consulting to client organizations nationally, to include Executive Search consulting services and engagement strategy projects. Integrated was acquired by Gallagher in 2015.

Jami obtained a bachelor’s degree in business from Wichita State University and received a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Kansas. She has obtained her Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute, is certified as a senior professional within Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She serves as a Board member, Executive Committee member and former Chair of the Mission Services Committee for Goodwill Industries of Southern Piedmont.

Partner

Beth Ann Namey

Beth Ann Namey is a Partner at Buffkin / Baker and an executive search consultant specializing in leadership roles across People & Culture, Marketing, and Digital & Technology functions. She partners with venture-backed, private equity-backed, and public companies to identify and attract transformative leaders who accelerate growth, strengthen culture, and drive business performance.

Beth Ann has successfully led searches for Chief People Officers, Chief Human Resources Officers, Heads of Talent, and Total Rewards leaders, as well as Chief Marketing Officers, Heads of Growth, Performance Marketing, and Brand leaders. She also works extensively with organizations seeking digital and technology executives who can lead innovation, data-driven decision making, digital transformation, and  experience initiatives.

Known for her relationship-driven approach and strong assessment capabilities, Beth Ann helps clients navigate complex leadership decisions while building executive teams that align with their business objectives and culture.

Her client portfolio includes organizations such as Workday, Waymo, Northwestern Mutual, L.E.K. Consulting, New Relic, Rakuten USA, NuBank, GRAIL, Datavant, Clover Health, Vuori, SeekOut, and Peak Design. Clients value her strategic perspective, market insight, and commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes.

Before entering executive search, Beth Ann was a professional ballet dancer and coach, an experience that shaped her disciplined, performance-oriented approach to leadership assessment and talent evaluation.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Saint Mary’s College of California. After spending more than two decades in the San Francisco Bay Area, Beth Ann is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

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.

Principal

Laura Gruber

Laura Gruber is a Principal with over 25 years of experience spanning executive search, human resources leadership, talent acquisition, and organizational development. 

Since joining Benson Executive Search in 2018, Laura has led retained executive search engagements across biotechnology, life sciences, technology, healthcare, financial services, and private equity-backed organizations.

Prior to her executive search career, Laura spent nearly two decades in progressive human resources leadership roles. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Human Resources at INTTRA, a global SaaS technology company, where she led all human resources functions for a workforce spanning more than 15 countries across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and South Africa. In this role, she partnered closely with executive leadership to develop talent strategies, build high-performing teams, enhance employee engagement, and support the company’s continued global expansion.

Earlier in her career, Laura held increasingly responsible HR leadership positions with Capital Group, one of the world’s largest investment management firms, where she supported business growth through talent acquisition, employee development, organizational effectiveness, and change management initiatives. She began her career with A.P. Moller – Maersk, progressing from customer service into corporate recruiting and training roles, where she managed nationwide college recruitment programs and developed expertise in talent identification and workforce planning..

Laura earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish from Muhlenberg College. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management and remains engaged in the evolving landscape of leadership, talent, and human capital strategy.

Outside of work, Laura enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and building lasting relationships throughout the HR and executive leadership communities

Principal

Lucy Jreige

Alice Jreige, MBA, serves as a Principal, where she oversees search operations, leads executive search assignments, and serves as the primary HR point of contact for the Benson Executive Search team. She is responsible for ensuring an efficient, high-quality, and consistent search process that delivers strong candidate pipelines and an exceptional client and candidate experience.

With more than seven years of experience in executive search and HR leadership, Lucy brings a strong combination of operational discipline and hands-on recruiting expertise. She partners closely with search leads and clients to align on strategy, while also managing active searches as a recruiter. Her work spans candidate sourcing, pipeline development, and search execution, along with the implementation of systems, reporting, and process improvements that enhance overall team performance.

In addition to her search leadership responsibilities, Lucy plays a key role in mentoring and supporting the recruiting team, helping to refine best practices and strengthen candidate engagement strategies across projects. She is passionate about building efficient, thoughtful hiring processes that support both client success and a positive candidate experience.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering in her community, dedicating time to causes that are meaningful to her.

Principal

CJ Mione

Carolyn (CJ) Mione, SHRM-SCP is a Principal with over 20 years of experience in HR, leadership, and people development across various industries. She possesses an understanding in talent and organizational development, having successfully led executive searches for organizations such as Community Solutions, Profisee, InfoTrack, Kraken, Freedom Financial, Mozilla, Rakuten, Informatica, and NYC Health + Hospitals. Prior to her current role, CJ served as the HR Manager of Organizational Development and Training at Baptist Health South Florida. In this capacity, she and her team crafted the foundational elements for organizational excellence, developing and executing strategies, programs, and processes that encompassed mission, vision, values, performance management, succession planning, and a comprehensive diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiative.

CJ has also held positions focused on HR, talent development, and organizational development at BenefitMall (formerly CompuPay), World Fuel Services, American Express, and AT&T Wireless. She earned a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix, along with a Talent Management Certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Certification in Training and HR Development from Florida International University College of Business. She is certified by SHRM as a Senior Certified Professional and the AI + HI Specialty Credential.

Outside of her professional endeavors, CJ is an active member of SHRM, Transform and ATD. In her leisure time, she enjoys quality moments with family and friends, caring for her rescued Beauceron named Koda, as well as traveling, boating, and engaging in home improvement projects.

Principal

Susan O’Leary

Susan O’Leary is a Principal with over 20 years of experience in recruiting, talent acquisition, staffing, and leadership across a variety of industries. She has a strong background in executive search and talent management, partnering with organizations to identify and attract high-performing professionals for critical roles.

Since joining Benson Executive Search in 2020, Susan has specialized in executive recruiting for Human Resources, helping clients build exceptional leadership teams and drive organizational success. Prior to her current role, she served as Search Director at GattiHR, where she led search initiatives and talent acquisition strategies for a diverse portfolio of clients.

Earlier in her career, Susan spent nearly a decade with Randstad USA, progressing through recruiting, sales/account management, branch management, and regional management roles. This experience provided her with a comprehensive understanding of workforce solutions, business development, and organizational growth.

In addition to her recruiting career, Susan owned and operated a small fitness training business from 2012 to 2019 and earned her CrossFit Level 1 (CF-L1) Trainer certification. This experience strengthened her passion for coaching, performance development, and helping individuals achieve their goals.

Susan earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northeastern University. She is passionate about connecting talented professionals with meaningful career opportunities and helping organizations build strong, successful teams.

Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys fitness, health and wellness, spending time with family and friends, and supporting others in reaching their personal and professional potential.

Principal

Suzanne Solleder

Suzanne Solleder is a Principal, where she specializes in identifying and placing Human Resources leaders who drive organizational performance, culture, and business results. With more than 25 years of experience spanning executive search, human resources leadership, and education, Suzanne brings a unique perspective to assessing talent and advising clients on critical leadership hires.

Since joining Benson Executive Search in 2019, Suzanne has partnered with organizations ranging from emerging biotechnology companies to established global enterprises to recruit senior HR talent, including Chief Human Resources Officers, Chief People Officers, Human Resources Business Partners, Total Rewards leaders, Talent Acquisition executives, and Organizational Development professionals. She is known for her ability to build trusted relationships with candidates and clients, deeply understand organizational needs, and identify leaders who can successfully navigate growth, transformation, and growth.

Prior to her executive search career, Suzanne held Human Resources leadership roles with major financial services organizations, including Citi and JPMorgan Chase. As a Human Resources Director and Human Resources Business Partner, she supported business leaders through organizational change, talent management, workforce planning, employee relations, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. Her foundation in corporate HR enables her to bring practical business insight and functional expertise to every search engagement.

In addition to her HR and recruiting experience, Suzanne is a certified teacher and served within the New Jersey public school system, where she further developed her passion for coaching, learning, and talent development. This blend of experience across business, education, and executive search gives her a distinctive ability to evaluate leadership capability and organizational fit.

Suzanne earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Secondary Education from Loyola University Maryland and a Master of Science in Human Resources and Organization Development from Manhattanville University.

An active member of TroopHR, Suzanne is deeply engaged in the Human Resources community and regularly participates in HR and life sciences industry conferences. She enjoys connecting leaders, sharing market insights, and staying current on emerging trends shaping the future of work, talent, and organizational effectiveness.

Outside of work, Suzanne enjoys playing pickleball, spending time with family and friends, traveling to coastal destinations, and caring for her Labrador retriever. She is passionate about lifelong learning, helping individuals achieve their career goals, and supporting organizations in building exceptional leadership teams.

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.

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.

Senior Associate

Caroline Steadham

Caroline Steadham is a Senior Associate who collaborates closely with the search team and clients to coordinate interviews and meetings, generate search reports, and manage the candidate pipeline throughout the entire search process. She has been instrumental in successfully placing candidates at notable organizations such as Terumo, Neiman Marcus, Achieve, Cape Analytics, Synaptics, and Public Storage.

Previously, Caroline served as a Human Resources Coordinator at HealthPlanOne, where she led the onboarding process, conducted audits, and prepared ad-hoc reports, company engagements, and compensation plan distributions. Her earlier roles include Designated Hitter at Walgreens and Human Resources Intern at The Kennedy Center Inc.

Caroline earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a minor in Human Resources from Sacred Heart University, where she was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society that helped her expand her professional network. She is based in Shelton, Connecticut.

In her leisure time, Caroline enjoys traveling to the Bronx for Yankees games and visiting the New Haven area for pizza. She is also passionate about volunteering with her alumni association, taking long walks with her dog, and spending quality time with her family.

Associate

Rachel Kang

Rachel Kang is an Associate, working with the Technology/Digital Practice. In her role, she works closely with candidates and clients to coordinate interviews and meetings, and manage the candidate pipeline throughout the search.

Before her current position, Rachel worked as a Talent Coordinator at Adaptive Biotechnologies, a leader in immune-driven medicine, where she facilitated recruiting operations by coordinating candidate interviews, managing new hire offers, and conducting background checks. Her previous roles include Creative Assistant at Accent Creatives, Clinical Research Coordinator at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and Certified Nursing Assistant at Seattle Children’s and Merrill Gardens.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of Washington. She resides in Seattle, WA, and in her free time, she enjoys snowboarding, dancing, knitting, painting, and playing the bass. On weekends, Rachel loves to explore the city with her retired racing greyhound, Mac.