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

Kevin Duffy

Kevin Duffy is a Partner in the firm’s Consumer Practice. He brings more than 35 years of experience advising boards and C-suite executives on organizational strategy and talent management. Kevin’s client work encompasses a diverse array of consumer-facing businesses, from startups to Fortune 50 companies, across public, family- and founder-led, private equity-backed, and venture capital-backed organizations.

Throughout his career he has led executive searches across the C-suite, including CEO, COO, CFO, and senior functional roles in human resources, merchandising, marketing, sales, and supply chain. His work includes searches for organizations such as Tractor Supply, New World Pasta, Sprouts, and FedEx Office. Earlier in his career, he addressed President Bush’s Glass Ceiling Commission on his efforts to recruit women and people of color into senior leadership roles for a retail grocery client.

Kevin is a graduate of Texas Christian University, where he earned a degree in Business Management. He resides in the suburbs of Chicago. In honor of his grandfather, who rose from patrolman to captain in the Chicago Police Department, Kevin has consistently supported the 100 Club of Chicago.

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

Jamie Frame

Jamie Frame serves as a Principal in Buffkin / Baker’s Consumer Practice, bringing deep experience in retained executive search, talent strategy, and leadership advisory.

Jamie spent 15 years in retained executive search before joining Ramsey Solutions, where she served for nearly four years as Director of Acquisition Strategy, focused on recruiting and executive search. At Ramsey, she led executive search, bringing a retained search approach and discipline in-house while partnering closely with senior leaders on critical leadership hires and broader talent strategy.

Her experience in both retained search and internal recruiting shapes how Jamie works with clients today. She understands the importance of looking beyond a position description to understand the business, the culture, the leadership team, and what success in the role truly requires. That understanding guides how she identifies and assesses leaders who can make a lasting impact on an organization.

Jamie approaches each search as a trusted advisor, building relationships grounded in curiosity, candor, and partnership. She takes the time to understand both the organizations she serves and the leaders she engages, recognizing that the right fit goes beyond experience and credentials.

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Science from Baylor University and a Master of Arts from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in the Nashville area with her husband, Eric, and their daughters, Harper and Charlotte. Outside of work, Jamie enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, and cheering on her girls from the sidelines.

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.