Now more than ever digital capabilities have become increasingly valuable for creating an edge over the competition. The evolving world of technology and data is rising in complexity, pushing the envelope for companies to deliver more innovative solutions. These shifts leave organizations searching for transformational leadership that understands the many facets of the digital landscape. Established companies need senior executive talents to enable transformation and disruption; new digital enterprises need mature senior talent to enable profitable scaling of their businesses.
At Buffkin / Baker, our Digital Transformation Practice delivers a high-touch approach coupled with an extensive network, enabling us to tailor a search to meet the client’s specific needs. We provide professional insight on finding the right talent that brings a fresh perspective to the organization and aligns strategy, growth, and innovation. Consistently, our capabilities allow us to deliver a diverse slate of executive leaders that can stay ahead of disruptions and offer value for the organization. Buffkin / Baker is a trusted partner in the digital transformation journey.
Our Team in Digital Transformation
Craig Buffkin
Managing Partner
Craig Buffkin
Managing Partner
Craig Buffkin, the firm’s founder, serves as the Managing Partner, and as Head of the Private Equity and Transformation Practices, where he is actively involved with client engagements and business development. He has completed search work at the board, executive and senior level both nationally and internationally for a wide range of private, public, venture-backed, and private equity-back companies.
Before founding The Buffkin Group, which would later become Buffkin/Baker, Craig was a director in a national technology search firm with five offices and over 75 consultants. Before entering the search profession, he spent over 5 years as a turnaround specialist and over 10 years in marketing services. His last turnaround became a roll-up of seven healthcare companies with an eventual sale to a large public healthcare entity.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and his wife Heather reside in Nashville, TN with their three children, Caroline, Charlie, and Francie. He is an avid golfer and fisherman.
- Email:craig@buffkinbaker.com
Managing Partner
Jen Coleman
Partner
Jen Coleman
Partner
Jen Bradley serves as a Partner of the firm and is actively engaged in executive and senior-level assignments. She is actively involved in the firm’s Healthcare, Digital and Private Equity Practices.
Prior to her career in executive search, Jen was employed in Treasury Management with Fifth Third Bank where she was responsible for client presentations, analysis, and training of treasury products. Before moving into Treasury Management, Jen spent three years in Institutional Sales for Fifth Third Securities and also managed corporate seminars and customer relations, organized trade shows, and developed new marketing materials for the subsidiary.
Jen graduated with honors from Wittenberg University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She also holds an Advanced Certificate in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting from Cornell University, School of ILR. Originally from Ohio, Jen moved to Nashville in April of 2006. She is a 7-time marathoner and member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training. She played collegiate volleyball and has continued her passion for the sport as a club volleyball coach. Jen resides in Nashville with her daughters, Kinsey and Libby.
- Email:jen@buffkinbaker.com
Partner
Ryan Baggett, CDR
Associate Partner
Ryan Baggett, CDR
Associate Partner
Ryan Baggett 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.
- Email:ryan@buffkinbaker.com
Associate Partner
Jeannine Centanni, CTR
Principal
Jeannine Centanni, CTR
Principal
Jeannine Centanni serves as aPrincipal focusing on searches in our Digital Practice. Additionally, she is an AIRS Certified Technical Recruiter (CTR). Utilizing the AIRS search techniques helps recruiters understand technical recruiting and the sourcing landscape to support an effective IT recruiting strategy, from research to communicating with candidates.
Residing in Charlotte, NC, she comes to us with a diverse background, including experience in consumer products merchandising and marketing with both Maybelline and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products. She also has experience in human resources, training, and recruiting, and most recently worked in professional development with Cornell in the technology and data sciences verticals. Jeannine was born in New Jersey but has called Charlotte, NC home for the last 17 years. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and a minor in Marketing. In her free time, she enjoys watching sports (especially football) and wandering through local festivals and farmers' markets with her three daughters.
Principal
Adelina Idrizaj
Sr. Project Coordinator
Adelina Idrizaj
Sr. Project Coordinator
Adelina Idrizaj joined the Buffkin/Baker firm in November 2021. As a Sr. Project Coordinator, she works with our Digital Transformation Practice, supporting the tactical workflows and the needs ensuring search assignment deliverables are achieved. Adelina brings over six years of customer experience to the role. She previously worked as an Intern Case Planner at a foster care agency. A New York native, Adelina graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and History with a minor in Aging. During her free time, she enjoys traveling and going on walks with her husband.
- Email:adelina@buffkinbaker.com
Senior Project Coordinator
LeadersFirst Career Portal
As a retained, specialty boutique search firm leader, each partner in the firm has expertise in their respective fields and each has over a decade of retained search experience. Combined, our partners have over 200 years combined executive search experience and 210 years of operating experience with our partners. Our job as search professionals is to recruit leaders in Healthcare, Higher Education, Private Equity, Digital Transformation, Technology, Media & Telecom, and Non-Profit.
Our Digital Transformation Clients
Talk to Our Team
Contact our partner-led team of executive search professionals. We are a boutique recruitment firm connecting leading organizations with trusted professional candidates who have the experience to lead your vision.