
Private Equity and Venture Capital
Over the last decade, the proliferation of Private Equity and Venture Capital firms has changed the competitive landscape in the Executive Search and Interim Resources industry. The demand for talent with proven experience in investor-backed businesses that know how create value and transform business into high-performance and highly accountable organizations is at an all-time high. It is no longer enough to find candidates with appropriate industry experience, but strong operational leaders that can manage the expectations of the financial sponsors and the Board of Directors while guiding the business to success.
Our Private Equity and Venture Capital experts have a proven track record for delivering sought-after talent to help our clients build their executive and upper middle management teams through our search division. What makes us a unique human capital partner to our clients is that we can also augment their teams by parachuting in interim resources to take on challenges and opportunities of newly acquired portfolio companies as well as existing platforms expanding rapidly, organically and through acquisitions. We are also called upon at the end of the lifecycle of the investment when our clients are pursuing strategic alternatives.
Areas of Specialization:
- Industries:
- Healthcare
- Technology, Media and Telecom
- Retail, Hospitality and Leisure
- Life Sciences
- Financial Services
- Industrial and Mining
- Real Estate and Construction
- Roles:
- Executive Leadership (CXO)
- Finance & Accounting
- Operations
- Sales and Marketing
- Information Technology
- Human Resources
- Engineering and Technical
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Matt Shore
Matt Shore joined StevenDouglas in 2006, playing an integral role in the company’s significant growth with a focus on maintaining the firm’s great culture and boutique approach. As CEO, Matt has oversight and management of all aspects of company operations. Under his leadership, StevenDouglas has garnered various honors, including Forbes list of America’s Best Recruiting firms, Hunt Scanlon’s Top 25 Executive Search Firms, and 5 consecutive years on the Inc 5000 list. Matt has been a catalyst for the firm’s 2000% growth since 2005, making StevenDouglas one of the fastest growing firms in America.
Mr. Shore originally joined the company as a Senior Vice President, brought in to launch the highly successful Interim Resources Practice, and soon after was promoted to President to help scale the Search business as well. Since then, Matt has helped StevenDouglas opportunistically grow from 1 office and 15 employees when he joined, into a national firm with over 20 offices and 150 professionals. During his tenure there, the firm also expanded its capabilities and service offerings to include Executive Search, Professional Recruiting, Technology Staffing, and Interim Resources across an array of industries domestically and internationally.
Matt has been an industry leader in Executive Search for over 25 years, previously leading StevenDouglas’ highly successful CFO Search practice while directing the broader Executive Search practice company-wide. Prior to joining the firm, Matt spent 10 years in progressive leadership roles for a national recruiting firm where he ran the Professional Recruiting division throughout Florida. Matt received both his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting degrees from the University of Florida, and initially was a Florida CPA that worked in the Audit practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
An active community member, Matt is a strong advocate for Conscious Capitalism, a former Board Chairman for YPO Palm Beach, and a former Board Chair for United Way of Broward County. In addition, he has made a significant impact on many civic organizations including the Jason Taylor Foundation, LifeNet4Families and Cystic Fibrosis.
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Matthew Beck
Executive Search
Matthew Beck leads the Sales, Marketing and Operations Executive Search practice nationally for StevenDouglas. Matthew has a proven track record of delivering mid management to executive level talent to various organizations including small to Fortune 500 companies. He focuses on building long term relationships with clients and candidates alike which allows him to successfully deliver quality individuals within the client’s specific guidelines.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Matthew spent over 6 years with a Fortune 1000 recruiting firm in South Florida holding progressive roles in both sales and management. Most recently, Matthew was Managing Director of the Miami office and responsible for the day to day operations of the division in addition to client service. He was charged with leading the division’s new hire training program and the “Leaders of Tomorrow” program in which the top 1% of the company’s performers are chosen annually. Matthew has always set himself apart through tireless work ethic, great communication skills, and unquestioned business ethics.
Matthew earned his BA in Economics from Eastern Illinois University. He has been actively involved in various charitable organizations, currently serving as Chairman of the United Way of Central Maryland's Leader's United Executive Council. He is also an active member of United Way's Tocqueville Society. Previously, Matt served two terms as Chairman of the Young Leader’s Society (YLS) with United Way of Broward County. In 2014, Matt was recognized by the South Florida Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 Honoree, which identifies the most dynamic individuals in South Florida under the age of 40 who work diligently to contribute to their company’s growth and to improve the local community.
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Alan Berger
Human Resources Search
Alan Berger has spent over 25 years focusing on the employment lifecycle with significant experience in Staffing & Recruitment, Employee Screening, Career Management and Organizational Development all in the South Florida market. Alan’s practice encompasses all aspects of Human Resources search as he has proven to successfully place top talent at all levels for emerging and mid-size to Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, in his role as Vice President, Alan is a client service and business development ambassador of the firm across all of our service lines.
Alan’s accomplishments include running one of the premier background screening firms in Florida for over 15 years and successfully selling it to an industry leading Fortune 500 firm. After the sale, he spent over 5 years with a start-up Professional Recruiting firm and helped to build and grow the Human Resources practice as well as the overall firm. After another successful exit, Alan was a Vice President for the world’s largest Career and Talent Management organization. Berger originally began his working life as an Air Traffic Controller spending seven years in the profession before leaving Miami Center to begin his business career.
He currently is active with a number of organizations and serves on the Boards of the Greater Miami and Weston Chambers of Commerce. He is also very active with the West Broward YMCA’s Father Daughter Group Y-Princess having recently completed his term as Chair and serves on the YMCA of Greater Miami’s Board Development Committee. He also Chairs the Executive Re-Employment & Outplacement Task Force for the Miami Chamber. From 2001 to 2006 he served as a State elected official on the Board of the Hamal Community Development District and was Chairman for four years.
Berger’s previous awards include Price Waterhouse/South Florida Business Journal’s Up and Comer of the Year in Management, Miami-Dade County BCE Employer of the Year, Weston Chamber’s Person of the Year and Small Business of the Year
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Steve Kalisher
Mr. Kalisher began his executive search career in 1982 in New York City where he placed IT professionals with Fortune 500 clients including many of Wall Street’s largest companies.
Steve relocated to Ft. Lauderdale and joined StevenDouglas in 1993 where he has been servicing clients locally and nationwide by providing them with permanent and temporary IT staffing solutions. After playing a significant role in building and running the IT search practice for StevenDouglas, Steve now serves as an Advisor, Ambassador, and Consultant Emeritus to the firm.
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Elizabeth Jacobs
With over 20 years of experience in Executive Search, Elizabeth Jacobs, is a recognized expert in Chief Financial Officer search and leads the Finance & Accounting search division as Executive Vice President at StevenDouglas. Elizabeth started with the firm in 2002, and since that time has substantially grown the Finance and Accounting Search practice first throughout Florida, and then expanded the practice nationally.
Elizabeth has been honored as one of South Florida’s top 25 Most Influential Business Women by the South Florida Business Journal. She enjoys working closely with clients, helping them explore their current and future hiring needs, as well as identifying individuals that will thrive within their culture. Her practice is focused on providing financial executives for emerging middle market to Fortune 500 companies. The Finance & Accounting practice specialties include general accounting, financial reporting, finance, treasury, tax and audit searches from mid-level management to C-level executives.
Before joining StevenDouglas, Elizabeth managed two branch offices for an international search firm for four years. Prior to entering the search industry, she worked for Morgan Stanley for seven years in the areas of corporate tax, investment banking and corporate accounting.
Elizabeth is active with a number of non-profit organizations. Most notably, she has helped raise over $2 million for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital chairing the Diamond Angel’s Gala. Additionally, she serves on the board of the South Florida Business Forum, and stays active with the Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Women’s Executive Leadership (WEL), and the United Way Women’s Leadership Program.
Elizabeth earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson University, became a CPA in NY, and then completed her MBA from Fordham University.
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Juan Moreno
BĂşsqueda ejecutiva
Juan Moreno lidera nuestra práctica de bĂşsqueda de ejecutivos en AmĂ©rica Latina, brindando a los clientes un acceso rápido al talento local en AmĂ©rica Latina en diferentes industrias, que incluyen: manufactura, recursos naturales/minerĂa, banca y gestiĂłn de patrimonio, y energĂa/energĂa alternativa. Es un experto en necesidades de empleo internacional, se especializa en colocaciones de expatriados y en la contrataciĂłn exitosa de directores de AmĂ©rica Latina con sede en los EE. UU. y Canadá.
Juan aporta una experiencia significativa en reclutamiento y bĂşsqueda de ejecutivos en AmĂ©rica Latina y Europa, donde formĂł equipos gerenciales exitosos en TI, Operaciones, Finanzas, Marketing y Relaciones Gubernamentales. Muchos de estos roles se basaron en ubicaciones remotas donde encontrar al candidato ideal fue un desafĂo, pero el proceso comprobado y la diligencia de Juan siempre arrojaron excelentes resultados.
Antes de unirse a StevenDouglas, Juan pasĂł 7 años como director y lĂder de práctica en AmĂ©rica Latina para una de las firmas de bĂşsqueda de ejecutivos más grandes de Canadá. AllĂ desarrollĂł un conocimiento profundo de los problemas que afectan a AmĂ©rica Latina y estableciĂł fuertes lazos comunitarios. TambiĂ©n aprendiĂł más sobre el papel vital que juega la cultura en la construcciĂłn de organizaciones exitosas en diferentes paĂses. Esta experiencia y su enfoque en la regiĂłn le dan a Juan una ventaja competitiva al momento de reclutar equipos gerenciales para una amplia variedad de empresas.
Juan tiene una licenciatura en Mercadotecnia y Finanzas y un MBA de la Universidad Internacional de Florida.
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Navinder Binning
BĂşsqueda ejecutiva
Aprovechando más de 10 años de experiencia de búsqueda retenida, Navinder Binning lidera el mercado canadiense para StevenDouglas. Navinder se especializa en mandatos de búsqueda técnica, operativa y de la junta directiva, C-suite y ha completado con éxito compromisos a nivel mundial.
DespuĂ©s de haber trabajado para una de las firmas de bĂşsqueda privadas más grandes de Canadá, Navinder ha tenido la oportunidad de trabajar con clientes en industrias como MinerĂa y Metalurgia, Manufactura, EnergĂa y Servicios PĂşblicos, ConstrucciĂłn, EPC/EPCM, Private Equity, TecnologĂa y No For-For- Ganancia.
La perspectiva Ăşnica de Navinder para la bĂşsqueda retenida es muy valorada por los clientes. Su capacidad para comprender las necesidades tanto del cliente como del candidato, los desafĂos del puesto y, lo que es más importante, la capacidad de representar las filosofĂas de sus clientes son las claves de su Ă©xito continuo.
Originario del Reino Unido y graduado con un Diploma en Administración de Empresas, Navinder hizo de Canadá su hogar en 2001.
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Vivian Gonzalez
Executive Search
Vivian has been an executive search professional since 2003, with specialization in accounting and finance search. Her ability to evaluate both client and candidate needs, via a consultative approach, provides a more in-depth targeted search with a consistently successful outcome. Vivian focuses on providing search services for mid-market to Fortune 500 companies in the areas of accounting, financial reporting, treasury, and finance searches from mid-level management to “C” level executives.
Before joining StevenDouglas, Vivian focused on the Accounting and Finance needs of clients for a boutique recruiting firm in the Central Florida area. Prior to finding her passion for providing search services, Vivian worked for The Walt Disney Company, where she oversaw the human resource and recruiting functions within her division.
Vivian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University and her MBA from the University of Central Florida. When not hard at work, Vivian enjoys spending time with her husband and two children.
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Eamon C. Reilly
Technology Search and Staffing
Eamon Reilly leads the Seattle office bringing extensive experience in technology staffing, consulting and talent acquisition with clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 businesses since 2005.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Eamon was a National Account Director in a technology staffing and consulting firm where he focused specifically in User Experience Design and Product Development. In that role he worked with clients in several business verticals including e-Commerce, Health/Wellness, Advertising, Finance and Entertainment.
Eamon also has international experience servicing clients in Europe and South America. He has been able to build a list of clients by adding value through human capital and creative resource solutions. Eamon’s client relationships and work ethic have led to several high-profile resource projects that were completed on-time and on-budget.
Eamon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University and when he’s not spending time with his wife and two children he likes to train for marathons and triathlete competitions.
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Jonathan Bolton
Technology - Northeast
Jon Bolton leads the New York office by providing clients access to talent in the areas of Finance & Accounting and Information Technology. Since joining the search industry in 1999, Jon has provided recruiting and client service support to sophisticated clients throughout the country.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Jon was National Director in a global recruiting firm for 10 years. While in this role, he ran the firm’s Investment banking vertical and grew the practice to over $40 million in revenue. Over the years, Jon has built a reputation for his sense of urgency and his ability to assemble and rapidly deploy highly specialized resources for critical projects with world class companies. His consistency and professionalism has allowed him to build a tremendously loyal associate and client base.
Jon earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University and an MBA in Finance from Baruch College. Throughout his career, he has been a strong supporter of the Special Olympics and is an involved member of FAAN (Food & Allergy Network).
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Lisa Hammer
Sales, Marketing & Operations Search
Since beginning her search career in 2000, Lisa Hammer has specialized in recruiting Sales, Marketing and Operations professionals nationwide in a variety of industries. She has worked with high-level executives from middle market to Fortune 500 companies in fulfilling their hiring needs. Lisa works at a very timely pace for her clients and produces a diverse slate of candidates who have been thoroughly assessed and verified.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Lisa was the Director of the Sales and Marketing Practice for a Fortune 500 recruiting firm for 8 years where she was recognized consistently as a top producer in the country. Lisa’s experience prior to executive search consisted of leadership roles in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, most notably with L’Oreal.
Lisa graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelors degree in Industrial Design.
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Kerin Mickenberg
Finance & Accounting Search
Kerin Mickenberg has spent more than 20 years in professional recruiting as a Corporate Recruiter and as an Executive Search Consultant for a national search firm where she was recognized consistently as a top producer in the country. Kerin’s ability to find and identify valuable talent through deep market penetration has allowed her to provide a level of excellence that clients can rely on. Her reputation for honesty and integrity has become an invaluable asset to her clients and candidates.
Kerin returned to StevenDouglas after spending 8 years as part of the Talent Management team in a Fortune 100 company where she has supported Corporate Accounting, Finance, Tax and Audit with professional staffing needs. She has actively participated in company sponsored college campus events leading discussions on techniques for job seekers in career path mapping and interviewing. Kerin is recognized as an AIRS Professional Recruiter and holds a certificate in Advanced Internet Recruiting. She is an active member of the National Association for Female Executives and has been involved in corporate diversity recruiting initiatives for the last couple of years.
Kerin is a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She is a dedicated volunteer for the American Cancer Society and the Susan G Komen Foundation.
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Dario Furman
Finance & Accounting Search
Dario Furman joined the Finance & Accounting Search division of StevenDouglas in the summer of 2014. He began his career as an executive search professional in 2008 with a national search firm where he was consistently recognized as a top producer in the country. Mr. Furman’s approach is very thorough, confidential and professional. He integrates the use of the new modern recruiting techniques along with the proven “old fashioned method” of relationship building through face to face meetings with clients and candidates.
Dario’s practice spans from staff-level accounting and finance professionals to controllers and CFOs across all industries and sizes of companies. His passion for recruiting, coupled with his tireless work ethic and desire to come through for his clients, has fueled his success. Dario is recognized as an AIRS Professional Recruiter and holds a Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) designation. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
Dario graduated from the University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.
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Dana Rabinowitz
Sales, Marketing & Operations Search
Ms. Rabinowitz has been an executive search professional since 1998. A CPA by background, Dana is an organizational expert who is adept at research and digging for details that become obvious for her but are hidden from most. She is focused on providing clients with top talent. Deep in scope, her searches extend from executive management to key individual performers. Her client base is broad as well from start-up companies and middle-market growth clients to major corporations.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Dana managed branch offices for a Fortune 500 recruiting firm and then a boutique search firm. Prior to search, she began her career in public accounting with Coopers & Lybrand and also held various accounting roles – from financial analyst to controller – in private industry.
Dana is a CPA, graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Barry University, and earning her Master’s Degree in Taxation from Florida Atlantic University.
Over the years, Dana has been actively involved in the American Society of Women CPAs, the South Florida Healthcare Human Resources Association, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation and several other professional organizations.
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Alan Synkowicz
Finance & Accounting Search
Mr. Synkowicz has been in the recruiting industry since 1999, with a focus on finance and accounting search in the South Florida region. His practice spans from staff-level accounting and finance professionals to controllers and CFOs across all industries.
Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Alan worked for 10 years as a Sr. Recruiting Manager for a Fortune 500 recruiting firm. Before entering executive search, Alan worked in Corporate Accounting for 3 large publicly-traded corporations in the Manufacturing/Distribution, Construction, and Hospitality industries. Alan graduated from University of Florida’s Fisher School of Accounting with his B.S. in Accounting.
Alan is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, Brian Piccolo Chapter. Additionally, Alan has been a very active public speaker for the AICPA, FICPA, FAU (Accounting Students Association), Northwood University (Accounting Student Association), ASWA, and IMA. He has sat on the Advisory Board of both Northwood University and Palm Beach Community College’s Accounting and Business programs, and he regularly volunteers with the Broward Partnership for the Homeless and the Frankie Foundation (a NFP that is committed to providing Automatic External Defibrillator’s (AED’s) in parks and athletic fields throughout South Florida).
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Leigh Cassett
Finance & Accounting Search
Leigh Flanders Cassett is Managing Director, Finance and Accounting Search at StevenDouglas, focusing on the South Florida market. She joined the Finance & Accounting Search Division of StevenDouglas in the beginning of 2012 and quickly became a top producer. She joined us from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Miami, and is a licensed CPA in the State of Florida. As she is a Big 4 alumni, she can easily relate to, and assist, those looking to make a transition from public into the private sector. She assists those with Corporate Accounting, Finance, Tax, Treasury and Audit backgrounds find their next opportunity in the ever-changing job market. Leigh’s enthusiasm and understanding nature contribute to her keen identification of both candidate and client needs, and her familiarity with the accounting field helps her to easily match skill-sets with positions. She prides herself on relationship building and has become a trusted advisor for many South Florida companies and finance/accounting professionals, alike. In 2023, Leigh was promoted to Managing Director to help manage and develop the South Florida Finance and Accounting Search team.
Leigh graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Masters of Accounting from the University of Florida. In addition, she has been actively involved in various charitable organizations including the United Way’s Reading Pals and Camillus House.
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Michael Beaton
Technology Search
Michael Beaton joined the Technology Search Division of StevenDouglas in early 2015. He holds an impressive track record of successfully completing individual contributor, middle management, and executive search assignments with early-mid stage technology companies. Michael and his team regularly partner with VC/PE-backed organizations experiencing hypergrowth.
Prior to StevenDouglas, Michael began his career with a top 1% national recruiting firm where he specialized in software & data engineering, data science, devops, cloud architecture & cyber security. His national client base ranged from start-ups to small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies. In this role, Michael became the number one producing recruiter in the nation.
Michael began volunteering at an early age for local organizations such as Kids In Distress as well as Jack and Jill. He currently serves as a Committee Member for the Jason Taylor Foundation, is a member of the United Way’s Young Leadership Society, and is a member of the South Florida ISACA Chapter. Michael is a native of South Florida and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University.
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Kari Benson
South Florida - Interim Resources
Kari Benson has spent more than 13 years building long-term client relationships and as a result has been highly successful in the areas of business development, recruiting, and executive search. Her expert ability to source and assess talent has enabled Kari to provide clients with the resources they need to successfully carry out key internal initiatives that produce a clear bottom-line impact.
As a member of the StevenDouglas Project Resources Division, Kari focuses primarily on providing experienced project professionals that assist clients in the areas of finance and accounting, audit and compliance, human resources, and information technology. Kari serves both public and private companies effectively by utilizing her broad-based business experience to properly assess a client’s needs and bring them the appropriate resources to meet their objectives.
Before joining StevenDouglas, Kari held various progressive management roles with a Fortune 500 recruiting firm. During her tenure she was the recipient of numerous awards in which she was recognized for both performance and excellence. As Managing Director for the Miami locations, she was among the top 10% nationwide in an organization with over 10,000 employees.
Kari earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Information Management from the University of North Dakota. Throughout her career, Kari has been active in Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Inc. and Susan G.Komen Fight for the Cure. She is also one of the founders of the first kickball league in Miami. Her hobbies include freelance photography which has earned her five 1st place awards from the Florida Press Association.
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Amanda Rassi
Human Resources Search
Amanda has 15 years of combined Human Resources and Talent Acquisition experience in South Florida. Beginning her career as an HR professional working for a Top 100 Marketing Agency, she eventually focused her expertise on Talent Acquisition. She further pursued a recruiting specialty and prior to joining StevenDouglas, Amanda built and managed the Talent Acquisition department for a national outsourcing organization. She joined StevenDouglas in 2013 and has played an integral role in developing their Human Resources Search Division. Today, Amanda is a top preforming national search expert and places leadership level HR professionals nationally. In 2023, Amanda relocated to the Greater Atlanta area and will be instrumental in helping to expand the HR Search footprint throughout Georgia. With her extensive experience in human resources and her passion for driving business growth, Amanda is poised to make a significant impact in the HR Search team's efforts to establish a strong presence in Georgia's competitive job market.
An active community member, Amanda has made an impact on many different charitable organizations. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for Broward County SHRM. Previously, Amanda served as the Chair of the Diamond Angels for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation where she led the 13th annual Fairy Tale Ball to great success and helped to raise over $320,000 for the hospital. Other involvements include Co-Chair roles for the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale and IMPACT Young Ambassadors for Memorial Healthcare.
Amanda was selected as a finalist in the “Difference Maker“ category for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce HYPE Awards, acknowledging innovation and achievement among Young Professionals. Amanda holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.
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Ken Heinrich IV
HR Search
Ken Heinrich joined StevenDouglas in the Human Resources Search Division in 2017. Ken focuses solely on Human Resources recruitment from staff-level to executives across all industries and company sizes.
Among his accomplishments, Ken has earned his SHRM-CP certification and currently serves as the Foundation Chair on the SHRM Jacksonville Board of Directors. His sales and recruiting experience make him an important part of the continued success and growth of this practice.
Prior to joining the StevenDouglas team, Ken worked for one of the largest staffing and consulting firms in the country, out of both the Fort Lauderdale and Miami offices. Here he honed his candidate identification and attraction skills while building lasting, personal partnerships with clients. Ken believes that continuing to refine these two significant attributes are the keys to his success.
Ken was born in New Jersey but relocated to South Florida and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida International University. He currently lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida and supports the Southeast market for StevenDouglas.