Real Estate and Construction

Chris brings over 10 years in executive search and twenty years in commercial real estate, corporate finance, operations and general management to StevenDouglas.

Prior to StevenDouglas, Chris was a Principal in a top 20 retained search firm, then founded a boutique executive search firm, where he provided banking/finance company clients with retained search in the areas of Wealth Management & Private Banking, Wholesale Banking & Lending, Credit & Risk, Capital Markets, Marketing/Originations, Finance & Accounting/Operations and Community Development Finance.

Before transitioning to executive search, Chris was Senior Vice President of Ocwen Financial Corporation, a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded financial services holding company. He was a co-founder of the company’s commercial real estate finance division, where he was instrumental in taking a start-up from 3 to 125 employees and a net income of $55 million within five years. At Ocwen, his responsibilities included loan acquisitions, servicing, asset management, Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS) issue/management, and real estate management and dispositions. Through his efforts and leadership, Mr. Bezick’s division not only became the nation’s largest purchaser of distressed real estate mortgage assets, but was also rated by all agencies as Special Servicer for CMBS transactions. His division received the highest Special Servicer rating awarded by Standard & Poor’s.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Bezick was a real estate asset manager at Jones Lang Lasalle (LaSalle Partners), a financial analyst at Kraft and an officer in the US Army, where he was the logistics officer for a rapid deployment force brigade. Mr. Bezick holds an MBA in finance and marketing from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BS in Engineering, with a concentration in Aerospace Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point.

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.

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

Mr. Kalisher, who manages StevenDouglas' corporate Information Technology Search practice, has an impressive track record of successfully completing search assignments with many of the mid-market and Fortune 500 companies in South Florida, as well as with his national accounts.

Steve began his career in executive search in 1982 in New York City where he placed IT professionals with Fortune 500 clients, including Wall Street companies such as J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan Bank. In 1987, Steve founded Galaxy Management Group, a New York-based executive search firm specializing in corporate IT search for the greater New York-area marketplace.

In 1992, Steve moved to South Florida to join StevenDouglas and help build the firm’s corporate information technology practice. His extensive experience in information technology search has enabled him to successfully complete key search assignments for such positions as CIO/CTO, director, middle management, system analysts, programmer analysts, and engineer level positions.

Steve earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the City University of New York, Queens College in 1980.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Leigh Flanders-Cassett joined the Finance & Accounting Search Division of StevenDouglas in the beginning of 2012. 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, her primary focus is recruiting candidates in public accounting as she can easily relate to, and assist, those looking to make a transition into the private sector. She also assists those with public-private and financial planning & analysis 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.

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.

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 CFO’S 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.

Michael Beaton joined the Information Technology Search Division of StevenDouglas in early 2015.

Prior to StevenDouglas, Michael began his career with a large national recruiting firm in Orlando, FL where he specialized in the recruitment of application developers, infrastructure engineers, information security professionals and C level executives within the IT Industry. 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 and is a member of the United Way’s Young Leadership Society.

Michael is a native of South Florida and earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University.

Chad Miyamoto has been a top-performing recruiter in his market since 2006, and previous to that time, spent 11 years as an Accounting and Finance professional. This diverse experience gives him extensive, hands-on knowledge in the expertise, providing insight and a comprehensive understanding of the placements he makes.

Chad specializes in Finance, Accounting, Human Resources, and Operations spanning Fortune 500 companies, Private Equity and VC-backed companies, as well as small to mid-sized private businesses and non-profits. He’s known for his unique skill set in Accounting and Finance, and the many, successful placements he makes in that area, including a focus in Human Resources, Senior leadership (C-Suite, VP, Director) and Operations.

With his experience as both a hiring manager and candidate, he truly recognizes the need to become a trusted partner and advisor to be able to make a difference in the process. He prides himself on the many, long-term connections he’s build throughout his career. Chad believes this approach is the reason clients continue to reach out to him directly for over 16 years, and why he has many candidates he’s placed several times over the course of their career path.

Brandon Osterlund comes to StevenDouglas with direct experience in Search placement in Finance & Accounting across all levels of Executive and Senior Management for over a decade. He specializes in recruiting candidates with a Big 4 Background or those who are looking to make the switch from public accounting into industry and his client base includes companies in Real Estate, Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, Distribution, and Manufacturing.

Brandon began his career in Boston with a leading national recruiting firm, and then relocated back to South Florida where he was responsible for building out a very successful Finance & Accounting Search Team in the market from scratch, contributing to $4M+ in revenue. He was later promoted to a Director position, and then moved on to a global firm as the Director of the Northeast Executive Search Team in the U.S. managing a $5M P&L.

His extensive recruiting experience and direct understanding of Finance and Accounting, makes Brandon thorough and honest with his approach to working with both candidates and clients. He prides himself on acting as an advisor and career consultant with those he serves and being a true resource for them to better understand the job market. For candidates, he is often seen as their “career coach”, helping them navigate what they ultimately want to do in their career, and helping them with a plan on how to get there. He really enjoys to process of really getting to know a candidate, asking what their dream career path is, and finding a way to get them there. For clients, Brandon uses the same consultative approach to help them understand the job market and what is necessary to do to find the best talent.

Brandon has a Dual Bachelor’s Degree in Finance & Real Estate from Florida State University. He is excited to be back in South Florida, and believes the market has tremendous potential with the level of investment from Private Equity firms and the migration of new companies to the region. This combination of factors really appeals to candidates who are looking for this exposure combined with a low cost of living.

Don Zinn serves as Senior Vice President – Executive Search at StevenDouglas, and is based out of the firm’s
Westchester County (NY) office. He is a member of the firm’s Operations (Leadership, Sales & Marketing, Supply
Chain, Finance and HR) practice, and is focused on middle market and fast growing early stage companies where his
prior operating experience can add significant value to the searches he runs.

A CEO and entrepreneur with over 35 years sales, management and hiring experience, Don is focused on helping organizations
grow through people-focused management. He is a frequent speaker and author of many articles about turnover, employee
selection and satisfaction, and entrepreneurship. He has founded 7 companies, raised over $25 million in private and venture equity,
sold 3 companies and has been an Inc. 500 winner and a finalist in the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

In the world of search, Don is functionally focused on operational leadership that includes;
• Succession planning – CEO, COO and President roles that require strategic definition prior to starting the search
• CFO, VP Finance searches in both the private and public sector, with a focus on family businesses and PE/VC funded companies.
• HR leadership – CHRO, CPO, VP HR, Director Labor Relations, Director Compensation searches, tapping into his alumni network
from Cornell while applying his real-life experience leading the people part of organizations he has founded and run.
• The “go-to-market” side: sales and marketing leadership roles that bring discipline/process and create long term growth.
• The entire supply chain management side of operations up to the COO role.

Prior to joining StevenDouglas, Don was a top producing Partner at Jobplex, A DHR International Company. Don also previously
served as co-founder and Managing Partner of Exigent Search Partners, a boutique search firm based in Tarrytown, NY. Don has
over 15 years of executive, management and sales search experience with clients ranging from early stage entrepreneurial ventures,
PE funded high growth companies, family business and Fortune 100 giants.

Don focuses on helping client companies to scale to the next level and successfully fill out their management teams with optimal
talent and fit. His experience as CEO and COO, with a focus on building both the operational management (COO, CFO, CHRO etc.)
and the go-to-market (sales and marketing) teams of several venture funded tech companies has aided in the development and
success of his executive search career.

Don holds a BS in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University and an MBA from New York University. Don serves as
VP/Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Cornell ILR Alumni Association, is a Board Member of the Mt Vernon Boys & Girls Club
and is a volunteer and former long-term board member for the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Valhalla, New York.

We Learn More About Don Zinn & the Executive Leadership Division