NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 24, 2024 – Focus Search Partners, a Vaco company and leader in retained search and interim leadership, has appointed Kate McLellan as Managing Partner of Interim Leadership Solutions. In this role, Kate is responsible for building the company’s interim practice and addressing clients’ provisional talent needs across multiple industry sectors, including healthcare, life sciences, technology, manufacturing, consumer products and financial services.
“During times of transition, Focus Search Partners’ dedicated interim leadership team strives to identify the right leader and solution around organizational challenges to deliver immediate value,” said Paul Frankenberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Focus Search Partners. “With Kate’s abundant experience, passion for problem-solving and proven success in the interim leadership space, she is the ideal leader to build upon our thriving interim leadership practice. I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to the team.”
Kate brings nearly 30 years of experience in professional services and interim leadership solutions. Her clients include both privately held start-ups, as well as multi-billion-dollar publicly traded companies. As Managing Partner of Focus Search Partners’ Interim Leadership division, Kate leads business development and the recruiting and delivery teams. Kate and her team bring a wealth of deep industry expertise, coupled with hands-on, functional knowledge. With an impressive average of 25 years of experience, they excel at sourcing and identifying the right on-demand talent.
Prior to Focus Search Partners, Kate served as Managing Partner at Korn Ferry, directing interim solutions within private equity and life sciences, and Managing Partner of Patina Solutions, which was acquired by Korn Ferry in 2022. Kate was also Partner and Chief Executive Officer of The Pentad Group, a Boston-based consulting firm which she founded in 2004. Kate completed the successful acquisition of The Pentad Group to Accretive Solutions, then led the subsequent acquisition to Patina Solutions. Kate has received several accolades over the years, including being named to the Boston Business Journal’s list of 40 Under 40 rising stars.
“It’s been exciting to witness the evolution of interim leadership solutions in recent years,” said Kate. “Today, more and more leaders are choosing to engage with organizations on an interim basis to help them solve their most pressing business challenges. At Focus Search Partners, I’m proud to be a part of a high-performing team dedicated to delivering on-demand talent that helps our clients with their business imperatives.”
About Focus Search Partners
Founded in 2001, Focus Search Partners was acquired by Vaco in 2014, a $1.1+ billion global professional services firm. With 45+ employees and 19 partners spanning the United States and abroad, Focus Search Partners specializes in building teams to grow companies, focusing on recruiting board members, executives and senior-level individuals. For more information, visit focussearchpartners.com.
Media Contact:
Brittney Kowalski
(603) 504-2024