Keith Southerland

Keith Southerland joined Focus Search Partners following the 2021 acquisition of his firm Southerland Group. He offers nearly four decades of experience conducting executive search for healthcare organizations. He has conducted over 1100 searches for prominent multi-hospital health systems, professional associations, pediatric health systems, public hospitals, academic medical centers, and managed care organizations.

Keith entered the executive search field as a consultant for Witt/Kieffer, where he was a key figure in the establishment of the firm’s first regional office in Dallas, TX in 1985. As Regional Director, Southern Region, he developed the firm’s practice in the southeastern U.S. Mr. Southerland was promoted to Executive Vice President, Consulting with national responsibility for all firm search practices, including healthcare systems, information technology, higher education, and managed care/insurance. As Executive Vice President of Operations, he led the finance, marketing, and human resources divisions.

As a Senior Partner with Korn Ferry International, Southerland focused on conducting numerous high-profile CEO/COO searches for a wide range of healthcare systems around the country. In 2013 he founded Southerland Group, a boutique executive search firm focused on providing talent solutions for healthcare organizations nationwide.

Keith has led CEO and other C-suite searches for systems and associations including  Intermountain Healthcare, Baptist-Kentucky, Texas Hospital Association, Cook Children’s Health Care System, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Florida Hospital Association, BayCare Health System, St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Dallas Medical Resource, Parkland Health and Hospitals,  Christiana Care Health System, Children’s Hospital and Health System of Wisconsin, VHA Texas, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, DFW Hospital Council, Covenant Health System, Ohio Hospital Association, Utah Hospital Association, Cooper Institute, and Intermountain Healthcare.

Southerland has a solid foundation in healthcare management. Earlier in his career, he was employed by Clarian Health System and Meridian Mutual Insurance in Indianapolis. He is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Keith graduated from Indiana University with a BA in Public Affairs and received his MBA from the University of Dallas.