Experienced Team Providing Proven Results
Experience
- Leadership of private companies and global public businesses
- Partnered with middle market private equity firms and private companies on search, assessments and transactions since 2002
- Played important roles in numerous buy and sell transactions
- Led multiple business integration processes
- Former Managing Partner and Managing Director with two global search firms
Leadership
- Personally lead and execute assignments
- Understand the unique cultural fit and skill requirements to be successful in privately owned companies
- Search process enhanced by business leadership experience
Meet Don Bodell
Don Bodell has provided executive search and management consulting services for private equity, family owned and public company clients since 2002. He has a record of successfully completing particularly challenging searches. His consulting projects have focused on the acquisition of companies, underperforming businesses and the preparation of businesses for sale. His clients have complimented him on his ability to identify and attract talent and provide valuable insights about their organizations, operations and business strategy.
Prior to 2002 Don was President of Ingersoll-Rand’s Engineered Solutions Division, a global manufacturing and distribution business with revenues in excess of $550 million. Previously, he held leadership positions at major corporations including TRW, Asea Brown Boveri and Combustion Engineering. He began his career at General Electric and Xerox. Don has extensive experience in general management, marketing, acquisitions and business integration. He has led the formation of numerous successful management teams including the recruitment of general management, operations and staff positions in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Don is a Senior Advisor to Ironwood Capital, an advisor to the University of Connecticut’s Technology Incubation Program, and a member of the Executive Forum. He is a former Director of the Mott Corporation, the Rostra Tool Company, the Milwaukee Gear Company, TWB (Wuxi, China), the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the Executive Forum, and the American Bearing Manufacturers Association. Don earned an undergraduate degree from Fairfield University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut.
Meet Kathryn Hammond
Kathryn has years of experience leading privately held and private-equity owned search, information technology and marketing services companies . Prior to joining Whitman Advisors in January of 2015, she was the CEO of PE-owned Bluespire Strategic Marketing, a Minneapolis-based marketing/technology solutions firm, serving financial and healthcare companies nationally. She also served on Bluespire’s Board of Directors.
As a platform company CEO, she completed multiple acquisitions and integrations while driving revenue and EBITDA to record levels. Prior to Kathryn’s tenure as a CEO she was a partner for more than ten years at a search firm specializing in contract engineering and technical consulting. Her business expertise includes recruiting and retaining best-of-breed technology executives; organizational development; creating high-performing teams; information technology; growth strategies including mergers and acquisitions; revenue and EBITDA growth.
Kathryn specializes in outsourced operating partner and business advisor assignments, including working as a liaison between the board and CEO to manage transitions, reduce risk and achieve business goals more quickly. Clients have included High Road Capital Partners, SR Capital Advisors and Centerfield Capital Partners.
Kathryn is active in Minneapolis in both the business and volunteer community. She is a member of the Sofia Fund and currently serves on the University of Minnesota Fan Advisory Board. She has also served as an Executive Committee board member at Women’s Advocates and as a business consultant for the University of St. Thomas / SBDC where she advised privately held businesses on growth strategies and succession plans.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degrees in business and journalism from the University of Minnesota.