Who We Are

A global team providing search expertise and executive experience to the food and agriculture industries since 1981

Our Reputation

We are a team of search professionals who know the value of qualified leadership, diversity, and the important role we play in the future of the food and agriculture industries.
And being selected for Forbes’ 2023 list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and Hunt Scanlon’s Top 50 Executive Recruiters proves it.

David Turner
Chairman of the Board & Managing Partner
Phoenix, AZ
Stephanie Liska
President
Omaha, NE
Kelly Griffin
Senior Vice President, Operations
Chicago, IL
Gary Weihs
Managing Partner
Harlan, IA
Jim Gerardot, Jr.
Managing Partner
St. Charles, MO
John Wright
Managing Partner
Anna Maria Island, FL
Jon Leafstedt
Managing Partner
Des Moines, IA
Michael Whitney
Managing Partner
Europe
Phillip Osborne
Managing Partner
Sydney, Australia
Aidan Connolly
Managing Director & Associate Partner
Wilmington, NC
Carolyn Schubert
Managing Director
Chicago, IL
Cassie Edgar
Managing Director
Des Moines, IA
Christophe Dumont
Managing Director
Europe
Ed Yuhas
Managing Director
Columbus, OH
Heiri Gugger, PhD
Managing Director
Raleigh, NC
Kimberly Bretz
Managing Director
Chicago, IL
Lisa Johnson
Managing Director
Chicago, IL
Michael Cooper
Managing Director
Paradise Valley, AZ
Oliver Cassels
Associate Managing Director
Europe
Patrick Fitzgerald
Managing Director
Chicago, IL
Paul Izenstark
Managing Director
Los Angeles, CA
Paul Miller
Managing Director
Phoenix, AZ
Philippe Huet
Managing Director
The Randstad, Netherlands
Ricardo Casiuch
Managing Director
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sally Day
Managing Director, Leadership Services
Cleveland, OH
Warren Ward
Managing Director
Southlake, TX
Attila von Hankó
Director & Associate Partner
Europe
Crystal Strauss
Director
Dallas, TX
Gabriella Snoeck
Director
Brussels, Belgium
Stephen Coffey
Director
Saratoga, NY
Samantha Tindell
Director of Research
Houston, TX
Abby McMillin
Senior Associate
Tustin, CA
Arlene Margolis
Senior Associate
Chicago, IL
Caroline Petit
Senior Associate
Bali, Indonesia
Emily Wagner
Senior Associate
Des Moines, IA
Jo Nicholls
Senior Associate
London, United Kingdom
Lisa Flynn
Senior Associate
Katonah, NY
Mariana Liou
Senior Associate
Melbourne, Australia
Meghann Salus
Senior Associate
Greater Chicago Area
Melissa Karman
Senior Associate
Northbrook, IL
Pam Capasso
Senior Associate
Naples, FL
Pat Rojas
Senior Associate & Associate Partner
Miami, FL
Susan Stanley
Senior Associate
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Whitney Dooley
Senior Associate
Portsmouth, NH

Relationship Builders

Our business is building relationships, identifying talent, and introducing you to the right leader. In-depth discussions combined with our industry experience enable us to quickly understand the caliber of the talent you need. We know the situations you face and leverage our unmatched network to find the right leader who aligns with your strategy and culture.

Global Collaborators

Our footprint spans the globe. We bring the right team and the right resources to each engagement, regardless of where it is. We collaborate to share ideas, contacts and insights, giving our clients an impressive reach and global perspective.

Search Experts

Our approach isn’t the same as everyone else’s- and that is by design. Finding talent is our specialty because leaders the caliber our clients seek are not “advertising” their availability. Our industry focus and executive experience allows us to speak with candidates as colleagues and make high-level assessments. This approach is proven to deliver differential leadership.

We’re humbled to hear clients talk about their experience with us

It’s a great partnership.  What they do well is communication and getting to know us.  They are seasoned professionals and always timely.  This is our 3rd time working with them and it is always a pleasure.

VP of Talent Acquisition, multi-national CPG organization

From the onset and through the entire process for our CEO search, K&R provided a ‘human touch’ by being authentic and adding a personal touch which gave us the ability to create trust; K&R is the go-to search firm in this industry.

Board Chairman, regional seed company

Our choice of firms came down to K&R and another firm that specialized in private equity. We went with K&R because they had more food focus and we were very satisfied with the quality of advice we got and the final slate of candidates.

Private Equity firm placing a C-Suite Executive

How We Work

Our principals come from the executive ranks of food and agriculture. Our values are built on trust, teamwork, accountability, integrity and a drive for results. Relationships are important, we work closely with you to understand your goals and culture, then leverage our global networks to find the best talent to meet your needs.

Interested in connecting with one of our principals?