Leadership Team
In 2002, WorldBridge Partners was founded by a group of eight innovators with a mission to provide a higher level of executive search consulting to businesses. Meet the leaders who facilitate that mission every day.
Todd Dawson
Managing Partner
Location: Omaha, NE
Category: Banking, Healthcare, Insurance, Legal
Todd has been with MRI/WorldBridge Partners Omaha since 1985 and became the President in 2002. As one of the founding members of WorldBridge Partners, he oversees the most tenured office in WorldBridge with 4 separate business practices which include Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Insurance and Legal.
Todd directs the WBP National Insurance and Legal Practices. Omaha’s team consists of 14 consultants with over 200 years of experience partnering and providing clients with solutions to their pressing talent acquisition and hiring process needs. With over 5000 professionals placed since 1968, WBP Omaha has billed over $70M in client services.
Todd has over 30 years of successful consulting experience and has personally accounted for over $8M in billed services. Specializing in the placement of employee benefit sales, service and marketing professionals nationally, Todd was named Management Recruiters’ Solo Account Executive of the Decade for the ’90’s. He was inducted into the exclusive MRI Summit Club in 1990 of which there are only 14 members in all of MRI’s search professionals. Todd earned his CSAM (Certified Senior Account Manager) status in 1987 and was CSAM of the year in 1997. He was inducted into the MRI Hall of Fame in 1991 and Ring of Honor in 2010.
Todd earned his B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1977 and spent 7 years in law enforcement prior to becoming search consultant. Todd is married with 3 sons and enjoys sports and travel.
Jack Downing
Managing Partner
Category: Food/Beverage/Hospitality, Healthcare Software & Services, Telecommunications
Downing, a founding member of WorldBridge Partners, is a nationally recognized expert in recruitment. He leads the Technology practice group for WorldBridge Partners and has successfully completed over 1000 searches worldwide. Jack began his executive search career in 1992, and in 1997 he opened the Chicago office. Since 1997 he has grown the Chicago office. In addition to his work at WorldBridge Partners, Jack started the RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) Division WorldConcert.
Jack earned his BA from Loras College and his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He is a founding member of the Illinois Venture Capital Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Talent Aqcuisition and Recruitment of Greater Chicago (Past President) and on the Board of Directors of KC Clean Technology Hedge Fund. He also serves on the Advisory Board of R3 Biofuels and on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago where Jack was matched as a Big Brother for over eight years.
In 2010 Jack was inducted in The University of Illinois's Entrepreneur's Hall of Fame.
Brian Courtney
Managing Partner
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Category: Manufactured Products
Brian brings 21 years of recruiting expertise working with consumer products, industrial, automotive, and heavy equipment manufacturing companies. He is specialized in placing operations, supply chain, and lean/continuous improvement professionals.
For 15 years he was a part of Intercity Personnel Associates, a national recruiting affiliation consisting of 250+ independent recruiting firms. During that time his achievements included:
- Top 10 Counselor Award – 12 years
- Top 10 Agency Award – 6 years
- Number #1 Counselor Award – 3 years
- Number #1 Agency Award – 1 year
Prior to recruiting, Brian worked as a Quality Engineer and Project Manager in the automotive and consumer products industries. He earned his BS in Industrial Technology from the University of Wisconsin Platteville. He was certified as a Quality Engineer through ASQ and served on the executive board for ASQ of Northern Nevada.
Brian’s involvements include the Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Connections, Toastmasters, and The Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is a supporter of Make of Wish, Shriner’s, and St. Jude’s organizations.
Gary Fruchtman
Managing Partner
Category: Steel & Metals / Oil & Gas
Gary Fruchtman is a Managing Partner of WorldBridge Partners and a well-known expert in the Primary Steel and Oil & Gas Industries. His practice includes the Steel Pipe and Tube Industry as a particular specialty particularly as it intersects with Oil & Gas exploration, production, and transmission. Gary and his Steel and Oil & Gas Team work these industries from Front Line Supervisors to C-Suite executives. Gary earned his BA in Economics from Northeastern University with honors. Prior to entering the Executive Search Industry, he spent time in sales, sales management, marketing, operations, and general management and was General Manager of Donovan Steel Tube and Vice President of Sales & Marketing with Central Steel Tube before becoming a Partner in American Metal Trading.
In 1993, Gary started The Kent Group and SteelPeople.com, a staffing firm specializing in Steel, Pipe & Tube, Non-Ferrous Metals and Oil & Gas. The firm has eight search consultants recognized for their ability to find highly specialized talent to help fuel their client's growth and profitability. The Kent Group was pleased to officially join WorldBridge Partners in September of 2013.
Gary is a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been practicing Martial Arts for over 30 years. After all these years, he can still take a lickin’ and keep on tickin.
Brian Doherty
Managing Partner
Location: Cleveland, OH
Category: Equipment Leasing and Financing
Brian Doherty is a Managing Partner of WorldBridge Partners and a well-known expert in the Equipment Leasing and Banking Industries. Brian and his financial services team work these industries from top to bottom working on positions including; Business Development, CFO, President, Chief Credit Officer, Sales Management, and Vendor Business Development to name a few.
Brian started his career in recruiting in 1982 as a recruiter working for a company office location of Management Recruiters International which later re-branded as MRINETWORK. In 1985, he was promoted to Assistant Manager of the Cleveland location helping to lead it to "Office Of The Year" status in 1987. In 1989, he took over full time as Manager of the Cleveland location of MRINETWORK growing the office to a staff of 15 highly successful recruiters.
In 1996, Brian seized the opportunity to go out on his own as he purchased and opened a brand new franchise location of MRINETWORK which he named Sales Consultants of Broadview Heights. After twenty very successful years, he decided in August of 2016 that the next chapter of his recruiting career would be best served by joining the WorldBridge Partners team as the Managing Partner of their new Cleveland location. So he cut ties with MRINETWORK and moved over his entire office .
Brian achieved Certified Senior Account manager status in 1985 (CSAM)
In 1989, Brian was inducted into the MRI Hall of Fame.
In 1996, Brian achieved Certified Senior Manager Status. (CSM)
During Brian’s recruiting career he has placed people in all fifty states and five foreign countries to date.
On the personal side Brian has been married since 1981 to Karen and has three beautiful daughter’s. He is a graduate of Cleveland State University in 1979 with a degree in Marketing.
Dave Sanders
Managing Partner
Category: Information Technology
Dave Sanders is a founding member and Managing Partner of WorldBridge Partners. His focus is high level retained executive search working with clients in Northern California, across the nation, and internationally. Dave is an active Angel investor and a general partner in two Angel Funds.
Beginning his executive search career in 1993, Dave is well established in the West Coast venture capital community and is a national expert working with early and mid stage high growth companies.
With his Corporate Finance background at Intel and his sixteen years of sales and marketing management experience at IBM, he understands what is required to successfully manage an organization in high growth stages as well as attracting top talent in increasingly competitive markets.
Gary Bozza
Managing Partner
Category: MRO and Industrial Distribution, Marketing Communications, Printing & Paper
Gary Bozza opened the doors of WorldBridge Partners Chicago NW in 1997, following a highly successful 17 year career as Vice President of National Accounts and Director of Midwest Sales primarily at MOORE (Now RR Donnelley). He was especially skilled at hiring and managing professionals, and his teams consistently performed among the company’s best. Recognized for his ability to get results, he has been building real world leadership teams for four decades on both sides of the hiring process.
Today Gary’s practice is dedicated to helping CEOs, Presidents and Owners drive revenue, maximize the effectiveness of human capital resources, while building enterprise value. With Clients ranging from small privately held enterprise to large publicly held multinational corporations, he consults in succession planning and improving processes that produce high-performance leadership teams that result in a more valuable and attractive company. Gary better prepares firms should they merge, buy/sell, and want to continue to grow organically or acquire a strategic individual that can take the company to greater heights.
Gary is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and holds a B.S degree in Finance. He is the founder and chairperson for the Ireland Cancer Center/Gilmour Academy Scholarship Foundation in Cleveland, and chairperson of St. Vincent DePaul & Sister House Charity Golf Outing in Northwest Chicago.
Member of:
- Co-Chair St. Vincent de Paul & SisterHouse Charity Event
- Brand Chain (formerly, PSDA)
- Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA)
- Printing Industries of America (PIA)
- Chicago Association of Direct Marketing (CADM)
- Miami Alumni Associations
- Lake Zurich, Illinois Chamber of Commerce
Gary is happily married and father of three adult daughters. Hobbies include golf, exercise, yard work and travel.
Greg Lee
Managing Partner - Emeritus
Category: Manufactured Products
Midwest Talent Acquisition – Manufacturing
Greg is a WorldBridge Managing Partner and serves as the Practice Leader for Manufacturing. Prior to entering Executive Search in 1998, he served in senior management positions with manufacturers of consumer and industrial equipment. These included Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Gravely Company, a manufacturer of commercial outdoor power equipment; Vice President of Contract Manufacturing for the Ariens Company, a consumer products manufacturer; Vice President, General Manager of Orient Direct, an Asian based rotational and injected molded plastics company; Vice President of Sales for AWT (Air & Water Technologies), a manufacture of industrial air and water purification equipment; Director of Sales for Aqua Chem, a manufacturer of industrial water purification units and high pressure steam generators; Field Sales Management, Business Planning Management, Credit/Finance Management, Dealer Development Management, Marketing Services Management and Product Management positions with CNH (Case/New Holland), a construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer. He has extensive international business experience in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Greg holds a Bachelors Degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin.
Greg assists capital goods companies, durable consumer products companies and defense manufacturers in filling senior level positions and board seats.
Tom Wieder
Managing Partner
Location: New York, NY
Category: Banking, Wealth Management and Investment
Rob Navarette
Partner
Category: Steel & Metals / Oil & Gas
Rob has over 17 years of experience recruiting across a number of industries. Having grown up in Customer Service and Sales he brings strong relationship building & understanding to his customers. He has sat on site at fortune 500 companies where he filled positions across the U.S. & Canada. He has also managed clients and Account Executives in the (RPO) space. Those experiences and knowledge help him to better understand his client’s true needs. He has been recruiting high level industry leaders his entire recruiting career.
His focus now is Metals Manufacturing. His specialty is Sales and he has worked on and filled everything from VP of Sales to Maintenance and Engineering. He loves a challenge so you can bring him those hard to fill positions.
Rob has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Toledo. He is also a very active and driven health and fitness focused individual having run and completed numerous Full & Half Marathons as well as 100 mile bike rides and Tough Mudders.
Jon Rice
Partner
Category: Healthcare, Information Technology
Jon is a graduate of Belmont University, where he has earned a B.A. in Business Administration. Jon Played Division 1 basketball for Belmont and is a two time NCAA tournament participant. Jon has also earned an MBA from Wayne State College.Jon is a recruiting specialist within the healthcare technology vendor market, including provider and payer software vendors, medical device software, pharmacy software and long term care technology vendors. Jon and the WorldBridge team can assist with all functional roles, from sales and account management to business analysts, client services and developers to VP and C Level searches. Jon also serves the healthcare provider market within hospitals.
Prior to joining WorldBridge, Jon worked as an analyst as well as working at a high volume call center. Jon enjoys helping others and is an active member at St. Raphael Catholic Church where he attends annual mission
Ellen Burke
Partner
Category: Banking
As former Executive and Co-owner of an Integrated Marketing Communications company and former Director of Education for a private school, support and the development of people has been at the core of every position I have held - as Executive Team member, Director of Organizational Learning, Corporate Trainer, Marketing and Research Executive, and Educator.
As a Partner and Senior Executive Search Consultant with a focus on Wealth Management and Private Banking, I work in service of both clients and candidates. I believe in the cultural affinity for the people I place in organizations. I am heavily influenced by Peter Drucker, Peter Senge and others who believe the selection of people is the most important decision an organization can make. My goal is to aid clients in that process and to place the right person in the right system. Having integrity around this process is paramount to me.
It is a priority for me to cultivate long term partnerships with clients. I do extensive research to identify stellar candidates - Senior Executives, Financial Advisors, Portfolio Managers, Private Bankers, Managers in all disciplines and more. My focus is California with particular emphasis on the Southern CA market.
I graduated from Kenya HS in Nairobi, Kenya, earned my BA from the University of Michigan and have completed numerous post-graduate studies with Peter Senge, W. Edwards Deming and other innovative leaders. I enjoy world travel, sports, music, art, nature and much more. I am also an advocate for children's causes.
Marcus Dawson
Partner
Location: Omaha, NE
Category: Legal
Marcus joined WorldBridge Partners as an Executive Search Consultant in 2011 and was promoted to Partner in 2019. Marcus works diligently to identify, qualify and recruit associate and partner level attorneys for law firms nationally. He is especially adept at assisting law firms in their growth, merger and acquisition strategies and plans.
Prior to joining WorldBridge Partners, Marcus worked in the Athletic Compliance Department at Creighton University in Omaha. Marcus’ experience as a legal consultant enables him to gather important insight into both firms and prospective candidates to make sure the fit is right both professionally and personally.
Marcus graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Journalism and holds a J.D. from Creighton University. In his free time, Marcus enjoys travel and playing piano.
Jonathan Fisher
Partner
Category: Information Technology
Jonathan is a Partner and the Software Practice Leader for WorldBridge Partners. Jonathan specializes in the recruitment and placement of sales and sales executives in the call center marketplace. Areas of focus include speech recognition, IVR, CTI, workforce management, quality monitoring, recording, analytics, and IP telephony. To date, Jonathan has been involved in searches from front-line sales representatives to Vice President of Sales with major software companies across the country. As a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Jonathan has a BA in Behavioral Science & Law.
Prior to starting at WorldBridge Partners Chicago in 1998, he worked as a Senior Account Executive for a communications company based in Chicago. Jonathan consistently exceeded his annual revenue goals and was ranked in the top five consultants for sales people nationwide.
Ed Kmak
Partner
Category: Banking, Information Technology
Ed runs the Financial Services practice and also handles high level Information Technology searches for Worldbridge Partners. This includes all facets of the investment business, and information technology and services. Clients include investment managers, hedge funds, investment banks, and private equity firms as well as technology organizations. Ed has completed searches across the U.S. and also works the UK and Asia markets for clients.
Ed is a 1993 graduate of Yale University with a BS in History where he was a member of the football team. He enjoys coaching and activities with the seven women in his life, his wife, 4 daughters, and his two labs.
Chad McLaughlin
Partner
Category: Information Technology
Chad joined WorldBridge Partners in 2001, after coming from another technology focused recruiting agency. As a Senior Partner, Chad has been ranked as a top 5 producer within WorldBridge Partners for the last 14 years in a row, and was specifically the #1 producer globally in 2018. Throughout his tenure, Chad has placed candidates with over 200 different companies around the globe within various technology disciplines including AI/Data Analytics, SAAS, Training/Learning Services to name a few.
Chad specializes in the recruitment of Sr. Sales professionals, VPs and C-level executives as well as Operations and IT engineers across the globe. His hard work and attention to detail have enabled him to be a common name and vital resource among professionals in these roles.
Amy Sanders
Partner
Category: Healthcare
Amy has been recruiting since 1995, with the last decade focused exclusively in the Healthcare Software and Service Vendor industry. In 2017, Amy became a Partner with WorldBridge Partners. Amy attended Loyola University of Chicago and works hand-in-hand with her clients to search for the best possible talent that aligns with her clients’ unique needs.
Amy specializes in client-facing roles in both the Payer and Provider technology and services vendor market. She maintains expertise in building out sales divisions and their accompanying roles; Client Success, Client Services, Account Management, Business Development, Sales Support, Field Sales Management, VP levels and Chief Sales Officer, in addition to the client implementation services area including Field Implementation/Project Management professionals, Product Management on up through the C-Suite, including CTO and senior level operational positions.
Seth Styskal
Partner
Location: Omaha, NE
Category: Banking
Seth joined WorldBridge Partners Omaha in 2014 and became the Omaha Banking Team Leader in 2017 where he leads and directs a team of 6 recruiters that work in the entire Midwestern U.S. Seth was promoted to Partner in 2019.
Seth prides himself on taking a long-term approach to his job as an executive banking recruiter. In order to do so, he stresses the importance of diving into understanding both professionals’ and clients’ backgrounds and motivations. With that approach, Seth is able to ensure that when he does speak to people, he can better understand what the professionals and clients want, so that he can help them accomplish their personal, professional, and financial goals.
Seth relates to all banking professionals in all banking sectors whether they are small community, regional or national banks throughout the Midwest. No bank is too small for Seth as he is especially adept at solving human capital solutions for banks in rural communities. Seth spends thousands of hours speaking with bankers from Kansas City to Kadoka, SD- -from Colorado Springs to Winterset, IA which gives him a unique understanding of the market and banking needs in the Midwest.
Seth earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, a Master of Arts in Education, and completed graduate work in Leadership through Doane College. He enjoys spending time with his family, sports, hunting, fishing, and camping in his free time.
Brad Coy
Co-Founder, Impact Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateMindy McCombs
Co-Founder, Impact Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateAdam Brenner
President, NPPS, LLC a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateDoug Smith
Managing Director, Shoreline Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateEd Keil
Chief Executive Officer, Plastics Executive Recruiters, a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateRaj Kapoor
Managing Director, Legacy Group International a WorldBridge Partners AffiliateBrad Coy
Co-Founder, Impact Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Springfield, MO
Category: Manufactured Products
Throughout Brad’s career, he has been fortunate to work across many industries and operations specializing in Procurement & Supply Chain. This wide range of experience gives him an in-depth view of the job market and the background and knowledge to strategically match prospective candidates to the right opportunity. Brad’s passion is to positively impact lives by connecting the most experienced and qualified candidates with the best opportunities and helping all of his clients reach their goals.
Prior to opening Impact Recruiting Partners, Brad acquired 13 years of in-role experiences and talent acquisition with companies in various industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and building products.
In his free time, Brad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and kids. He is a proud graduate and supporter of Missouri State University, and also spends his time volunteering in various way, including the MSU Alumni Association Board of Directors and supporting MSU Athletics, especially his daughter’s beloved Lady Bears Basketball team! Go Bears!
Mindy McCombs
Co-Founder, Impact Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Springfield,
Mindy is an innovative, results-driven leader with a skilled and practiced background in human resources, EHS, manufacturing, and project management. Over her career, Mindy has proven that she has a special ability in making things better for both employer and employee when it comes to hiring. If you have worked with Mindy, you know she emphasizes always staying connected and wishing the best for her work family!
Her comprehensive background and experienced knowledge for creating effective and instrumental improvement of employee relations, safety, delivery, costs and team member performance in large and mid-size operations give her the edge in finding the right candidate for any role.
In her free time, Mindy enjoys spending quality time with family, traveling, and enjoying her grandkids every chance she gets!
Adam Brenner
President, NPPS, LLC a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Tampa, FL
Category: Manufactured Products, Printing & Paper
As President of NPPS LLC, Adam has spent the last 5 years building a business centered around recruiting top talent for the Printing and Packaging Industry. His 25 years of experience in recruiting have given him the knowledge and skills to find talented personnel that helps his clients grow and adapt to evolving technologies and processes.
Adam is the lead recruiter for NPPS in Printing Equipment and Supplies. His clients trust his expertise to find high-demand candidates from management to field service. Many of his candidates advance within their organizations and continue to reach out for industry advice and hiring needs. His continued passion for the industry and his clients is what drives the purpose and future of NPPS. With his main office in Tampa, Adam hopes to continue his growth and help as many clients as he can find the personnel they need.
Adam is a graduate of the University of Missouri – St. Louis and holds a B.S. BA degree with an emphasis in Marketing and a Fine Arts Certificate in Photography. His passion for photography and graphic arts was the foundation for his future enthusiasm in the Print Industry.
Adam and his wife, Kandice, live in the Tampa Bay area with their two children. They are originally from St. Louis and love Cardinal Baseball and Blues Hockey. However, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made these sports fans very proud to call Tampa Bay their new home
Doug Smith
Managing Director, Shoreline Recruiting Partners, a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Boise, Idaho
Category: MRO and Industrial Distribution, Manufactured Products, Wealth Management and Investment
Doug joins WorldBridge Partners after 10 years running MRI Shoreline. Doug has built great national relationships in the Sporting Goods, Safety Products (PPE) Industries and in Wealth Management—primarily in the Seattle market.
Doug has been described by clients and candidates alike as "focused, attentive, authentic, collaborative.” Building partnerships and open dialogue lead to successful recruitment and candidate assessment.
Prior to recruiting, Doug was a realtor where he lived by the fiduciary model of “service to all”. Doug brings that ethic to recruiting where his clients can be assured full attention and honest feedback. Doug has helped his clients raise the value of their brands by bringing in top talent in sales, product, engineering, operations, and executive leadership.
Doug and his wife, Martha, recently relocated to Boise ID with their English Creme Golden retriever, Maizey. They have 3 grown children living in CA, WA, and Albania. Besides recruiting, Doug is active in church and is an avid sports fan. Having graduated from Washington State University in communications (TV/Radio) he remains a big WSU sports fan. Go Cougs!
Ed Keil
Chief Executive Officer, Plastics Executive Recruiters, a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Category: Manufactured Products
Ed Keil, The Plastics Recruiter™.
Ed has been recruiting in all areas of Plastics since 2005. He and his team have filled thousands of critical positions for over 650 of the Plastics Industry’s best companies.
The Fort Wayne office’s team of 10 recruiters and researchers covers every corner of the plastics market, including Injection Molding, Rotational Molding, Blow Molding, Profile Extrusion, Film Extrusion, Sheet Extrusion, Thermoforming, Compounding, Additive (3-D Printing), plastics packaging, and anything else plastics or polymers related.
Prior to recruiting, Ed spent 20 years in the plastics industry, working up from the plant floor in silicone and sheet extrusion/thermoforming through key sales and management positions, until ultimately becoming an owner of custom molding and profile extrusion operations.
Ed has BS in Entrepreneurship from Ball state and MBA from IU. Ed is married with 2 sons and enjoys golf and boating.
Raj Kapoor
Managing Director, Legacy Group International a WorldBridge Partners Affiliate
Location: Spring House, PA
Category: Banking, Equipment Leasing and Financing, Food/Beverage/Hospitality, Healthcare, Healthcare Software & Services, Information Technology, Insurance, Life Sciences, MRO and Industrial Distribution, Manufactured Products, Marketing Communications, Printing & Paper, Telecommunications, Wealth Management and Investment
Raj Kapoor established Legacy Group International in the year, 2004, leading to 19 years of successful career. With the basic fundamentals of offshore research organizations in recruiting process outsourcing, Raj pioneered many elements at Legacy for making one-stop solutions for every recruiting agency.
Raj, is focused on helping business owners of various recruiting firms, defining the need for quality research support, developing standardized processes for expanding the candidate pool in their niche market, and designing business development practices for more target-specific prospect selection and engagement.
Before establishing Legacy, Raj worked closely with MRINetwork, one of the largest recruiting franchise organizations in the International Recruiting Franchise market, to learn and adapt various methodologies and expertise in staffing industry databases, business verticals, process developments, and customer service elements. Before that, he worked with Datamatics as a Project Manager, one of the pioneer outsourcing giants in India.
Raj graduated from Chicago University and holds a Bachelors from Mumbai University. He has several certifications in the CyberSecurity space and does a lot of consulting work for companies looking to beef up their security systems.