Gilman Partners, one of the largest executive search and leadership development firms in the region, will soon have a new CEO. Effective May 1, 2023, Angel Beets will become the firm’s Chief Executive Officer. Joining her to lead the organization will be Marci Pfeifer as Chief Operating Officer. Tom Gilman, who has served as CEO since he purchased the firm in 2004, will become Chairman. These promotions are the final pieces of Gilman Partners’ leadership transition that started with Beets and Pfeifer being named Co-Managing Partners in 2021.
Gilman will remain a partner and assume the role of Chairman, where he will assist with strategic matters while continuing to be active in the community and serving on a number of Advisory and Nonprofit boards. Since he purchased the firm in 2004, Gilman Partners’ revenues have increased five-fold. Its GP Elevate program for emerging leaders is also widely recognized as a top leadership development program. Today, the firm has seven equity partners and, with the shift in equity as a result of the leadership transition, is now a women-owned business. Gilman Partners serves many of the leading privately held companies, family-owned businesses, and nonprofit organizations in the region.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last 19 years,” said Gilman. We have a great team that is known and well-respected in the business community, and consistently acts in our client’s best interests to strengthen leadership teams and elevate the talent in our communities. I’m most proud of the client and community relationships we have built and our role as a trusted confidant on talent related matters.”
“It’s time to let Angel and Marci lead us to the next level. They, along with our other partners and team members, have the right values and client focus to accelerate our success. I’m totally confident we have the right team for the future,” said Gilman.
Beets joined Gilman Partners in spring of 2018 as its Director of Communication & Education after working with the firm for nearly three years as a contractor. In addition to managing the firm’s strategic initiatives and external relationships, she will continue to head up GP Elevate, Gilman Partners’ leadership development program that prepares high-potential leaders for executive management. Since its first cohort in April 2020, more than 75 leaders have completed the GP Elevate program.
Pfeifer has been with Gilman Partners since 2004. In that time, she has served as both an executive search consultant and COO. As COO, she will join Beets in managing the firm’s day-to-day operations and will continue to lead talent searches for organizations across the Midwest. Pfeifer specializes in executive leadership searches as well as those in finance, construction, real estate, and tech.
“The opportunity to lead a remarkable team I respect doing work that impacts so many organizations and individuals across our community is nothing short of a dream,” said Beets. “Since I began working with Tom eight years ago, he’s been generous in sharing his wisdom, insights, and connections. He has ensured Marci and I are together more than ready to carry forward the legacy he’s built and I’m incredibly excited for the future of our organization.”
This story was published in the Cincinnati Business Courier.
