Martha Heller is a widely followed thought leader on technology leadership talent and is currently CEO of Heller Search, a premier executive search firm specializing in technology executive search.
Over the course of her accomplished career, Martha has become an authoritative voice in executive search. She has recruited hundreds of CIOs, CTOs, architects, and other senior technology positions, and become a trusted advisor to executives around the country.
Martha has been a contributor to CIO.com, a leading digital news outlet for technology professionals, for more than two decades. She was founder of the CIO Executive Council, a professional organization for Global 1000 Chief Information Officers. She is the author of two books: The CIO Paradox: Battling the Contradictions of IT Leadership and Be the Business: CIOs in the New Era of IT. Her e-newsletter, The Heller Report, has become a must-read for the industry.
Prior to founding Heller Search, Martha led the IT Leadership practice at ZRG Partners, a global executive search firm. She received a BA in English from Hamilton College and an MA in English from SUNY Stony Brook. She is currently based in the Boston area.
Kelly Doyle has over 20 years of industry experience that includes both executive search and talent acquisition with a focus in technology.
Since joining Heller Search in 2017, Kelly has led numerous searches for CIOs, CISOs, as well as infrastructure and application development leaders for a variety of clients in manufacturing, biotech, retail, and more. She is passionate about talent advisement, delivering superior client value, providing a positive candidate experience, and building lasting professional relationships with clients and candidates.
Publications:
How to Write a CISO Job Description
8 Steps to a New IT Leadership Job
Previously, Kelly spent 10 years at Nuance Communications, a global technology company, hiring executives across the healthcare, mobile, enterprise and document imaging divisions, as well as all corporate functions.
Prior to Nuance, Kelly worked at Pathways Personnel, a San Francisco recruiting firm, where she was responsible for talent recruitment, business development, and client relationship management.
Kelly received a B.A. in English from Clark University. She is a member of Women in Technology International (WITI), an organization dedicated to the advancement of women in business and technology.
Charley Betzig is a solution-oriented, consultative recruiter who builds trust through responsiveness and dedication. Most recently, Charley has led searches for CIOs, CTOs, and heads of application development and IT security for Heller Search client organizations.
Charley has spent his entire career in executive search, and he is passionate about building productive, long term relationships with clients and candidates alike. He joined Heller Search Associates from the search firm Gatti and Associates, where he most recently served as Practice Leader for the Detroit region. Earlier, Charley helped to establish the firm’s Chicago office.
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Before Gatti, Charley co-founded JGA Partners, a boutique search firm. He started his career at DHR International, a top 10 global executive search firm, managing client searches as well as internal talent acquisition assignments.
Charley earned a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan. He is a member of the Detroit chapter of the Society for Information Management (SIM).
Judie Norkaitis is a Managing Director at Heller Search. She is responsible for driving C-Suite technology executive searches for growth and private equity-backed portfolio companies. Her focus encompasses a range of industries, including technology, tech-enabled services, industrial manufacturing, business services, consumer, and energy.
She brings 20+ years of experience in executive search, most recently with Renovata & Company. At Renovata & Company she partnered with boards, c-suite and heads of talent to drive all aspects of the search process for leadership roles and team buildouts across various sectors worldwide. Prior to that, with her own firm, she partnered with heads of talent in both private and public organizations. She began her career in search as a research associate for Heidrick & Struggles in Chicago.
Early career, Judie traveled to the former Soviet Union with the International Monetary Fund in a research and support capacity.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minor in international business from Governors State University, and certification in Private Equity from Wharton Online and Wall Street Prep, and a certificate in Organizational Leadership from Harvard Business Online.
As Senior Principal, Brittany Jeeves is responsible for candidate outreach and development, and securing a high quality slate of candidates on client executive search projects. She also partners with the Managing Director to develop search strategy and manage robust communications with clients and candidates.
Brittany joined Heller Search in 2017 as an Associate and since then has been promoted twice based on her professionalism and efficiency, and the results she produces. She has been a key team member on a multitude of high-profile technology leadership searches.
Brittany came to Heller Search with an extensive background in technology recruiting. She held the position of Recruiting Coordinator at Rocket Software, an infrastructure software company. Prior to Rocket, she was a Recruiting Coordinator with Pegasystems, a business process management software firm.
Brittany graduated from Lasell College in Auburndale, MA with a BA in Legal Studies. She lives with her husband and their daughter in New Hampshire.
Jason Henninger has been in the technology recruiting profession for over 15 years, providing consultative talent solutions to client organizations across multiple industries. The results Jason delivers for his clients are due to his ability to build long-term relationships, his deep knowledge of technology, and his vast network of candidates.
Before joining Heller Search, Jason worked for many years at Infinity Consulting Solutions, a technology recruiting firm. As Account Manager and later as Regional Director, he was instrumental in growing ICS from 15 employees and two offices to over 150 employees and 10 offices across the U.S., all while building and serving his client list.
Jason holds a Bachelor's degree in Sales and Advertising from The University of Northern Iowa.
Sara Cook has nearly 20 years of recruiting experience, excelling in both contract and direct hire placements, with an emphasis on IT and digital.
Sara heads up our new technology staffing division, Heller Technology Staffing. The practice places IT professionals, on a direct hire basis, at the management and individual contributor levels, with particular focus in the areas of infrastructure, technical support, security, data, and project management.
Prior to joining Heller Search in 2023, Sara was with firstPRO for nearly 14 years. Her deep experience in both contract recruiting and direct hire placement led Sara to be part of the team selected to spearhead the opening of the IT division in Boston, relocating from the firstPRO office in Atlanta.
Previously, Sara was employed by Thompson Technologies as an account executive and by The Bolton Group as a financial recruiter. She is a past board member for HDI Atlanta and HDI New England.
Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Management from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Carol Lynn is one of the industry’s most experienced and knowledgeable IT executive recruiters and is a founding member of Heller Search Associates. Carol Lynn has recruited an amazing range of CIOs, CTOs and tough-to-find architects for companies in a wide array of industries. In addition to her own impressive search engagements, Carol Lynn directs Heller Search’s team of executive recruiters.
Publications:
Digital Transformation Teams in 2021: 9 key roles
CIO Role: 8 ways the pandemic has changed it forever
Prior to joining Heller Search, Carol Lynn was Director of Recruiting for the IT Leadership Practice at ZRG Partners where she honed her technology recruiting skills and led a team of IT recruiters. Previously, Carol Lynn was a director at Prestonwood Associates where she led national searches for Fortune 500 organizations.
Prior to joining Prestonwood in 2000, Carol Lynn worked for Goodwin Procter LLP, a large, national law firm based in Boston. She held management roles within the human resources and litigation departments.
Carol Lynn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Boston College. She has previously served on the board of directors for a non-profit community service organization, and she is an active member in the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA).
Leveraging her 20+ years of executive recruiting experience, Pamela Kurko consistently delivers quality candidates that exceed our clients’ expectations. Resourceful, efficient, and a natural builder of trust, Pam is exceptionally adept at candidate recruitment and development.
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Prior to joining Heller Search, Pam worked as an executive recruiter for Prestonwood Associates, The Derby Group, Resource Options, Daley & Associates and Xavier Associates (a Gatti & Associates company). Prior to executive search, Pam was a vocational rehabilitation counselor with the State of New Hampshire for seven years.
Pam earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling, with honors, from Assumption College in Worcester, MA.
Kerri Westberg leverages her relationship building and recruiting skills to find and develop the highest caliber IT talent for clients of Heller Search, and deliver an excellent candidate experience.
Kerri has over ten years of executive search and HR experience in corporate, agency, and nonprofit settings. Prior to joining Heller Search, Kerri was a Recruiter at Exponent, a scientific and engineering consulting firm. There, she recruited engineers and Ph.D.-level scientists for highly technical positions. Prior to Exponent, Kerri was an Executive Search Associate at Gatti, an executive search firm, where she collaborated with clients to fill critical HR leadership roles. She has also held various positions in nonprofit organizations, including Cradles to Crayons, where she was an HR Business Partner.
Kerri earned a BA in Sociology and International Studies from Northwestern University, and a Master’s degree in Social Policy from the University of Oxford.
Meredith Torrisi applies her combined experience in executive search, sales, and business development to effectively research candidates, build trusting relationships, and place the most qualified professionals at client organizations.
Meredith began her executive search career at Stanton Chase in Boston as a Research Associate, and was quickly promoted to Director, executing senior-level searches in the financial services sector. Eager to learn more about business development, she transitioned her career and held sales positions at cyber security company, Carbon Black, and early-stage tech startup HourWork. She also served as Corporate Development & Partnerships Manager at MassChallenge, a non-profit startup accelerator empowering innovators and entrepreneurs.
Meredith earned a BA degree in Political Science from University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Timothy Hobson has over 10 years of experience in both retained and in-house executive search. As a Principal at Heller Search, he leads candidate identification, engagement and development, and is focused on delivering a high-quality and efficient search experience to our clients and candidates.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Tim was an Executive Recruiter in the technology and consulting practice at Sheffield Haworth, a global talent advisory firm. In this role, he recruited executive level talent for PE-backed SaaS companies and large consulting organizations, with a specific focus on data, AI, engineering, and IT leadership. Earlier in his career, Tim spent three years driving global leadership recruitment as a member of the internal executive search team at Pegasystems, a low-code software development platform provider. He began his career in search as a project manager at Russell Reynolds Associates.
Tim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA.
Morgan is an experienced executive search professional with deep recruiting expertise across functions and multiple verticals. As a Principal at Heller Search, Morgan focuses on building relationships with senior technology professionals and cultivating a seamless hiring process for clients and candidates.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Morgan was a Director at Allegis Partners, an executive search firm focused on identifying top talent across the C-Suite and Board of Directors. Earlier in her career, she worked as an Executive Search Consultant at LaSalle Network and got her start in executive recruiting as an Associate at GattiHR.
Morgan earned a BA in English from the University of Michigan and was a student-athlete on the field hockey team.
Natalie Ingram has been successfully recruiting senior technology executives for more than two decades. Over that time, she has built a vast and deep network of professionals spanning a wide variety of industries, coast to coast. Natalie is a proven expert at identifying material impact IT executives at the C, VP and Director level for Fortune 500 and mid-size companies, as well as P/E-backed start-ups.
From first call to project completion, Natalie combines her matchmaking skills with a deep passion for her work. Other keys to her success as an IT executive recruiter are her efficient, methodical approach, and the trusted partnership she forms with every client.
Prior to Heller Search, Natalie was a Partner at technology search firm Daversa Partners for 20 years.
Natalie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY.
Peter Ferrelli has nearly 10 years of technical recruiting experience in both the contingent and corporate spaces. As a Principal at Heller Search, he leads candidate identification, engagement, and development, and focuses on delivering a high-quality and efficient search experience to clients and candidates.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Peter was a Senior Technical Recruiter specializing in software engineering with Indeed.com, the world’s largest job site. In this role, he recruited senior level talent for Indeed’s Job Seeker business unit with a focus in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Earlier in his career, Peter spent three years driving technical recruitment as a senior member of the contingent search team with Fidelity Investments, in the financial services/financial technology space. He began his career in search as a recruiter and account manager for TEKsystems, a large IT staffing and service firm.
Peter earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Worcester State University in Worcester, MA.
Highly organized, intellectually curious, and a strong communicator, Gianna Kane brings an ideal blend of skills to the Senior Associate position at Heller Search. On client engagements, Gianna is responsible for conducting research into the talent market and targeted organizations, developing candidates, and supporting Managing Directors and Principals in search operations.
Gianna has been working in human resources and retained executive search for most of her career. She joined Heller Search from Charles Sterling Group, an executive search firm. Earlier, she was an HR Manager at Legendary Applied Analytics, and a Recruiting Associate at Ridgeway Partners, an executive search firm.
Gianna is active in her community and a proud sponsor of Mustard Seed Communities, a non-profit organization supporting children of the Caribbean islands. She received a B.S. in Media Studies from The Catholic University of America and is a SHRM Certified Professional.
Through her diverse career in human resources and recruitment, Brittany Knight has gained valuable experience delivering superior client service and helping teams implement change. As Associate at Heller Search, Brittany utilizes these skills to analyze the industry and the talent market, streamline communications and logistics, and ensure a high quality experience for our clients and candidates.
Prior to Heller Search, Brittany was an HR Business Partner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she worked closely with faculty and staff to integrate people strategies and operational goals into the research organization. Earlier, she held HR positions with IPG Photonics and The TJX Companies, where her duties included recruiting engineers (software, mechanical, chemical, and industrial), and operations and supply chain supervisors. At TJX she was also responsible for the integration of a newly-launched internship program.
Brittany graduated from Worcester State University with a BA in English Literature and a Minor in Philosophy and Law.
Meagan McEachern provides critical support to candidates and the executive recruiting team, and ensures that our clients receive the highest levels of attention and service. She is responsible for conducting industry and talent market research, editing candidate profiles and position descriptions, and coordinating phone screen and interview schedules.
Meagan joined Heller Search with a background in human resources. Previously, she held the position of Human Resources Representative at Dell EMC, where she handled HR-related queries for all employees throughout the United States and Canada. Meagan graduated from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA with a BA in Human Development and a minor in Interpersonal Communication.
Beth Martins is passionate about the mutual fulfilment and growth potential that results from finding a perfect fit between an individual and an organization. As an Associate at Heller Search, she utilizes her organizational, communications, and research skills to keep executive search projects running smoothly for our clients.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Beth was the Practice Manager at Milestones Psychology, where she built tight-knit, resilient, high performing teams. She was also responsible for hiring and on-boarding new employees, event planning, and she spearheaded Milestones’ DEI initiative.
Beth earned a B.S. degree in Psychology from Endicott College,.
Aanchal Bhushan has 7+ years of HR experience and is enthusiastic about technical recruiting and building relationships. Her diverse experience spans various industries, such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, and technology. As an Associate at Heller Search, Aanchal applies her organizational and relationship-building skills to assess the talent market, provide research, and streamline logistics to create a top-tier experience for our clients and candidates.
Prior to joining Heller Search in 2023, Aanchal was with Brilliant Staffing for more than two years, where she recruited for contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire roles in technology. Additionally, she represented the staffing agency at various networking events, as well as volunteered to conduct technology bootcamp workshops to help underserved communities seek out new job opportunities and prepare for interviews.
Aanchal graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical Management with a concentration in Health Services Management. She also holds an MS in Human Resources from DePaul University.
Deborah Crothers is an accomplished executive search professional with over 25 years of experience. She leads the research function for Heller Search, which is essential to creating the best possible outcomes for our clients on all recruiting projects.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Deborah was a Senior Research Associate at ZRG Partners, a global search firm, where she was responsible for creating research strategies on high profile searches across multiple industries, including technology, consumer products, life sciences, healthcare, and manufacturing. Earlier, she served on the in-house executive search teams for both NBCUniversal and Ross Stores. She also spent 13 years at Korn Ferry, a global executive search firm.
Deborah earned a BS degree in Corporate Training and Development, magna cum laude, and an MS in Human Resources Education from Fordham University in New York.
Debra Jerome is an expert at designing talent attraction and employee development programs to support organizational growth. She has nearly 20 years of human resources and operations expertise, primarily at executive search and professional services organizations.
Prior to joining Heller Search, Deb was Senior Organizational Change Manager at Univar Solutions, a global chemical manufacturing company. Before Univar Solutions, she was Chief Human Resources Officer at Witt/Kieffer, an executive search firm, where her many accomplishments included the design, development, and launch of Witt/Kieffer University.
Deb is a Prosci certified change practitioner, and she completed the AESC Advanced Program for Executive Search Consulting held at Cornell University's School of Industrial & Labor Relations.
Deb earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Michigan State University (and she remains an avid Michigan State sports fan!) She has a second degree black belt in karate and also enjoys yoga, running, golfing, and strength classes.
As HR & Operations Manager, Lauren O’Connor ensures the smooth running of the firm. In addition to managing HR and benefits administration for the firm, she oversees vendor and office management, policy and procedure implementation, accounts receivable, and professional development.
Before joining Heller Search, Lauren worked at EMC where she provided operational support to a high performing channel sales team. Her earlier career experience includes several years as a freelance writer in marketing and public relations, and fifteen years in the financial services industry in a variety of marketing and administrative roles.
Lauren graduated with honors from Assumption College in Worcester, MA, where she received the President’s Convocation Honor Award for Excellence in Spanish. She is a Society for Human Resource Management-Certified Professional.
Kelly Sutherland is extremely detail oriented and resourceful, skills that are critical to success in her role as Executive Assistant to Martha Heller, CEO of Heller Search. Kelly has had an impressive career as an administrator and support professional.
Before joining Heller Search, Kelly worked at University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School as executive assistant to the Vice Provost for Strategic Research Initiatives. She also had administrative responsibilities at the Cancer Center. Prior to UMass Chan, Kelly skillfully supported the President at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass. and, in addition, held the position of Assistant Clerk to the Olin College Board of Trustees. Earlier, she was Executive Assistant to the EVP and Chief Financial Officer at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass.
Kelly studied Business at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Mass., and has spent many years volunteering for youth sports organizations, the service organization Dress for Success, as well as the Hanover Theater.