Hanold Associates Recruits CFO for bluebird bio
Hanold Associates HR & Diversity Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of O. James Sterling as the new CFO of gene therapy maker bluebird bio in Somerville, MA. Adam Watson, Maisha Pearson, and Catie Nelson led the search. “James brings a wealth of healthcare experience and capital markets knowledge, which will be instrumental in driving bluebird bio’s commercialization efforts,” said Ms. Nelson. “His impressive track record and strategic insight make him a valuable addition to their team. Getting to know James has been a pleasure. We’re confident he will continue to drive meaningful results in the years ahead, and we look forward to watching the company’s continued growth.”
Mr. Sterling is a senior executive with expertise in corporate finance, M&A and debt and equity financing. Most recently, he led IPO financial aspects as CFO of Renalytix in the U.S. and the U.K. Mr. Sterling has led successful capital markets transactions for companies in healthcare, aviation & aerospace, technology, manufacturing, and biotechnology. He has served as a trusted advisor / confidante to principals throughout the M&A process and transaction lifecycle. Mr. Sterling’s also has prior investment banking and strategy management consulting background serving Fortune 500 and middle market clients.
As CFO of bluebird bio, Mr. Sterling will report directly to CEO Andrew Obenshain and lead the organization’s finance function. In this role, he will oversee all financial activities for bluebird, building a strategy and function that aligns financial operations directly with business goals.
bluebird bio is a biotech company leading clinical and research programs for sickle cell disease, beta-thalassemia and cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, and it is actively advancing research to apply new technologies to these and other diseases. The company custom designs each of its therapies to address the underlying cause of disease and has developed in-depth and effective analytical methods to understand the safety of its lentiviral vector technologies and drive the field of gene therapy forward.
Hanold Associates is a boutique executive search firm focused on HR and diversity and inclusion officers. Its client list is diverse across industries, geographies, and business scenarios, and culture is at the core of everything the firm does.
Finding Senior Leaders
Hanold’s clients include the National Football League, Zoom, Domino’s Pizza, Under Armour, Gucci, Tom Brady’s TB12, Kohler, REI, Live Nation Entertainment, Dick’s Sporting Goods, McDonald’s, Major League Baseball, Kellogg, Apollo, Big Ten Conference, Blackstone, TPG, L Catterton, Northwestern University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Electronic Arts, Fiat-Chrysler, SC Johnson, eBay, Moderna, Hillrom, Great Place To Work, Fossil, Vail Resorts, AbbVie, Carnival Corp., Biogen, Allstate, Bridgestone, Wikimedia, ClubCorp, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Ford Motor Co., among others.
Mr. Watson is a partner with Hanold Associates where he focuses on recruiting top HR leadership talent for organizations. In addition to his executive search experience at Hanold Associates, he brings more than a decade of marketing and communications experience across multiple high-growth technology companies, including three unicorns based in the Silicon Slopes of Utah. Prior to Hanold Associates, Mr. Watson served as both director of communications and HR business partner for InMoment, a B2B technology company in the customer and employee experience space.
Ms. Pearson is a partner with Hanold Associates where she focuses on recruiting HR and diversity executives across industries. She has specialized in building consumer brands across a multitude of industries, targeting both general and multicultural audiences and stakeholders. Ms. Pearson has over 20 years’ experience partnering with globally renowned companies within QSR, hospitality, pharmaceutical/medical devices, lifestyle, automotive, retail, beauty, utilities and non-profits. She has represented such brands as Procter & Gamble, McDonald’s USA, Marriott, American Airlines, BF Goodrich Tires, Mazda, Disney, Zimmer, Lilly, Armani, Dylan’s Candy Bar, ComEd and Feeding America. Prior to joining Hanold Associates, Ms. Pearson was chief client officer at Havas, Chicago.
Ms. Nelson is an associate with Hanold Associates where she focuses on recruiting chief people officers, talent, HR and diversity, equity and inclusion leaders and their respective teams across industries. Prior to joining Hanold Associates, she worked as an investment banking analyst in the cross markets group at Goldman Sachs in Chicago where she focused on M&A advisory work.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
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