Blackwood hires Armstrong responds to departures
Harry Chetwood, who worked for two years in corporate finance and asset management for rival search firm Richmond & Co has been taken on board, along with John Goodall from Michelangelo Associates, who is to build an equity research business.
Susie Cummings, Blackwood's founder, set up a London operation for the US boutique headhunter Highland Search in 1999 before seeing it absorbed into the empire of global search firm TMP Worldwide. She then chose to go it alone, renaming Highland's London office as Blackwood.
Amanda Smithson joined her from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter last year as an equal partner with a background in mergers and acquisitions in London and New York.
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Meanwhile Armstrong International, the niche financial services search firm that has just lost two of its partners to much larger rival Heidrick & Struggles, has responded to their departures.
Rachael Hannon, one of the four remaining partners, says, "It is a shame we have lost Darryl Adachi and Sonamara Jeffreys. But there remains a very strong partnership here."
Armstrong says it has hired a number of people recently. In New York, Amy Molinaro has joined for investment banking research and Lisa Herman for equity research. They will work alongside Lisa Masone who covers HR and corporate finance.
In London, Ghada Sousou has come on board at Armstrong International from Wafra Asset Management to do private equity consulting, Niall O'Rourke from Merrill Lynch Asset Management to do private equity research, and Alice Stundl from global search firm Korn/Ferry International to do German research for corporate finance searches.
