UNC-system leaders want a robust pool of well-known candidates from every walk of life to vie for retiring President Erskine Bowles’ seat, and they want a consultant who can deliver that.
During eight hours of meetings Thursday, the selection/screening committee of the system’s presidential search interviewed five different search consulting firms about what they could bring to the process.
The committee — which discussed the consultants in closed session after the interviews — will not announce a selection until a contract has been finalized.
The consulting firms under consideration
Korn/Ferry International: An international search firm that works with executive searches in multiple fields with a branch in higher education. If hired by the search committee, the company’s point person would be Stephen Trachtenberg, a former university president with 19 years of administrative experience.
Heidrick & Struggles: A top leadership consulting firm that spans sectors. Ellen Brown, the consultant who would work with the search committee, has conducted numerous higher education searches.
Academic Search: A firm that focuses exclusively on higher education searches. Robert Lawless, the consultant who would work most closely with the search committee, has served as president of multiple public universities.
R. William Funk & Associates: A leading educational leadership consulting firm that focuses exclusively on university searches. Bill Funk, the company’s head and representative, helped UNC-Chapel Hill select Chancellor Holden Thorp and was hired to help with this year’s provost search.
Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates: A higher educational executive search firm. Shelly Storbeck, who would be the main consultant from the company, helped the UNC system select Molly Broad as president in 1997.
