Executive Search
We find the ideal leadership fit for your vision, your team, and your path forward.
Our knowledge of the field, curated network of professionals, and collaborative approach set us apart from other firms when it comes to recruiting and vetting top candidates. We have the expertise to seek out not only the most qualified leader, but the one who will best succeed within your organizational culture and community.
Since founding the Executive Search branch of our business over a decade ago, we’ve demonstrated an unmatched placement success rate. Here’s why:
Our industry expertise:
As leading consultants for zoos and aquariums, conservation organizations, and nature and science-based cultural institutions, our breadth of unique knowledge of these fields is unrivaled by other search firms. Our team has deep insights into organizational operations that give us an edge in how we tailor our searches and seek talented candidates who will be best positioned for success. Our long tenure in the profession also gives us valuable data and insights to create the right job profile, as well as recommendations on structural or compensation adjustments.
Our personal network:
We’ve built our business on relationships that endure for years. We are an agile team with extensive reach: We’ve worked with more than 150 nonprofit organizations across the country and steadily grown a database of more than 5,000 diverse professionals who are passionate about community-building, conservation, and culture. We are also active leaders in global industry associations that cover the spectrum of nonprofit organizations, including the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), and the American Public Gardens Association (APGA).
Our high-touch, collaborative approach:
With each phase of our search process, we ensure we understand your culture. We ask the right questions to find the best people. We prioritize transparency and open communication with your team and stakeholders, while carefully managing confidentiality and working in step to secure top candidates who have the ideal set of experience, skills, and values to lead your organization forward.
Our innovative tools:
In tandem with our personal networking approach, we use AI, pre-hire behavioral assessment tools, and a proprietary online executive search platform. This cloud-based system guarantees that our pool encompasses the best matches and allows your team to easily and confidentially view up-to-date information throughout the search, further solidifying our commitment to seamless communication with our clients.
Our team has been identifying and securing top talent in the field for over ten years.
In the past four years, we have completed more than two dozen executive searches for Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President, Vice President, and Director positions at nonprofit organizations across the country.
DAVID WALSHPresident & Chief Advisor David Walsh has spent his career connecting organizations with the people and ideas to help them grow. David founded Canopy Strategic Partners to help cultural attractions, zoos, museums, and botanical gardens find the intersection between mission and margin. He has devoted the past two decades to finding, advising, and working with the top leaders in the profession. He has engaged with more than 150 cultural attractions to advance their missions, increase their impact, and support leadership growth. He has personally led over two dozen searches for a wide range of leaders including CEOs, Directors, and VPs, and knows the cultural landscape extremely well. Read David’s full bio here.
LORI PERKINS
Vice President Lori Perkins leads candidate identification and screening, based on her experience in C-suite roles within the profession. Lori has worked in nearly every job you can have at a zoo during her more than three-decade career in wildlife conservation and management. She was drawn to Canopy by the opportunity to help zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and cultural attractions embrace a broader perspective on their work. Lori now guides clients in leadership and search work, drawing on her thorough understanding of operational management and workforce leadership to help them find the best candidates and reach their goals. She helps clients with workforce optimization — including culture assessment and development, as well as organizational assessment — and with accreditation, animal welfare, and education strategies. Read Lori’s full bio here.
These are the guiding principles that drive our commitment to upholding and promoting the dimensions and intersections of diversity in leadership. The leadership landscape for cultural and conservation institutions is rapidly evolving, and we are committed to being at the forefront of change. We conduct all our search work with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in mind, working to ensure that our field continues to progress and thrive over time.
We have several programs and initiatives that we are proud to champion and support, all of which contribute to an ongoing expansion of our network and candidate pool.
- Our research on leadership barriers and opportunities for women and people of color in Zoos & Aquariums
- Our quarterly webinar series, The Understory
- Annual sponsorship of the Advancing Minority Leadership in Aquariums & Zoos Program
- 2025 sponsorship of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Ted A. Beattie Executive Leadership Development Program
- Development and active stewardship of an Emerging Leaders Network
Ready to kick off a search? Send us a message and we’ll get started.
