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Abby Adlerman ’82 has been appointed area manager and head of operations for Russell Reynolds Associates’ San Francisco office.
“It’s certainly flattering that an executive search firm of Russell Reynolds’ stature would want me to run the area for them,” she says. “It’s also a really exciting time. We’re in the human capital business and the biggest influence in the success of a company is the quality of its people. To serve in a leadership role in an organization that is all about helping companies grow by building their executive teams is a really exciting opportunity.”
Adlerman is responsible for managing executive officer and board-level searches nationally. Her clients tend to come from the greater San Francisco area, Pacific Northwest, and Rocky Mountain regions. She is a managing director at the firm, which specializes in global executive recruiting and assessment.
“The most exciting [aspect of the position] is how much of an impact we can have on our clients. We are selected by executives and boards of directors to be the first course of action to find people who bring the most relevant competencies to a position and are a good fit,” she explains. “It’s an immense amount of responsibility and really exciting to be charged with that level of influence.”
A metallurgical engineering graduate, Adlerman says the discipline and critical thinking she learned at Lafayette transferred well to her career in business.
“Getting an engineering degree at Lafayette gave me self-confidence so that I could take on some big challenges. In addition, Lafayette exposes people to socialization skills. My interest in leadership developed at Lafayette You watch other people and see how they enrich their own experience and it develops guidelines for you. There’s a lot of value that comes out of that,” she says.
She received her master’s in public and private management from Yale University. Adlerman has served as managing director at Perseus Group, an investment banking firm; president and CEO of NextMonet, a multi-channel company selling artwork to consumers and businesses; and managing director, head of consumer practice, and founder and head of private placement practice at Hambrecht & Quist. She is a board member of Wild Planet, Inc., a trustee of Main Horizon School, and has served on boards of other private companies.
Adlerman, her husband, and their two children live in Mill Valley, Calif.