Kincannon & Reed Executive Search Announces Management Changes
Kelly Kincannon, founder of Kincannon & Reed Ltd., is pleased to announce the following planned management transition designed to expand the executive search firm's management capability and enable continued global growth. Kincannon & Reed has served clients in its chosen sectors of food, agribusiness, and life sciences since 1981.
Kelly Kincannon has been elevated to Chairman of the Board where he will focus on overall growth of the firm. Gregory J. Duerksen has been named President. Michael L. Cooper and Dr. Karl-Peter Schlichting are now Managing Partners.
Mr. Duerksen joined Kincannon & Reed in 2001 after leading turnarounds in a Latin American fertilizer company and a Mexican Pepsi Cola® bottler. Previously he was an officer of Terra Industries and a recruiter with McKinsey & Company. Mr. Duerksen received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and served as an Associates Fellow in its Agribusiness Program.
Mr. Cooper served in top positions with Meyer Foods, Perdue Farms, Rocco Enterprises, and The Dial Corporation before joining Kincannon & Reed in 2004. A graduate of Arizona State University, Mr. Cooper holds a B.S. degree in marketing and an MBA in Finance.
Dr. Schlichting, with Kincannon & Reed since early 2005, is based in Frankfurt, Germany. He has held top management positions at Hoechst AG, AgrEvo, Aventis CropScience, and CropDesign. He received his PhD in agricultural sciences from the University of Kiel.
Mr. Duerksen noted, "This is an exciting time for any organization linked to the land, food, or life sciences. Kincannon & Reed is investing to expand our global search capabilities to better serve organizations that feed the people of world and keep them healthy. Our team of experienced senior executives is passionate about these industries and about recruiting impact players – leaders with judgment who get results."
Mr. Kincannon commented, "These management changes are part of the natural succession plan for our firm. I am confident that Messrs. Duerksen, Cooper, and Schlichting will use the foundation in place to propel Kincannon & Reed to further growth and new levels of client service."
Kincannon & Reed is the leading retained executive search firm in the food, agribusiness and life sciences sectors. The firm is based in the greater Washington, D.C. area with offices in Brussels, Des Moines, Frankfurt, London, Phoenix, and San Francisco.
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- Human resources director for a major crop input company
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- VP of HR for multi-billion dollar, family-owned grain company
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- Former CEO of major agribusiness organization
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- CEO of animal genetics and technology firm