Leadership

 

Kate Ward

FOUNDER & CEO, Head of Client Partnership
 

Kate started her Boston-based firm in 2020 after 20 years working with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to fill their most business-critical positions. Her specialty is recruiting physicians, and over the past 10 years she has successfully completed 400+ searches ranging from Chief Medical Officer to entry-level physicians moving from academia. Over 75% of these searches were with repeat clients.

Previously, Kate was SVP, Client Management with The Higgins Group, Inc., a specialty executive search firm for the life sciences. During her tenure with The Higgins Group she gained experience across all aspects of executive search as research manager, senior search consultant, and client manager. After working with her once, clients requested Kate for their future searches.

Kate formed her own company through a desire to truly partner with her clients and provide her own distinctive service: expert counsel combined with authenticity, transparency, and a sense of urgency that builds trust and delivers results.

Karl Tradewell

SVP, Head of Candidate Development
 

Karl has successfully recruited high-profile executives across the life sciences industry for over 15 years. His track record is the result of building strong relationships on both sides of the search: with candidates, through perceptive consulting, and with clients, through strategic listening, insightful counsel, and consistent communications.

Prior to joining Ward Search Group, he was VP, Search Consultant for The Higgins Group, Inc., where he partnered with clients ranging from Top-10 pharmaceutical companies to biotech start-ups to fill their high-impact R&D leadership roles. During his tenure there, he filled positions ranging from C-level to Director level, 80% of which focused on physician searches across numerous functional and therapeutic areas.

Previously Karl was Team Lead, Senior Client Director for Sharpstream Life Sciences, a retained executive search firm, where he directed the delivery of all biotech search projects in North America.