Insights from NU Advisory: Q2 2025

NU Thoughts

In late April, Duolingo shared a bold letter: every team at the company is expected to be AI-first, to fundamentally change how they work. Not just product and engineering. Finance, GTM, HR. No exceptions.

They got it right. And more orgs need to follow suit, starting with putting AI-first operators in every leadership seat.

The companies pulling ahead right now? The ones hiring leaders who get AI, move fast to adapt, and apply the tech across the business. Leaders who aren’t evolving? That’s a liability.

Not adapting fast enough? Your competitors will. And they’ll beat you every time.

At NU, we hold ourselves to the same standard. AI drives how we search and how we operate. Fluency isn’t optional. Not for the leaders we place, and not for the people we hire ourselves.

The future belongs to the AI-fluent. Everyone else will be playing catch-up.

– Nada Usina, CEO & Co-Founder of NU Advisory Partners

NU Clients

We’re proud to share a sampling of our recent executive placements:

• Jody Fournier, President of Baker University
• Angela Lobas, Chief Financial Officer at GTC Towers (Backed by Norwest Venture Partners)
• Chris Bishko, Chief Financial Officer at Mission Lane (Backed by QED Investors)
• Kate Adams, Chief Marketing Officer at GitKraken (Backed by Resurgens Technology Partners)
• Ethan Heftman, Chief Revenue Officer at New Tradition (Backed by Blackstone)
• Erica Galos Alioto, Chief People Officer at Retool (Backed by Sequoia Capital)
• Jennifer Bouyoukos, Chief People Officer at PureFacts (Backed by GrowthCurve Capital)
• Dwight Moxie, Chief Legal Officer at HelloHeart (Backed by Khosla Ventures)
• Paul Caulfield, Chief Compliance Officer at Insigneo (Backed by Bain Capital)
• Nate Wright, Head of Product Management & Design at Flock Freight

Meet Our Latest NUbies

Expanding Our Expertise in Finance & Legal Leadership

Sarah Auten, our newest Associate Partner, specializes in recruiting finance and legal executives for VC- and PE-backed growth companies. A former litigator, she brings an investigative mindset and strong client advocacy to every search. Her work spans fintech, climate tech, sustainability, consumer, and SaaS.

Harry Weiner, our newest Partner, brings over 25 years of executive search experience, advising financial services firms, alternative asset managers, and their portfolio companies. Known for his candor, humor, and sharp market instincts, he’s a trusted thought partner to clients navigating complex hiring decisions.

With over 35 team members across the country from a wide range of backgrounds, we continue to build around industry depth and functional expertise. Learn more here. #AvengersAssemble #300

NU Ideas

Our insights on the latest in talent, trends, and industries.

NU Executive Talent Trends in 2025: Private Equity

After a slow 2024, firms entered 2025 ready to spend. Capital is there, but deployment is tough. Sticky inflation, global uncertainty, tariffs, and high interest rates have changed the game. Airtight execution matters more than ever. Learn what that means for executive talent in 2025. Read the full article here.

7 PE Talent Leaders to Know in 2025

Every PE firm says talent matters. We spotlighted seven people showing what that really looks like. These are the leaders working with deal teams and CEOs at critical moments: during due diligence, when growth stalls, when a key exec steps down, or when a founder is ready to bring in their first experienced CFO. Read the full article here.

How NU Placed a Revenue-Focused Marketing Leader for CoderPad

CoderPad needed a marketing executive who could drive demand gen, build pipeline, and align GTM efforts. This piece breaks down how we approached the search, the trends shaping demand gen leadership, and what growth-stage companies should look for when hiring. Read the full article here.

10+ Investors Driving EdTech in 2025

Who’s behind the rise of the most innovative companies in edtech? We highlighted 10+ influential investors backing bold ideas in early childhood education, K–12, higher ed, and upskilling. Read the full article here.

Complimentary, Customized AI Training for Boards & C-Suite Teams

Most leadership teams are circling AI. They’re reading headlines, testing ChatGPT, maybe spinning up a task force. That’s not enough.

That’s why NU created Practical AI Training, a complimentary, hands-on session led by our COO, Jared Cohen. We cover prompting best practices, a detailed tour of ChatGPT’s features and capabilities, demos of other AI-based tools, and how to adopt AI as an organization. No fluff. No jargon. Just real use cases and practical guidance, tailored to your team.

We’ve presented this session to a long list of leadership teams. The consistent feedback? Clear and immediately usable for day-to-day work.

Sessions range from 1 hour to a half-day, depending on your goals.

Ready to upskill your board or C-suite leadership team? Reach out at NU [at] nusearch [dot] com.

Do you have an executive hiring need? Click here.