Executive Search

70%

of a companies business results stem from its leaders

Find your next leader.

Our Retained Executive Search Practice is the premier partner for navigating complex Life Sciences and Healthcare executive searches. With hands-on engagement from our CEO & Founder and our Managing Director of Executive Search, we provide personalized, high-level support. Our team combines deep industry expertise with a proven methodology that accelerates time-to-hire, ensuring efficiency and precision. Through a rigorous search intake process and a keen understanding of your company’s culture and leadership dynamics, we deliver top-tier talent for your most critical and strategic leadership roles.

Why KSG?

Kester Search Group

Your Partner For Executive Excellence

Michael Butler LinkedIn

Managing Director of Executive Search

Lee Kester LinkedIn

CEO & Founder

Led by industry veterans Lee Kester and Michael Butler, Kester Search Group specializes in high-stakes executive search. Our team has a proven track record of delivering top-tier talent to both emerging startups and Fortune 500 corporations.

Michael Butler is a seasoned executive recruiter with over two decades of experience in the life sciences industry. His ability to identify leaders who not only possess the necessary skills but also align with your company culture is unparalleled.

Lee Kester brings a wealth of experience in partnering with venture-backed companies and established enterprises. His deep understanding of the market and his role as a VentureSouth investor provide unique insights into the evolving landscape of healthcare and technology.

By leveraging our combined expertise, we execute critical searches with precision and efficiency. Our goal is to find the ideal candidates who will drive your business forward.

Recent Placements

GENERAL MANAGER
Oral Surgery Business Unit

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Startup, Neurology Company

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
PE-Backed Dental Group

GENERAL MANAGER
Point-of-Care Business Unit

GENERAL MANAGER
Consumer Diagnostic Testing Division

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Dental Group Roll-Up (DSO)

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Medical Waste Disposal Company

GENERAL MANAGER
Neurology Business Unit

CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER
Healthcare Cyber Security Firm

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Advanced Manufacturing - Medical

The KSG Difference

The KSG Difference

  • Industry Expertise
  • White Glove Service From Our Leadership Team
  • Thorough Search Intake Process
  • Emotional Intelligence Screening & Assessments
  • Continuous Collaboration & Communication
  • Reduced Time To Hire
LinkedIn EQi 2.0
We strongly believe in the link between Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and effective leadership. To ensure you hire the best talent, we evaluate all finalist candidates using the EQi 2.0 Leadership Report. This comprehensive assessment scores candidates across 20 key leadership competencies, providing your team with the critical insights needed to make informed and impactful hiring decisions.

What Others Say

  • Richard Schwabacher, SVP of Healthcare Products at Inmar Intelligence

    “Our leadership team was quite impressed with their ability to run an effective and efficient recruiting and interviewing process from the discovery phase all the way through the successful hire of two different General Managers. I would definitely recommend Lee Kester as well as this boutique search firm if you are in need of a collaborative recruiting business partner to be of assistance within the Diagnostics, Digital Health, or Medical Device industries.”

    - Richard Schwabacher, SVP of Healthcare Products at Inmar Intelligence
  • Mike Gergen,  CEO, Evident Alliance & former CEO of Seattle Study Club

    “Michael delivers on critical hires. He does an extensive job screening qualified candidates for senior level and commercial leadership opportunities. His deep industry knowledge, experience, and contacts allow him to present quality candidates in a short timeframe that exceed your expectations. Michael and Kester Search Group recruit talent that makes a difference in your organization.”

    - Mike Gergen, CEO, Evident Alliance & former CEO of Seattle Study Club
  • Ellen Beausang,President/Chief Commercial Officer BioReference Laboratories

    “I have known Michael for over 10 years working with him both personally in my job search and professionally as I was looking for strong candidates. In both areas, I have been nothing but impressed with Michael, his team and his organizations. I am currently working with Michael and the Kester Search Group in making critical hires on my team. They are by far the most diligent recruiting firm I have partnered with and are experts in the areas of diagnostics and oncology. Knowing Michael for 10 years, he has become a trusted advisor that always gets the job done. I highly recommend Michael and the Kester Search Group to anyone looking for a strategic recruiting partner.”

    - Ellen Beausang,President/Chief Commercial Officer BioReference Laboratories
  • Samuel Drake, CEO at Accora

    “As the CEO of Accora, I recently hired Kester Search Group as our recruiting business partner to run a retained search for a Sr. Director role for our business in the U.S. I found their consultative and collaborative approach to be quite effective both with my leadership team as well as the candidate pool. Through their extensive network of Sr. Leaders in the states and their recruiting expertise, they were able to successfully place this role. I would highly recommend Kester Search Group to Board Members as well as C-Suite executives who are seeking an executive search firm with which to partner.”

    - Samuel Drake, CEO at Accora

Connect With Confidence.

We guarantee to pour our resources into finding top-notch talent for you, bringing depth, determination and dedication to each and every recruiting project.

Contact Us