Recognizing the need to hire a firm they could implicitly trust with the entire search process, CHOP chose to partner with us - Blue Marble Executive Search - a boutique, niche firm known for our core focus of working with pediatric and academic medical centers. CHOP noted our track record of recruiting leaders for other highly respected organizations and recognized that we offer a level of unmatched personalized attention, flexibility, and the emotional intelligence necessary to attract and recruit the right people for their team.

After interviewing and vetting dozens of candidates, our persistent networking ultimately led us to Shakeeb Akhter, who was doing similar work at another renowned academic medical center. We had already created a thorough yet streamlined and efficient interview process, and we were able to plug Shakeeb into it seamlessly. It was unanimous that Shakeeb was the right person for the job. He was very interested but this would require relocation of his young and growing family to Philadelphia, an unfamiliar market.

We worked hand-in-hand with CHOP’s HR team to navigate relocation and all the challenges that come with it. Ultimately, he was offered and accepted the role. Since his hire, Shakeeb has been recognized as a “transformational leader” and has been promoted from CDAO to Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

This was only the beginning. Blue Marble’s imprint on CHOP is indelible and the partnership continues to thrive. In the three years since we recruited Shakeeb, we have since successfully led the searches for their Chief Quality & Safety Officer, Senior Director of Clinical Analytics, Senior Director of Revenue Cycle Analytics, and their new Chief Data & Analytics Officer.