We diagnose.
We map the thesis, the team and the sponsor before we write the brief.
Partner‑led. Every search.
Averan has worked with hundreds of PE-owned companies and their executives. We take the time to understand your strategic goals, read the dynamics of the senior team, and pressure-test what the role actually needs. We stay close throughout the search — adjusting the strategy, repositioning the role, and doing the work to get it closed.
Averan (AV-er-an)
The first syllable sounds like the start of avenue.
“One of the most seamless search partners I’ve worked with in my many years.”Susan Shin · CHRO, Pella
Our ethos.
We’re direct.
You get our read, not a hedge.
We’re accountable.
We measure ourselves on whether the hire is effective.
We’re relentless.
Persistence through a hard market is the job.
We’re invested.
We treat the outcome as ours.
We’re transparent.
Visible deliverables at every stage.
The team
Averan (AV-er-an)
The first syllable sounds like the start of avenue.
Scott Engler
Founder & CEO
Founder of Averan. Over seventeen years advising C-suite leaders, including leading the middle-market CFO and CHRO practices at CEB and Gartner, where he worked with more than 2,000 companies. Growth VP for TalentNeuron, Gartner’s labor-market analytics business, and C-level search at True Search. Architect of Sync-Align. Vistage Chair, Charleston SC, and host of Business Week TV.
LinkedIn →
Howard Glenn
Managing Partner
Over a decade in executive search and talent advisory. Built the Talent group at New Capital Partners, a top-quartile private equity firm, recruiting C-suite and VP-level executives across the portfolio. Co-founder of a software startup that assessed hires and measured cultural values at scale.
LinkedIn →
Sallie Van Tassel
Principal
Twenty years advising Fortune 500 leaders across strategy, operations and talent. Senior roles at CB Insights, Gartner and CEB. Placed CEOs and board members at Heidrick & Struggles.
LinkedIn →Practice partners
HR & people partners.
Who we bring in when an engagement needs HR and organizational design depth.
Traci Bakke
Practice partner · HR
PE HR executive. Has led workforce strategy, restructured organizations for scale, and aligned talent plans to the investment thesis across multiple PE-backed companies.
LinkedIn →Elissa Mahendra
Practice partner · Talent
Twenty years across PE, founder-led and global public companies. Has led people strategy through M&A, ownership transitions, CEO succession and IPO readiness.
Advisors & faculty
Faculty & advisors.
Tim Dunn
Roxi Wen
Joe Freda
L. David Kingsley
Colleen McKeown
Chad Bennett
David Hanrahan
Janette Jankowski
Chatelle Lynch
Bill Farbach
Michael Shwindle
Carol Lee
Scott Rosenberg
Dan Graham
Traci Bakke