Ben is a Senior Director at BarkerGilmore and a strategic executive search partner to leadership teams nationwide, working with organizations to identify and recruit senior legal and compliance leaders. His approach to search is shaped by a career spent practicing law, building and operating a growing business, and leading teams in the U.S. Navy. These experiences give Ben a practical perspective on what organizations need from their legal executives and the qualities that distinguish effective leaders.

Ben believes exceptional legal executives must bring more to an organization than technical legal expertise. They must understand the business, exercise sound judgment, communicate effectively across an organization, and have the leadership ability to build strong teams and earn the confidence of senior executives and boards. Ben approaches each search with these qualities in mind, seeking to understand both what the organization requires from the role and what type of leader will be most effective within its environment.

Ben’s background allows him to consider candidates from multiple perspectives. As a former practicing attorney, he understands the professional demands and judgment required of sophisticated legal counsel. As an entrepreneur and former operating executive, he understands the importance of having legal leaders who appreciate commercial realities and can contribute to business decisions rather than simply advise on legal risk. His military experience reinforced the importance of accountability, adaptability, team development, and leadership under pressure. Together, these perspectives inform how Ben assesses the experience, judgment, and leadership capabilities a candidate would bring to an organization.

Ben takes a thoughtful and relationship-driven approach to search, investing the time to understand the people, business, and circumstances behind each assignment. He looks beyond professional credentials to understand how candidates think, communicate, lead others, and approach difficult decisions. His objective is to create lasting matches between organizations and legal and compliance executives who can succeed as both accomplished professionals and effective business leaders.

Ben earned a B.S. in History from the United States Naval Academy and his J.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.

Executive Search

Before joining BarkerGilmore, Ben practiced as a corporate attorney, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, commercial transactions, and public finance matters.

Previously, Ben co-founded and served as Chief Operating Officer of a private equity-backed hospitality company, where he helped grow the business across multiple markets and gained firsthand experience building teams, managing operations, and navigating the challenges that accompany a growing organization. Earlier in his career, Ben served as an officer in the United States Navy.

The breadth of Ben’s experience across law, business, entrepreneurship, and military service provides the foundation for his approach to executive search and his focus on identifying legal and compliance professionals with the capacity to lead.

Defense, Hospitality, Private Equity