Case Studies
Representative senior living leadership searches and the challenges behind them.
FEATURED CASE STUDY
VP/COO Search That Led to CEO Succession
Hollenbeck Palms needed a senior operating leader with the experience, credibility, and judgment to support a long-established not-for-profit CCRC. The selected VP/COO later advanced to CEO, succeeding the organization’s longtime chief executive and providing continuity at the highest level of leadership.
The ChallengeHollenbeck Palms was seeking a senior operations leader who could step into a visible executive role and quickly earn the confidence of leadership, staff, residents, and the board.
The organization needed more than a technically qualified operator. It needed a leader with sound judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to support a complex not-for-profit senior living community with history, mission, and high expectations. The board and executive leadership wanted a candidate who could strengthen operations, build trust across the organization, and become a meaningful part of the community’s long-term leadership future. This was not simply a search for a VP/COO. It became a leadership-continuity success story, with the selected candidate later advancing to CEO and succeeding the organization’s longtime chief executive.The SearchLM Hurley & Associates focused on identifying senior living operators with the right blend of operational discipline, executive presence, and cultural fit. Because the role required both technical competence and relationship credibility, we evaluated candidates for leadership style, communication ability, judgment, and readiness to work effectively with the CEO, board, residents, department leaders, and staff. The process helped the client compare not only experience and qualifications, but also the broader leadership qualities needed for long-term success in a mission-driven CCRC. The ResultThe search resulted in the placement of Erica as VP/COO. The board was very pleased with the hire, and the placement proved successful well beyond the immediate needs of the role. Erica later advanced to CEO, succeeding Morris, the organization’s longtime chief executive. Her promotion reflected the strength of the original placement and provided Hollenbeck Palms with continuity at the highest level of leadership. |
SEARCH SNAPSHOT CLIENT Hollenbeck Palms Search Model Retained Executive Search ROLE Vice President of Operations / COO TIMELINE Offer accepted within 84 days of engagement SEARCH ACTIVITY 135 prospects contacted and screened; 17 candidates interviewed; three top candidates presented FINALISTS Three top candidates presented
What Made It Complex
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Why This Search Mattered
A successful executive search is not only measured by whether a role is filled. It is measured by whether the leader succeeds, earns trust, and strengthens the organization over time.
In this case, the placement became part of Hollenbeck Palms’ long-term leadership continuity. Erica’s later promotion to CEO showed that the search identified not just a qualified VP/COO, but a future chief executive.
In this case, the placement became part of Hollenbeck Palms’ long-term leadership continuity. Erica’s later promotion to CEO showed that the search identified not just a qualified VP/COO, but a future chief executive.
