RECRUITING LEADERSHIP FOR THE WORLD'S MOST AMBITIOUS TECHNOLOGIES

Occam Global is a retained executive search and leadership advisory firm that recruits CEOs, C-suite executives and board members for life sciences, TechBio, AI, robotics and defense technology companies, and for the venture capital firms that back them. Founded in 2012 by William "Bill" Holodnak and John Holodnak, the firm has associates in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles and recruits across the United States, Europe and Asia.

Occam Global offers three core services: executive search for CEO, C-suite and senior leadership roles; board recruitment for chairs, independent directors and scientific advisory boards; and leadership advisory for founders and boards on team structure and board composition. Every engagement has principal involvement and a senior lead from start to finish.

Occam Global specializes in life sciences, biotech, TechBio, AI, robotics and autonomous systems, digital chemistry and defense technology, and recruits partners and senior talent for venture capital firms. Much of its work sits where these fields overlap, in AI-driven drug discovery, digital chemistry and physical AI. There, the scarce candidate is not the expert in one field but the executive who has worked on both sides of the divide.

Occam Global works with venture-backed startups, growth-stage and public companies, and the investors behind them in life sciences, biotech, TechBio, AI, robotics and autonomous systems, digital chemistry and defense technology. Clients include Recursion, insitro, CHARM Therapeutics, Chemify, eGenesis, Cradle and Aura Biosciences, and investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, OrbiMed, Lux Capital and F-Prime Capital.

Occam Global is, by design, an artisanal firm. It takes pride in giving each search the time, care and judgment it deserves, with a principal leading every engagement from the first conversation to the signed offer, and no handoffs to junior staff. Its work is concentrated in science- and technology-driven companies, so it can assess the substance behind a candidate's record: whether a scientist's platform has produced real programs, or whether a technologist has built at the scale the role requires. And because Occam has invested in more than 50 early-stage companies and works alongside investors such as OrbiMed, Lux Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, it evaluates leaders the way a board does: on their capacity to raise capital, attract exceptional people and lead through ambiguity. Occam aims to be a partner from launch through IPO and beyond. It has worked with Recursion, for example, since the company's early years and through its 2021 IPO.

Yes. Much of Occam Global's work is with venture-backed founders, often from the earliest stages. When Anagenex first engaged Occam, it had no formal organizational structure or funding; Occam recruited its CTO and CSO and advised on board construction. For early-stage companies, Occam looks for leaders who can work closely with founders and the board, earn investor confidence and build the team the company needs for its next stage.

Companies typically hire an executive search firm when a senior role is critical to the next stage of growth, hard to fill through referrals or job postings, or requires rare specialized experience. Common triggers include a financing round, an IPO or clinical milestone, building out the C-suite, replacing a key executive or adding board expertise. The best time is usually earlier than companies expect. A CFO hired 12 to 24 months before a liquidity event, or a business development leader brought in before a Series B, has time to shape the outcome rather than inherit it.

Occam Global's placements have supported some of its clients' biggest milestones. Occam recruited members of Recursion's leadership team and board ahead of the company's April 2021 IPO. CHARM Therapeutics secured a $50M Series A following Occam's placement of its Executive Chairman, and Chemify closed its Series A after Occam recruited key members of its leadership team.

Occam Global works on an exclusive, retained basis, with fees agreed at the outset based on the role and scope of the search. The exclusive model means Occam's senior team is fully committed to the search from day one, rather than racing other firms to submit résumés. Very selectively, Occam takes equity in place of search fees, aligning the firm with the company's long-term success.

Many senior searches are confidential, such as replacing a sitting executive or building a team ahead of a public announcement. Occam Global runs these searches without naming the client publicly, shares details with candidates only when appropriate and keeps the circle of people aware of the search as small as possible on both sides.

We are specialists in recruiting executives and board members for the life sciences industry, including biotech, pharma, and medical devices. We also serve a select group of high-growth technology clients and venture capital firms, uniquely positioning us for AI-driven organizations including techbio and deep tech executive search.

With associates in key innovation hubs New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, we successfully place C-suite executives and board members for clients across the US and Europe.

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In addition to global executive recruiting and board placement, we provide leadership advisory services to help shape and strengthen your organization's C-suite growth strategies through strategic partnerships and funding resources.

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