Biography
Laird Desmond joined AGB Search in 2011. Ms. Desmond brings more than 30 years of experience assisting executive leadership searches in higher education. Since joining AGB Search, she has assisted over 90 searches for a wide variety of positions, including president, provost, vice president for finance, dean of business, dean of education, chief information officer, vice president for university advancement, and director level positions within a college of engineering. She has worked with independent liberal arts colleges, religious-affiliated colleges and universities, HBCU’s, community colleges, and public doctoral and R1 institutions.
Executive Search Consultant
Laird Desmond joined AGB Search in 2011. Ms. Desmond brings more than 30 years of experience assisting executive leadership searches in higher education. Since joining AGB Search, she has assisted over 90 searches for a wide variety of positions, including president, provost, vice president for finance, dean of business, dean of education, chief information officer, vice president for university advancement, and director level positions within a college of engineering. She has worked with independent liberal arts colleges, religious-affiliated colleges and universities, HBCU’s, community colleges, and public doctoral and R1 institutions.
Representative Executive Searches
Broward College - President
California State University, Fresno - President
College of St. Scholastica - President
Concordia University-Portland - President
Edmonds Community College - President
Saint Joseph’s College, New York - President and Provost
Saint Louis University - President
Saint Mary's College of California - EVP/Provost
University of Puget Sound - President
University of San Diego - President
Experience and Honors
Before joining AGB Search, Ms. Desmond worked as an associate with the higher education practices of Heidrick & Struggles and Korn/Ferry International, and as a research associate with Academic Search, Inc. Prior to beginning her career in search, she was an analyst with the management consulting practice in the Washington, D.C. office of Arthur Young (now Ernst & Young).
Ms. Desmond is passionate about the environment and has been active regarding sustainability issues in her community. She obtained a grant to fund, and oversaw the installation of, a rain garden at a local middle school, and served as a member of her town’s Sustainability Advisory Committee.