In the Media
Why the CFO mindset can clash with CEO demands
David Archambault
Managing Partner, United States
David Archambault has led a highly successful career in technology, media and search as an executive, founder and advisor, highlighted by innovations. This experience enriches his work with clients, providing technological expertise, an entrepreneurial mindset and organizational insight. He is an outstanding resource for executive talent, adept at building high-performing, forward-thinking teams.
Professional Focus
- Over 30 years’ experience in executive search, technology leadership and consulting
- Recruits and advises senior leadership at the functional level as well as operations, technology/R&D, strategy and business development
- Specialized industry expertise in cable, mobility/automotive, payments, media, software development, SaaS (enterprise and consumer), cloud services, IT, gaming and ecommerce
- Advisor to national and international Fortune 100 organizations, as well as startups, private equity and venture capital firms seeking leadership for portfolio companies
Business Expertise
- Partner in the Technology & Innovation Practice of a prominent leadership advisory and executive search firm
- Partner in a national retained executive search firm
- President & CEO of BigSmokeCanoe, LLC consulting firm; helped clients leverage digital transformation, social networking, open source and cloud technologies, direct-to-consumer strategies
- President & CEO of B3 Corp., an ecommerce firm providing back-end payments processing, online sales and promotions management infrastructure for the banking and entertainment industries
- Senior Vice President at Warner Music Group/WEA; led development of first industry-driven digital music download system; built gaming division; developed and spun out multidivisional ecommerce company B3 Corp.
- Director of Marketing and Product Management at Commodore Business Machines; led team that launched pioneering Amiga personal computer
Additional Expertise
- Automotive
- Cloud
- Communications, Media & Entertainment
- Ecommerce
- Gaming
- IT
- Payments
- Software
Areas of Expertise
Education & Certifications
- University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (Ryerson University), Ontario, Canada
Case Studies
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CEO Succession for a Global Precision Manufacturer
Boyden partners with a highly engineered products manufacturer to recruit a CEO who combines strategic pedigree with entrepreneurial execution, positioning the company for its next phase of growth.
The Transformation of Atlas-SSI: Leading the Market in Specialty Equipment Manufacturing for Industrial and Municipal Water Applications
Private Equity investor hires a CEO to integrate acquisitions and build a growth platform in manufacturing specialty equipment for water infrastructure creating the largest manufacturer of traveling water screens and bulk material handling in North America
Strategic Leadership in Crisis: Elevating Communications and Protecting Reputation
Amid a politically sensitive crisis, our client, a major social impact organization, faced significant reputational risks. Lacking a Head of Public & Government Affairs for over three years, they turned to Boyden for urgent strategic communications leadership.
Thought Leadership
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Articles & Papers
The CFO to CEO Pathway: What Boards Look for in Leader
From financial steward to enterprise leader—seen at Signal Energy and measured by what boards value most.
Articles & Papers
A Regional CEO Search to Realise U.S. Market Potential for a European Family-Owned Business
A European family-owned business approaching generational transition recognized that its U.S. operation required more than continuity—it required growth. The challenge was to redefine leadership for a critical market while navigating family dynamics and cross-border complexity. Here’s how the right appointment helped unlock the company’s U.S. potential.
Boyden Report Series
What’s Next for Industry? AI, Transformation, and the Talent Imperative
Industrial Trends Report: Analysing markets, studies, and trends on how AI, machine learning, and digitalisation are reshaping the industrial sector, with expert insights on talent and leadership from Boyden’s Global Industrial Practice Members.
Articles & Papers
A Third Generation Charts a New Course
A third-generation family business found itself navigating sudden global disruption with limited internal capability to manage a complex reshoring effort. The solution was not more control, but the confidence to bring in the right external expertise. This is how the family safeguarded its legacy by acting decisively—and differently.
Media
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News & Events
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In the Media
Epochal change: Why the automotive industry needs diversity now
In this guest article for the” Top 25 Women” initiative, Jutta Menzenbach of Boyden, an executive search firm, writes about the importance of diversity in the automotive industry to drive economic success.
In the Media
Tim Cook Turned Apple into a $4 Trillion Company by Not Trying to Be Steve Jobs
Tim Cook’s Apple legacy offers a powerful leadership lesson in succession. A Boyden insight on how operational excellence, not imitation, drove $4 trillion in value.
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