In the Media
Why the CFO mindset can clash with CEO demands
Dan Kepler
Managing Partner, United States
Dan Kepler is an executive search leader with over two decades of success advising organizations on critical leadership appointments. He has led C-suite, board, and senior functional searches for companies ranging from family‑owned businesses to multinationals. Clients value his ability to align talent with their strategic needs and unique culture, while also engaging leaders who drive lasting impact.
Professional Focus
- More than 20 years of experience in executive search, including leadership positions with prominent global firms
- Extensive track record of successful searches for CEO, COO, CFO, board, and senior functional leadership roles in finance, operations, supply chain, human resources, sales and marketing, and IT
- Deep industry expertise in industrial, consumer products, transportation, and food
- Partners with organizations of all sizes and ownership structures, including family-owned, privately held, and PE-backed businesses, as well as major multinationals
Business Expertise
- Founding Partner of an executive search firm specializing in the consumer and industrial sectors
- Partner and Owner of a boutique executive search firm focused on consumer and industrial; created and led family-owned/privately held business and private equity practice
- Partner and Owner of a highly successful boutique executive search firm
- Partner, Industrial at another of the world’s top global executive search firms
- Executive Director at a global leadership advisory and executive search firm
Additional Expertise
- Industrial
- Manufacturing
- Transportation
- Consumer Products
- Food
- Privately Held and Family-Owned Businesses
Areas of Expertise
Education & Certifications
- MBA from DePaul University
- Bachelor’s degree (B.Sc.) in economics management from Ohio Wesleyan University
- Hogan Assessments Certification
Case Studies
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Bridging Cultures, Building Leaders: Creating a U.S. Team for a Global Manufacturing Pioneer
A European digital manufacturing leader partnered with Boyden to build its U.S. executive team, strengthening its employer brand and positioning the company for sustained growth in a competitive market.
Strategic Resurgence: Driving Growth Through Business Transformation and Financial Innovation
Boyden partners with a Fortune 1000 industrial company to strengthen its transformation journey through the placement of high-impact FP&A leadership.
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.
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.
Press Release
Boyden To Acquire Atlanta-Based GreenSight Executive Search Firm
Leading international executive search and leadership consulting firm to absorb Atlanta office with acquisition deal
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