Jacob Gamble Featured in Giving Magazine on Nonprofit Executive Search Best Practices
Jacob Gamble, Principal and Head of Family Office Executive Search at Cowen Partners Executive Search, was featured in the May issue of Giving Magazine’s “From the Hiring Table” series, sharing expert insights on nonprofit executive search and what separates successful leadership placements from failed ones.
In the Q&A feature, Jacob addressed critical challenges facing the fundraising and nonprofit sector, from identifying the right executive candidates to strengthening leadership retention across the industry.
Here are key insights from Jacob’s commentary.
What Makes Executive Candidates Succeed
Jacob focuses on cultural fit and leadership style alignment over credentials alone.
“We look for humility, consistency, and people who build trust as easily as they drive results,” he explained.
Red flags appear when candidates talk more about themselves than the teams they led.
Reducing Nonprofit Turnover
The solution starts with clarity. “Many leadership transitions fail because the board and executive never align on what success really looks like. A clear, ongoing dialogue helps prevent that.”
Common Leadership Deficits
Communication remains the biggest gap. “Some leaders are great with donors or boards but struggle with staff. The best executives learn to adjust how they communicate depending on who’s in the room—inspiring, delegating, and listening when each is needed.”
What Makes Great Fundraisers
“Authenticity and empathy. The best fundraisers connect a donor’s motivation to a mission they believe in. It’s about relationships built over time on honesty and understanding.”
The Hardest Position to Fill
Chief Executive roles in founder-led or family-founded organizations require someone who can modernize operations and drive change while respecting the legacy that built the organization.
Jacob noted that Cowen Partners’ 365-day placement guarantee reflects their commitment to ensuring leaders not only have the right skills but also belong in the culture.
Jacob’s insights provide valuable guidance for nonprofit boards navigating executive transitions and organizations working to build stronger leadership pipelines in the fundraising sector.
Read the full feature in Giving Magazine’s May issue.
About GIVING Magazine
GIVING Magazine was created for fundraisers and nonprofit leaders who want to learn from what actually works — not theory, not trends, and not recycled advice.
Each issue features real campaigns, thoughtful leadership decisions, and smart strategies shared by professionals willing to explain their process and results.
This magazine exists to help fundraisers learn from one another — and to give leadership teams the insight they need to make better decisions.
About Cowen Partners Executive Search
Cowen Partners Executive Search is a leading national executive search firm, known for placing world-class C-suite leaders, board members, and senior executives across industries.
Specializing in finding and recruiting top talent, we provide clients with comprehensive access to the executive marketplace, ensuring that each search is tailored to the unique needs of the organization. Our clients benefit from a proven track record of delivering high-impact leaders who drive growth, innovation, and performance.
At Cowen Partners Executive Search, we go beyond traditional executive search by offering strategic insights and expertise that help companies build high-performing teams and navigate complex market challenges.
Whether it’s sourcing transformative CEOs, CFOs, or board directors, we are committed to excellence, transparency, and results-driven solutions, making us the trusted partner for businesses looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
About Jacob Gamble, Principal, Head of Family Office Practice
Jacob Gamble is a Principal at Cowen Partners Executive Search and serves as Head of the firm’s Family Office Practice, where he advises ultra-high-net-worth principals, family offices, and private capital organizations on senior leadership, succession, and governance-critical hires. His work focuses on building durable leadership teams around complex capital, multi-entity operating structures, and generational transition.
Jacob brings more than 20 years of global experience across investment management, investment banking, family offices, and corporate leadership. He began his career at Fisher Investments, where he rose to Vice President over a 13-year tenure, overseeing a $3.3 billion business line. He later joined Paulson Investment Company as a Managing Director, ultimately serving as the top executive of the firm’s bridge-loan hedge fund.
Following his work in financial services, Jacob transitioned into operating leadership as CEO of a publicly traded, multi-state drug rehabilitation platform. There, he led a full-scale corporate reorganization, improving governance, operations, and capital alignment, resulting in a nearly 300% increase in shareholder value, before serving as Chairman of the Board.
Throughout his career, Jacob has worked extensively with closely held businesses, family-owned enterprises, and private investment vehicles. His experience spans licensing and regulatory environments, vertically integrated build-outs, acquisitions of small and mid-sized private companies, and the integration of complex operating entities. This operator-level perspective informs his approach to executive search, particularly in family office environments where trust, discretion, and role clarity are paramount.
At Cowen Partners Executive Search, Jacob leverages his experience as an investor, operator, and board-level executive to help families and principals identify leaders who can steward capital, manage complexity, and scale with intention.
As trailblazing leaders in executive search, Cowen Partners Executive Search is also an innovator that routinely develops groundbreaking resources to empower better insights, decisions, and understandings of what it takes to recruit and retain top talent in today’s C-suites.
Explore some of our elite resources below to see why Cowen Partners Executive Search continues to be a top executive search firm nationwide.
Schedule a Call.
Fill out the email request form to learn more about our approach.