Get To Know Our Mavens

As an entrepreneur and trusted advisor to her clients, Jennifer is best known for her ability to solve businesses biggest impediment to success, finding the right leaders to grow their companies. Jennifer has successfully placed hundreds of leaders at the Director level and above in almost every functional expertise and across a wide variety of industries.

Jennifer joined Silvester & Company in 2007 after a 15+ year career in commercial payment card product development roles, working for General Electric (GE) and JPMorgan Chase (JPMC). As a VP, International Product Development for JPMC, Jennifer travelled the world developing alliance bank partnerships on behalf of multinational Fortune 500 clientele. In her financial services roles, Jennifer saw the extraordinary impact of both failed and successful leadership hiring. As most leaders come to learn quickly, hiring the right team is perhaps the most pivotal tool to your career success.

Fascinated by what made good leaders exceptional, an important mentor and Founder of Silvester & Company nudged Jennifer to take a leap of faith and test herself in a whole new dimension. With guidance and a whole lot of energy, Jennifer found her calling working alongside Margo for several years to grow the firm. Jennifer became a Partner and then bought the firm in 2014. With the support of a talented team, Silvester & Company has continued to flourish under her leadership.

In the age of digitalization, Jennifer still believes all value stems from the daily contributions of people and at all levels of an organization. Great ideas, innovation and relationships that transform industries begins with people. Hiring is not about just filling holes in org charts, it is about aligning the talents, passions, and the cultural ecosystems for individuals and companies.

Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. Jennifer is an advocate for small businesses and sits on the Board of Directors for the South Valley Chamber of Commerce and chair’s the Small Business Leadership Committee which focuses on driving programs, tools and opportunities for small businesses of all sizes and backgrounds to find success. Jennifer co-hosts a local podcast, “The Small Business Leadership Podcast” which highlights the stories of Utah’s small business leaders.

When not on a call or in search of the next great leader, Jennifer can be found riding her Peloton bike, putting her nose in a book, cheering on her three beautiful children, or traveling the world with her adventure loving husband.

As a dedicated client advocate and practice leader, Marika is known for her ability to identify and connect high impact executives with client partners looking to transform their business. Marika has successfully placed hundreds of senior level executives in almost every functional expertise across a multitude of highly regulated product and service industries.

Marika joined Silvester & Company in 2008 after a 12-year career in client relations in the employee benefits industry where she managed a diverse portfolio of clients ranging from major corporations to public sector entities and non-profits. Working alongside HR leaders provided Marika with an insight and appreciation for the administrative challenges of maintaining a positive employee culture.

Taking the leap into the boutique world of retained search 13 years ago has furthered her understanding of the talent challenges companies face that have a direct impact on the bottom line. As industries and markets confront dynamic and monumental changes, the fundamental leadership qualities and capabilities of high-performance leaders continues to evolve. Marika works hand in hand with HR and senior executives to navigate these changes and help solve their biggest impediments to success, hiring the right leaders.

As the search industry becomes more reliant on AI, Marika still believes in the value of personal connection to uncover the nuanced soft skills that cannot be easily identified through algorithms alone. Marika has developed a deep network of trusted executives in each industry served and utilizes these relationships to identify and connect with exceptional and oftentimes passive candidates.

Like people, no two clients or searches are the same. Marika and her research team analyze the market to identify trends and develop a tailored and inclusive recruitment strategy to ensure outreach to a diverse community of candidates. Marika is deeply committed to providing client partners with exceptional leadership talent that is fully representative of all high-powered leaders across the market landscape.

When taking a break from the continual pursuit of connecting with exceptional leaders, Marika can be found spending time with her family on the golf course, taking a walk with their spirited cavapoo, recharging on her Peloton or whipping up a culinary delight from her vast cookbook collection.

Meet Dr. Christensen, she is our resident doctor who will cure all your talent ailments! As a researcher and project manager, Elizabeth utilizes data to meet the needs of the clients and the Silvester & Company team. Data is only powerful if it is accessible, approachable and digestible- ultimately data should tell a story. The story that is most valuable to our clients is a tale of who will help lead, develop, and grow their company.  Elizabeth’s ultimate goal is to utilize gathered information to help clients make that very important decision.

Elizabeth joined Silvester & Company after receiving her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Utah in 2021. Her dissertation was focused on understanding the behavior of electrons using powerful computational chemistry tools.  Computing, modeling, and presenting data were all part of her training as a scientist and those skills have seamlessly transferred to the world of executive recruiting.  Now, instead of modeling electrons and favorable interactions between atoms and molecules, she uses leader’s skill sets and personalities to predict favorable interactions between clients and potential candidates.

From a young age Elizabeth was always curious about the physical world. Why is the sky blue? Why does salt make things taste better? Why do clothes shrink in the dryer? As she started her bachelor’s degree, she realized that chemistry has those answers and many more, so she dedicated her educational training to understanding “why”. Currently, Elizabeth’s curiosity of the physical world has begun to include the world of human behavior. Her curiosities are now centered around the needs of our clients.  Why are certain candidates better for our client’s needs? How can we best serve our clients in their pursuit of filling leadership roles? How can we improve the S&C experience for our clients and candidates? She is extremely excited to bring her curious mind into the world of executive recruiting.

When Elizabeth isn’t working with data, she enjoys hiking up mountains, cooking delicious meals with vegetables from her garden, and traveling with her husband.

As the Operations & Database Manager, Dustie provides support where it’s necessary to ensure we deliver the best candidate and client experience possible. She connects with accomplished and driven candidates through search assignments, while making sure the project runs smoothly and efficiently.

Dustie brings with her more than 23 years of experience in management and administrative leadership. She is highly organized, curious, patient, and detail oriented. During this time, she has learned vital skills including how to leverage tools, contribute new and innovative ways to engage with clients, and build strong relationships with colleagues. This experience has advanced her interpersonal skills and has enabled her to adapt to the forward thinking mindset needed for her role at S&C.

Dustie joined Silvester & Company in 2021 in a role that is part research database, technology manager, and administrator. She is responsible for the project management and administration needed to support the efforts of our Recruiters, Practice Leaders, and Research Team. With each new search she assists with company and candidate research, inputting data, sourcing candidates, and managing the database. Each search assignment is unique and challenging and requires constant adaptation.

When not working, you can find Dustie shopping with her 2 beautiful girls, taking walks with her husband and puppy Rudy, or boating at Lake Powell. She has loved raising her family in SLC where she herself was born and raised.

As Database and Research Associate, Kami provides direct and agile support to our research and recruiting teams and is an essential part in streamlining our client interaction process. She assists in making search assignments run efficiently and effectively through data management and sourcing.

Kami brings with her essential skills required to be successful in this role. She is highly organized, diligent, detail-oriented and affable. During her working career, Kami has learned how to leverage new tools, adapt to challenging and changing demands, and manage and implement new solutions. This experience has enabled her to tailor to the forward-thinking mindset needed for her database and research role.

In this position, Kami supports the organization of our database and partners with the Operations Manager and Research Lead to devise a database and search support-plan to meet our clients needs. She enters and maintains candidate and client records, and identifies critical contact information–oftentimes in a rapid pace and high-volume. Each new search is different and she is here to ensure we meet our commitments to our clients and the S&C team.

Kami’s current interests and hobbies are tightly centered around her three beautiful and talented kids. She loves going out on adventures, watching her girls’ gymnastics competitions and dance performances, and spending time outdoors hiking and snowboarding.

As our Executive Search Associate, Camille plays an integral role in driving successful executive level recruiting outcomes through research and early-stage recruiting. She helps our searches run smoothly and efficiently by supporting multiple facets of our search process.

Camille stepped into the world of retained executive search after an 8-year career in Alaska tourism talent and operations. While there, she took on many responsibilities including recruitment strategy, onboarding, new employee training, and continued employee development. She is highly organized, detail oriented, innovative, and has a solution-based mindset. Her experience building candidate campaigns and pipelines, as well as screening processes and more have prepared her for this new puzzle of executive search.

Camille joined Silvester & Company in late 2021 in a role that supports both research & recruiting efforts. She works with our Sr. Partner & Head of Research on national searches in various industries. This role allows her to collaborate with our recruiting team and head researcher to gain knowledge of industry and market trends through tracking and recruiting diverse talent. Her experience, dynamic skill-set, and eagerness to learn ensures we continue to deliver the best experience for our clients and candidates.

Outside of work, Camille loves to spend time hiking and spending time in nature with her two children and her dog Alco — the cutest chocolate lab. She loves to travel when she gets the chance, cook, and eat tasty food!

As the Marketing and Administrative Coordinator for Silvester & Company, Sofie motivates others through social media to take action and build connections with our brand/clients. While helping us define and execute our marketing strategy, she interacts with the needs of the company in an ever-changing environment keeping her fluid and dynamic through the use of her different skill-sets.

Sofie graduated this Fall from the University of Utah as a double major in Multidisciplinary Design and Psychology. Joining the world of marketing and administration is an excellent opportunity for her to gain skills, experience, and grow as a young professional. Sofie joined the team in 2021, and is excited to be among so many accomplished business women. She is constantly adapting to the fast-paced environment inherent to a small executive search firm and loves the opportunity this role gives her to use her design background in projects and posts. She is excited to grow the influence of the company and learn about the industry and inner workings of Silvester & Co.

Sofie’s career in Marketing started with an internship for Make-A-Wish Foundation which grants wishes to children with life-threatening diseases. Working there was intrinsically rewarding but it is also a way for Sofie to give back to the community in a meaningful, and deeply personal way as she is a cancer survivor herself. Conducting interviews with clients and writing profiles to give to the organization’s donors ensures that the mutually beneficial relationship is continued. Success in this position requires empathy, innovative thinking, working independently, writing/social skills, and a drive to make a difference.

At Silvester & Company, Sofie holds a lead role in driving brand awareness and defining and executing S&C’s marketing strategy. She helps lead social media management, client profile design, marketing document design, copywriting for the company’s insights, social posts and more. Sofie understands that the role requires flexibility, adaptability, and time-sensitive projects and is always up for the challenge! She will also be working in other areas of the company supporting our project and database management.

Outside of work, Sofie loves the outdoors and especially loves going on hikes with her dog Mozzie, a two year old Bernedoodle. When she has the chance, she enjoys woodworking with her elderly neighbor, listening to audiobooks, and painting.