Mr. Neil Fink

biography

Neil is the General Manager of our West Coast office in San Francisco following the merger of his firm, Neil Fink Associates, with Gundersen Partners in the fall of 2003. Neil is highly regarded as an executive search consultant in two very exciting fields – entertainment and technology and is a leader in the emerging world where those two industries meet. Already, Neil has assisted well-established companies such as Eastman Kodak and Sony by recruiting leaders that have helped those companies compete in times of changing technologies and market opportunities.

Neil founded Neil Fink Associates in 1986. Like Gundersen Partners, the firm combined executive search and management consulting, but focused on cross-functional executive team building. The firm serviced companies on the leading edge of change in communications, media/new media, software and hardware technologies including such bellwethers as Microsoft, Disney, Tektronix, Kodak and Turner Broadcasting. Before founding his own firm, Neil led the Broadcast Operations practice for The Entertainment Search Company since 1983.

Importantly, prior to entering executive search, Neil was fully involved in the entertainment industry he now serves. Neil was a principal in Stellar Enterprises, a recording artist and tour management company. He was responsible for live and broadcast productions, concert promotion, music company and merchandising contract negotiations as well as radio and retail promotions. Artists were signed to labels that included Arista, RCA Records, and Warner Brothers.

It is because of this firsthand knowledge of the entertainment industry and its use of technology that Neil is often asked by companies to assist in other areas of corporate decision making, including mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, organizational development, and compensation plans.

Neil lives in San Francisco, is married and is raising a son. He works pro bono for the American Film Institute and serves on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Guided Imagery and the Board of Advisors of EAT.tv and NextNet. He has been a frequent speaker for industry associations and conferences such as Audio Engineering Society, Computer Games Developers Conference, National Association of Music Merchants, National Association of Broadcasters, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, Mac World Expo and MILIA. Neil is a long time rider of classic motor cycles and gets away whenever he can.