Our Purpose
Cardea Group was founded in 2009 as a specialized executive search firm focused exclusively on legal and compliance hiring within investment management and alternative asset management. Established during one of the most disruptive periods in modern financial history, the firm was built to bring greater rigor, transparency, and long-term strategic partnership to recruiting for hedge funds, private equity firms, private credit platforms, venture capital firms, family offices, and other investment organizations.
From the outset, our focus has been clear: helping investment firms build high-performing legal and compliance functions capable of navigating regulatory complexity, supporting institutional growth, protecting enterprise value, and scaling alongside increasingly sophisticated operating environments.
Today, Cardea partners with clients across the full spectrum of legal and compliance hiring, from General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officers to legal counsel, compliance managers, compliance analysts, paralegals, and legal assistants. Our work spans both individual searches and broader talent strategy initiatives, including organizational design, succession planning, compensation benchmarking, leadership assessment, and market intelligence.
Because we operate exclusively within the legal and compliance ecosystem, our clients rely on us not only for access to highly sought-after talent, but for perspective. We help firms understand how teams are being structured across the market, where hiring trends are shifting, what candidates expect, and how organizations can position themselves competitively in a constrained talent environment.
We believe the strongest hiring outcomes come from specialization, alignment, and thoughtful execution, not transactional recruiting volume. By combining deep industry expertise with long-standing relationships across the alternative investment community, we help firms make high-stakes hiring decisions with greater confidence, precision, and long-term fit.
Meet the Team
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Andrea Colabella
Executive Recruiter & Partner
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Mary Huminski
Executive Recruiter
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Joanna Ballet
Executive Recruiter
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Emilia Goetsch
Executive Recruiter
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Isabelle Karl
Research Analyst
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Jessica Leffew
Retained Search Coordinator
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Mia Mendez
Executive Search Analyst
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Zora Bissell
Executive Search Analyst
Our Values
Honest Communication & Collaboration
As a relationship-driven executive search firm, we communicate candidly with both clients and candidates to understand motivations, expectations, and long-term goals. The deeper the alignment, the more effective the executive recruitment process becomes—and the stronger the partnership over time.
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to supporting and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across the alternative investment and asset management landscape. Our executive search and recruitment efforts prioritize building diverse leadership pipelines that foster innovation, strengthen decision-making, and support sustainable business growth.
Innovation
The landscape of executive recruitment has evolved significantly over the past decade, driven by technology, shifting career priorities, and changing expectations around leadership. As an alternative asset management executive search firm, we continuously adapt how we identify, engage, and attract senior talent to meet the evolving needs of both candidates and investment management firms.
Building Relationships
Executive search is fundamentally a long-term relationship. We maintain enduring partnerships with both clients and candidates, working closely with each throughout the executive recruitment process to ensure thoughtful, well-aligned leadership placements that benefit all parties involved.
Giving Back
Beyond our work in executive search and recruitment, our team shares a deep commitment to giving back. Through charitable initiatives, fundraising efforts, board involvement, and volunteer work, Cardea Group believes in strengthening our communities and contributing meaningfully beyond the workplace.
Cardea Cares
Since inception, Cardea Group has avidly supported organizations and charities dear to our hearts. We have countless stories of our volunteering and fundraising efforts with these non-for-profits and would love to share our adoration for them with you:
