MANAGING PARTNER

Alexandra (Adamson) Beal is a Managing Partner at Formative Search Partners, where she specializes in executive search and talent strategy for early- and growth-stage companies. She also serves as an Operating Partner at CoFound Partners, a pre-seed and seed-stage fund.

Previously, she served as Director of Talent at Bowery Capital, partnering with portfolio companies on human-capital strategy, including executive hiring, performance management, and organizational design. During her time at Bowery, Alex was named one of Business Insider’s “30 Under 30 Rising Stars in NY Tech.” Alex began her career as an early member of the team at Betts Recruiting, where she helped build some of the earliest go-to-market teams at high-growth companies including Samsara, Zenefits, Marketo, and PagerDuty.

She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, where she was a two-time captain of the Division I women’s water polo team. Outside of work, Alex can be found cheering on the San Diego Padres with her husband and daughter or spending time at the dog beach with her golden retriever.

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Jack quarterbacks some of Formative’s largest and most complex engagements, helping growth-stage companies build executive teams and make critical go-to-market leadership hires. He played a pivotal role in expanding Formative’s footprint beyond the New York market in 2019, when he was tapped to partner with some of Boston’s fastest-growing startups. He has since worked closely with organizations including BetterUp, Justworks, LinkSquares, Circle, and Functional Finance through periods of rapid growth, executive team expansion, and pivotal leadership transitions.

Jack is based in Denver, Colorado. Outside of work, you can find him trying to tire out his dog, Finn, on a hike; chasing fresh powder in the Colorado mountains; or staying true to his New England roots and sweating through a close game involving any Boston sports team. Jack holds a degree in Public Policy and Law from Trinity College in Hartford, where he also served as President of the Psi Upsilon fraternity.

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Olivia specializes in highly strategic executive searches, partnering closely with leadership teams at pivotal points of growth. She has helped companies including Grow Therapy, Justworks, Flex, NPS Prism, and Airspeed (formerly Glyphic) identify and hire critical executive talent. Earlier in her career, Olivia also recruited key go-to-market talent for high-growth companies, building a strong foundation in the commercial roles and teams that power scale.

Olivia lives in New York with her husband. Outside of work, you can find her training for her next distance race, teaching Pilates, trying out new recipes for friends and family, or working toward her annual Goodreads goal. Olivia earned a double major in English and Economics from Syracuse University, graduating magna cum laude in three years.

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Jack runs Formative’s Technical Recruiting division, leading searches that span large-scale engineering team build-outs and highly specialized technical leadership hires. His work includes helping companies such as Fora Travel, Circle, and Dispatch build and scale engineering organizations, as well as partnering on niche Director- and VP-level searches for clients including Puck, Boddle Learning, and Isaac Health.

Jack is based in Brooklyn, New York, and holds a BS in Economics from Duke University. Outside of work, you can find him on a golf course, on a ski mountain, or in front of the TV rooting for Duke basketball and his Boston sports teams.

DIRECTOR

Dani makes pivotal, foundational leadership hires for growth-stage companies, with particular expertise in building early sales leadership teams and placing senior individual contributors. She has partnered with clients including Encord, Brightflag, Zillion, and Krepling on critical growth-stage hires, and has also recruited senior talent for companies such as BetterUp and Flex.

Dani began her career in sales at Yext before transitioning into search. She spent three and a half years with Formative before joining BrightHire as its Lead GTM Recruiter, then returned to Formative in February 2023. A New Jersey native, Dani is now based in Denver, Colorado. Outside of work, you can find her in a reformer Pilates class, cuddling up with her cat and dog, or hiking up a mountain. Dani holds a BA in Communications from the University of Delaware.

DIRECTOR

Amber partners with growth-stage companies as they hit scale, advising leadership teams on multi-layered organizational planning and the talent strategy required to support it. She has managed key client relationships for companies including Zocdoc, QA Wolf, Rho, n8n, and Catalant, helping organizations navigate pivotal stages of growth and build the teams needed for what comes next.

Amber is based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Outside of work, she spends time with her husband and son, soaks up time with family and friends, and can often be found curled up in a chair working through her ever-growing “to be read” list. Amber graduated from Augustana College with a BA in Psychology, English, and Women’s & Gender Studies, and also holds an MS in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Before joining Formative, Ariana began her career at AlphaSights, where she sourced and delivered C-suite executives to private-equity firms and institutional investors. Through that work, she developed deep fluency in the VC- and PE-backed landscape, particularly across fintech and adjacent industries. What she loved most was the people side of the work: building meaningful relationships and connecting the right person with the right opportunity.

That passion led Ariana into executive search, where she now runs retained engagements end-to-end and partners closely with clients and candidates throughout the process. Ariana is based in Hoboken, New Jersey. Outside of work, you can find her at a Solidcore class or browsing the shelves of her local bookstore. Ariana graduated summa cum laude from Tulane University with a double major in Marketing and Management and a minor in Jewish Studies.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Katie joined Formative as an expansion recruiter, helping the firm establish its presence in new markets including Austin and San Francisco. As Chief of Staff, she now leads operations, marketing, and HR across the business, supporting the team behind the scenes while helping Formative continue to grow thoughtfully.

Katie also runs WISE—Women In Sales Everywhere, a division of Formative that creates growth opportunities for women in sales through events, networking, mentorship, and community programming. She is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Outside of work, Katie enjoys antiquing, running around with her pups Olive and Lemon, and going on adventures with her husband and son. She graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama with a BS in Business Administration and Merchandising.