Consultants to Management on Executive Selection | Michael E. Marion & Associates, Inc.
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Michael E. Marion
Our Team
Michael E. Marion & Associates Inc. is led by Andy Marion and Mick Marion, managing partners of the firm, who are supported by a seasoned senior staff of highly accomplished professionals.
Andrew J. Marion,
Senior Partner
 
Andrew J. Marion leads Michael E. Marion & Associates' consulting practice, specializing in senior-level search engagements for clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and consumer product sectors. Since joining the firm in 1993, Andy has played a pivotal role in developing the firm's healthcare practice and has led consulting teams on all engagements. He has been directly responsible for establishing numerous highly successful, long-term client relationships with both Fortune 100 companies and smaller specialty pharmaceutical and biotech clients. These have included such organizations as Exelixis, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Roche/Genentech, Novartis, PepsiCo, and Procter & Gamble.
 
Prior to joining Michael E. Marion & Associates, Andy spent several years at Bristol-Myers Squibb in its commercial organization, working with key products in the Cardiovascular, CNS, and Infectious Disease therapeutic areas.
 
Andy holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Delaware. He is actively involved in community affairs, serving as a board member and youth coach for various sports since 2001. Beginning in 2010, he has served as the President of Watchung Hills Pop Warner (WHPW) Little Scholars, a part of the National Pop Warner Little Scholars Organization, which is the oldest youth sports organization in the country. This program provides football and cheer opportunities to over 250 boys and girls in central New Jersey. Andy has also coached over a dozen football teams, with four of them making it to the Pop Warner Super Bowl at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disneyworld. In 2015, he founded the Challenger Flag Football program at WHPW, offering flag football activities for children with special needs. Andy has received recognition for his volunteer work, including the 2017 Disability Advocate Award chosen by the Board of Freeholders of Somerset County and the Watchung Hills Pop Warner Outstanding Leadership Award in 2017.
 
Andy, along with his wife Karen and their three children, Andrew, Melissa, and Ty, resides in Warren, NJ. He is an avid Oklahoma Sooner Football Fan and enjoys spending quality time at the beach with his family.
Michael C. Marion,
Senior Partner
 
Michael (Mick) C. Marion leads Michael E. Marion & Associates as the Senior Partner, overseeing the firm's General Management. His responsibilities encompass the management of general search processes and leadership in all day-to-day administrative, financial, accounting, human resources, legal, and information technology activities. Since joining in 1995, he has also served as the Chief Financial Officer, holding accountability for the organization's fiscal health and financial reporting.
 
Before joining Michael E. Marion & Associates, Mick spent several years with Conti Enterprises, Inc., working within the engineering and estimating division. There, he managed pricing and planning bid specifications for various federal and state-level projects.
 
Mick graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from SUNY, ESF – Syracuse University in 1989. He has a longstanding commitment to community affairs, including his tenure as an elected Township Committeeman in Warren, New Jersey. In recent years, he served as Deputy Mayor (2014 & 2019) and Mayor (2015 & 2020). In these leadership roles, Mick oversaw the township’s two AAA bond ratings from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, with a strong focus on budgeting, financial forecasting, and planning. He also acted as a liaison with local businesses, township schools, and environmental and historical committees. Additionally, Mick served as Chairman of the Hills Lacrosse club. Past executive board positions include fundraising Chair for the Lord Stirling School for Disadvantaged Children and Treasurer of the Watchung Hills Pop Warner Little Scholars, a part of the National Pop Warner Little Scholars Organization. Beyond his professional and community commitments, he dedicates his time to coaching football and lacrosse in local youth sports leagues.
 
Mick resides in Warren, NJ, with his wife Sheila and their three children: Scott, Samantha, and Luke. He enjoys quality family time through activities such as boating, hiking, fishing in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, and beach vacations.

Our Senior Team:
John L. Leone, - Senior Vice President
John Leone has been responsible for a broad range of research, information management, recruitment, candidate development, project execution, business development, and accounts management activity during his tenure with Michael E. Marion & Associates. Now more than 23 years with the firm, John has completed numerous recruiting assignments, including successful placements nationally and globally within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors spanning commercial, R&D, and corporate functions.

Before joining MEM, John served as the Managing Director of Cogent Financial Associates, a diversified commercial finance and business consulting organization with a primary focus on meeting the asset-based capital funding needs of small- to mid-sized businesses. His specialization lay in structuring cash flow-related financings for operating capital and other capital applications.

John also brings more than eight years of international business consultation experience from his time at Kline & Company, a prominent and widely recognized participant in industrial consulting categories. There, he was responsible for managing and growing a strategic consulting practice in the polymers, materials, and related chemical process industries.

John began his career at National Starch & Chemical Corporation, where he led a project group dedicated to the long-range development of innovative specialty chemical products, serving the paper, energy, and chemicals industries.

John holds an MBA with concentrations in Finance and Marketing from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from Lehigh University.
Kit Ford, - Vice President
Kit Ford is an award-winning Global Human Resources executive who joined Michael E. Marion & Associates in 2021, having previously been a client of MEM. She joined the firm as Vice President, leveraging her extensive track record of successes in Fortune 500 organizations, start-ups, and HR consulting to serve MEM’s clients effectively. In her capacity at MEM, Kit conducts executive talent searches, focusing on individuals with proven senior leadership experience and aligning their expertise with the immediate and future goals of client companies, particularly in the R&D, commercial, and corporate functions.

Before joining MEM, Kit served as the Vice President of Human Resources at Taiho Oncology, Inc. In this role, she was a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for establishing a fully integrated, world-class clinical development and commercial company for US, EU, and Canadian operations. Her responsibilities encompassed creating the organizational culture and HR strategy to attract, acquire, and retain top R&D and Commercial talent in the field of oncology, building a high-performance organization. Kit's exceptional contributions earned her recognition as the recipient of the 2016 HR Person of the Year Award for the Philadelphia, central and southern New Jersey, and Delaware region by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).

In 2007, Kit joined NRG Energy as the Vice President of Human Resources, where she led HR Corporate Operations and served as a Chief Labor Negotiator. Simultaneously, she spearheaded the change management effort that facilitated NRG's successful transition from bankruptcy to becoming a Fortune 300 energy company in less than five years.

Throughout her career, Kit has excelled in creating HR infrastructure and implementing best practices to ensure the realization of strategic corporate objectives. Her experience includes contributions to companies like Siemens Medical's sales and marketing organizations and Unilever’s manufacturing and supply chain operations.

Kit Ford holds a B.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Penn State University. She completed Western Kentucky University's master's degree program in Organizational Psychology, as well as Cornell University's Labor Relations program.
Sue Goldberg , - Vice President
Sue Goldberg is a seasoned retained search executive, active in the industry since 1985. She joined Michael E. Marion & Associates in 2006, where she assumed a pivotal role in executing a wide range of recruiting and research projects. Sue specializes in identifying and vetting potential candidates for senior-level positions and has played an integral role in recruiting numerous esteemed senior leaders for the firm’s clients.

Her professional journey commenced as a researcher at Gilbert Tweed Associates, where she steadily rose to the position of Vice President. In this capacity, Sue led business development efforts and conducted searches across diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, consumer products, animal health, non-profits, chemicals, transportation, and more.

In 1994, Sue embarked on an entrepreneurial path by founding her boutique firm, The Brandon Group. As its Principal and President, her generalist firm experienced substantial growth through word-of-mouth referrals. She specialized in recruiting senior-level and C-suite executives for both US and international clients across a spectrum of industries. Her clients ranged from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies, as well as several non-profit organizations.

Sue holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Kean University. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is actively involved in the community and serves on the Board of CASA SHaW (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties). CASA SHaW is dedicated to advocating for children in foster care and empowering them to thrive. She is also deeply involved in the sport of purebred dogs, as a breeder/exhibitor of over 80 Champion Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers and a popular AKC dog show judge, with expertise in evaluating more than 100 AKC breeds.
Christina Meringolo, - Vice President
Chris Meringolo is a marketing and communication leader with a passion for people, both those she collaborates with and the individuals she markets to. With over 30 years of diverse advertising and marketing experience, she has been a driving force behind initiatives aimed at enhancing people's quality of life. In her role as Vice President at Michael E. Marion & Associates, Chris harnesses her extensive corporate leadership and hiring management background to identify top talent across various sectors and functions, with a particular emphasis on marketing. Her specialized placements encompass digital marketing leadership roles, including digital strategy and governance, user experience, and e-commerce.

During her corporate tenure, Chris held pivotal marketing services positions with Fortune 500 consumer and healthcare companies. As the Vice President of Consumer Engagement at Bayer US Consumer Health, she oversaw a consumer engagement team encompassing digital, media, and consumer relations. Her leadership propelled the organization's ability to establish more meaningful connections between consumers and brands, such as Claritin, Aleve, Bayer, and Coppertone.

Prior to her role at Bayer, she initiated Merck's first-ever global digital marketing excellence center. Her efforts expanded the company's reach beyond traditional channels, driving global efficiencies through content adaptation and reapplication across markets and platforms.

In addition to leadership roles at Bayer and Merck, Chris held senior positions at Schering-Plough, MPG, Nabisco, and Y&R

In industry, Chris actively supports initiatives aimed at fostering trust and accountability. She has served as the Board Chair for the Alliance for Audited Media and is deeply committed to mentoring young professionals. Chris's contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the CMO Leadership Award ('16), AWNY Working Mother of the Year ('09), YMCA TWIN Award ('06), and Schering-Plough Marketer of the Year ('99).

She is a graduate of Syracuse University, the proud wife of Bruce, and mother of Dani and Matthew. Her non-professional interests include physical fitness and nutrition.
Diane Romanick, - Director of Operations
Diane Romanick is a valuable member of Michael E. Marion & Associates since 2003, bringing over 15 years of corporate administrative experience to the firm. Her role encompasses a diverse range of functions, including the management of search project submissions, contract review and implementation processes, coordination of client/candidate scheduling, administration of technology platforms, planning and execution of off-site events, and overseeing administrative support staff.

Prior to joining MEM, Diane initiated her career at The Prudential Insurance Company of America. During her tenure there, she assumed roles of increasing responsibility, providing crucial support to executives and officers in areas such as audit, compliance, investigations, individual insurance, and demutualization. Additionally, she periodically supported committee meetings of the Board of Directors. Diane's commitment extended to her role as a certified advanced life-saver CPR provider and the designated emergency contact for her floor during drills and emergencies.

Diane is a graduate of New Jersey’s Middlesex College and holds certification as a Paralegal. Beyond her professional achievements, she is an avid fitness enthusiast who especially enjoys quality time spent with her husband and children, particularly when it involves outdoor activities.
Andrea Russo, - Senior Research Associate
Andrea Russo serves as a Senior Research Associate with Michael E. Marion & Associates, where she holds a key role in a wide array of responsibilities spanning research, information management, recruitment, candidate development, project execution, and business development. Her role is instrumental in the firm's capacity to identify and engage with top-tier talent.

Before joining the firm, Andrea held the position of Director of Investor Relations and was a member of the marketing team at Alpha Investment Management, an investment firm specializing in Hedge Funds. In this capacity, Andrea acted as the primary liaison between the firm's investment professionals and its institutional and high-net-worth clients. During her tenure a significant client, Safra National Bank, acquired Alpha Investment Management; Andrea played a pivotal role on the due diligence team responsible for scrutinizing the acquisition's intricacies and was subsequently recruited to continue her role as the Director of Investor Relations at Safra.

Prior to her venture into the financial sector, Andrea contributed to the health and beauty sector through her involvement with manufacturing firms. At ARK Consulting, she co-founded a management consulting firm in collaboration with an international business owner who valued Andrea's insights into several of his global manufacturing facilities.

Before assuming her consulting role, Andrea held the position of Senior Vice President at Health-Tech. Her career trajectory at Health-Tech was marked by a remarkable ascent, commencing as an accounts payable clerk, and progressing to the leadership of various departments, including human resources, purchasing, operations, new product development, and inventory management. Her ultimate role was Chief Buyer, where she oversaw all inventory purchases and conducted profit analysis for the company.

Andrea earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from William Paterson University. She was the recipient of the Garden State Academic Scholarship for four years and served as the President and founding member of Beta Zeta Phi Sorority.
Kamini Menon, - Associate
Kamini Menon is an Executive Search Associate with Michael E. Marion & Associates. Joining the firm in 2023, her responsibilities include providing key support on various operational functions including research, data management, recruiting activities, and new business development.

Before joining MEM, Kamini served as an Executive Assistant at Jolie, a specialized meal delivery service and café, where she was responsible for logistics and execution of delivery schedules, including client coordination and communication.

Originally from Northern California, Kamini relocated to New York City in 2019 to pursue her undergraduate education. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 2021 from Barnard College of Columbia University.

While pursuing her degree, Kamini worked as an Office Manager for Mill Creek Academy, a college consulting agency, managing daily operations such as client pitches and communication. She also worked as a Research Assistant, gathering and organizing data on university programs for a college resource publication.

In her free time, Kamini enjoys creating artwork, which she sells in an online shop.

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98 Floral Avenue Murray Hill, NJ 07974