About John
John Blank is chief operating officer of Caldwell. He oversees the firm’s business and people operations, including regional leadership, talent and people operations, operating effectiveness, and Caldwell’s professional leverage model. Working closely with the firm’s regional managing partners and practice leaders, John focuses on strengthening execution, collaboration, accountability, and alignment across Caldwell’s global platform.
John also continues to advise clients on the recruitment of board directors, chief executive officers, and senior executives for private equity-backed healthcare, healthcare technology, managed care, and provider services organizations. He has more than 20 years of executive search experience and has partnered with many of the nation’s leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies across every stage of the investment lifecycle, from executive team buildouts and board recruitment to management assessment and succession planning.
Since joining Caldwell in 2014, John has played a key leadership role in the firm’s growth, helping strengthen partner recruitment, onboarding, leadership engagement, and cross-practice collaboration. His appointment as chief operating officer reflects Caldwell’s continued investment in building a more connected, accountable, and scalable global organization.
John is a frequent speaker on corporate governance, board effectiveness, and leadership within the healthcare sector. He has led board and C-suite searches for private equity firms, publicly traded companies, and high-growth organizations, including cross-border assignments, pre-IPO companies, and spin-offs.
Experience
Prior to joining Caldwell, John held positions of increasing responsibility at several boutique executive search firms. Beforejoining the executive search industry, John was the director of recruitment for Vanguard Health Systems and worked for asmall regional CPA firm.
Recent Feedback
“All of the Caldwell team were knowledgeable, accessible, and supportive throughout the process. I felt that I was well prepared for my interactions with the board and senior leadership team of the company. The communication throughout the process was flawless.” – Chief Executive Officer, Leading medical intelligence platform
Recent News
Harnessing AI Responsibly
AI is rapidly transforming our world, from influencing the news we see to streamlining everyday decisions in healthcare and finance. While some headlines focus on the potential dangers of AI, like the spread of misinformation or the amplification of bias, the reality is far more nuanced.
Are we using AI in a way that benefits all of society, or are we creating unintended consequences? -read more-
Authentic Inclusion: Foundational diversity strategies for private equity & venture capital. Diversity is a growing imperative for every boardroom, and the calls for boards and leadership teams that reflect the diversity and broader economic realities of their customer base will only get louder in future. The time has come for diversity to be a foundational business strategy for PE and venture firms and their portfolio companies. -read more-
