Strategic Partner Bios

Kevin Michael Darter
President, KMD MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Kevin has been helping organizations identify and acquire the very best human capital since 1994. It was then that he began working as an executive recruiter and researcher for People Management; a retained executive search, assessment, and job fit consulting company. People Management has provided retained executive search and selection services for many of the nation's premier organizations since 1961; successfully handling over 900 key leadership search assignments. Kevin had the opportunity to gain invaluable experience and refined judgment, having worked on a diverse assortment of search assignments for placements at the highest levels. Kevin's relationship with People Management continued for over nine years. Throughout this time Kevin's role at People Management expanded significantly, as did his knowledge of the executive search industry and his ability to understand and respond to his client's needs. He completed extensive training in SIMA® (System for Identifying Motivated Abilities) interviewing and analysis techniques, behavioral interviewing, job fit evaluation, and management coaching.

In addition to People Management, Kevin has worked for a national recruiting firm as a Recruiting Manager, and as the Financial Services Division Manager, of a prominent Madison Avenue executive search firm. Kevin earned a Bachelor's Degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2003, after which he was awarded an Academic Merit Scholarship to St. Thomas University School of Law; He took time off from recruiting to attend.

After successfully completing two years of Law School, Kevin decided to return to the work he is the most passionate about. In 2007 Kevin formed KMD MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, and has continued to partner with organizations that understand the critical impact that the people they hire will have on the success of their businesses. He specializes in the areas of Investor Relations, Financial Communications, Corporate Communications, Financial Officers, Senior Corporate Finance Executives, as well as Asset Managers, and Equity Research Analysts.

Katherine Darter Watts
Consultant, People Management SMDLLC

Katie has been associated with People Management since 1996 initially in a support capacity and more recently as a SIMA consultant providing assistance to individuals who are faced with job fit, career, and academic planning decisions. She has several years of experience in higher education including work in admissions, academic, and career counseling and program management.

Katie has a BA in English and Theatre from Colgate University and an MS in Human Development from the Warner School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester.

Bob Simon
President, Talent Acquisition Services

Bob Simon has more than thirty years of experience in executive recruiting.

After working in Human Resources and Employment Management with Rogers Corporation and Stanley Works, Bob co-founded the retained search firm of Deane, Howard & Simon, where he was responsible for search execution and general management. The company specialized in high-technology searches. After 15 years, DH&S was sold to Korn/Ferry International. At the time of the sale, Executive Recruiter News ranked DH&S as one of the leading 50 retained search firms.

At KFI, Bob was Principal and also a P&L and General Manager within advanced and high technology. In addition to conducting searches, he was also responsible for a staff that provided research and sourcing services to KFI’s partners and consultants.

In 1997 Bob was recruited to Johnson Smith & Knisely to develop the research and recruiting function for their new High-Technology Practice. JSK was acquired by TMP Worldwide, and in 2000, Bob left to start his current company.

Bob received his M.S. degree in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985. He is a member of Society for Human Resources Management, and the Human Resources Association of Central Connecticut. Bob also maintains his memberships in the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

James L. Bond
Vice President, Horton International

Jim has an M.A. in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and a B.A. in Political Science from St. Anselm College. He has over 25 years experience in the search and consulting fields.

Jim was the Managing Director of the Information Technology search practice for People Management Northeast, a position he held from 1994 - 2005. Previously he spent nine years with an international search firm, where he consistently ranked in the top five percent of performers in their worldwide staff and was named to the President’s Club; worked for Data Base Management, Inc., a high-tech consulting services firm where, as part of the management team, his responsibilities included business development, recruitment of professional staff, and account management; and was Vice President of another leading national search firm where he started up and managed their Information Systems Division.

Jim has successfully completed searches for positions in general management, operations and sales and marketing. His clientele ranges across a variety of industry segments, including Financial Services, Business Services, Medical Products, Managed Care, Property/Casualty, Life and Health, and Manufacturing. As Managing Director of the Information Technology practice, Jim has managed and executed searches for positions from CIO through senior project management levels.

Jim currently sits on the board of the Society for Information Management, where he is Membership Chair. He has served on the Technology Committee of the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce, as well as on the Selection Committee for the Connecticut Forum. He has been a frequent speaker before a variety of business and technology groups, including the University of Connecticut MBA School. His interests include travel, fly-fishing, theater, and collecting 19th century prints and etchings.

Roger P. Abate
President, Career Coaching LLC

Roger provides transition and executive coaching services.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Roger had been Vice President of MassMutual’s Life and Health Division. His overall mission in this role was to increase the productivity of the sales organization through leadership, effective selection, mentoring, redesigned compensation incentives, training and development and organizational restructuring.

During his 14 years with MassMutual, Roger also led a broad-based organizational transition to customer service teams, impacting over 60% of the Division staff. This bold and effective reorganization resulted in Roger being selected a recipient of the Presidents Award which honored the top 1% of the corporate officers.

Earlier in his career, Roger was associated with CIGNA for over 20 years in sales, field sales management, product management, and home office sales management assignments. His achievements in the field organization earned him both individual and office sales awards.

Roger graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He also attended executive development programs at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and at the Business School of Harvard University.

Kim Miller

Since 1974, Kim has played a pivotal role in developing SIMA from a loose set of observations to a system that has been validated and tested in educational, government and business applications. As a SIMA specialist, Kim has consulted with numerous organizations and institutions on issues related to job fit. He has worked with a number of major clients to develop models for assessment and prediction. Kim’s development work has resulted in report formats, group workshops, leadership, management and sales models which allow for advanced job fit analysis.

Kim is a graduate from Oral Roberts University and is the son of the founder of People Management.

Robert Peters
President, People Management Rocky Mountains

Bob has over 25 years of field experience as a practitioner in Human Resources, in both the for-profit and not-for profit sectors.

Prior to joining People Management, he served on the senior management teams of the International Bible Society, Focus on the Family, Compassion International and Scherer Brothers Lumber Company.

Bob’s work falls into three general categories. 1) Organizational assessment and design, 2) How to make productive use of present employees through improved utilization, development and career planning, and 3) How to find and select people who will best fit the organization and deliver results.

Bob received his Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management and Development from Chapman University and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Business from Metropolitan State University.

Bob is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix, Colorado Springs Campus. He is Past President of the Colorado Springs Chapter of the Christian Management Association and is a contributing writer to the Life@Work Journal.

Ed Poff
Executive Director, People Management International Inc.

Ed enjoyed a very successful 20 year career at AT&T in senior management roles including general management, sales and sales management, product management and advanced solutions development. Ed participated in AT&T’s two Malcolm Baldridge quality awards. A passion for quality management has grown over the years to include TQM, Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma certifications. Ed earned many major awards and was selected into AT&T’s “Leadership Continuity Program” for future leaders of the business. The executive and management training received while at AT&T was excellent which included over 30 management and leadership courses. One of Ed’s last assignments included a significant contribution to a venture capital team with the objective to discover and invest in high tech start-ups, which would influence how people maximize Internet and wireless communications.

As an extension of those efforts, Ed followed AT&T’s investment in two successful dotcom startups. As critical member of their senior management teams, Ed was deeply engaged in sales, sales management, hiring and M & A activity.

In addition to his worklife, Ed has been very active in the communities where he has lived and held many board of director level positions in such organizations as The New York State Museum, The Hartford Arts Council, churches and schools. Currently, Ed serves as a trustee of the Master’s School in Simsbury, CT and is Church Chairman of one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the Northeast. Ed is also serving on the Board of Centech Corporation in Providence, Rhode Island.

Ed graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. He also attended executive development programs at the Simons Graduate School of business at the University of Rochester and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Robert J. Stevenson
President, People Management North Central

Rob is a nationally known management consultant in senior management selection, organizational design and development, executive coaching, succession planning and workplace change and innovation. He is Chairman of People Management International LLC and Senior Partner of the North Central US office in Minnesota.

Rob received his undergraduate degree from Denison University and a Master’s in Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota. He has taught in graduate programs in health care administration, human resource development, organizational behavior and development and leadership. Following a senior management position in health care, he started several businesses and two not for profit organizations in sales, career management and ministry.

From 1979 to 1983, he served as Special Assistant to Governor Albert Quie, responsible for staff and commissioner selection, development and coaching of senior management, constituent and political relations for the Administration as a member of the Senior Policy Team.

Tommy W. Thomas
President, People Management Mid South

Tommy has a Doctor of Philosophy in Management and Behavioral Sciences from The Oxford Graduate School, an M.B.A. from Samford University and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. He has more than twenty years experience in executive search and general management consulting.

Prior to joining People Management, Tommy was Vice President of Questar Partners, Inc. During his seven years there he worked with a wide range of clients in the manufacturing, petrochemical, housewares and not-for-profit sectors.

He is Vice Chairman of the Board of Regents of The Oxford Graduate School, past President of the Rotary Club of Green Hills and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, and Birmingham, Alabama.