David L. Felker, PhD
Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Not-for-Profit, Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutical and Automotive
David is a Managing Partner of Sanford Rose Associates-Del Mar, and Co-founder and Managing Director of the Emerging Ventures Group within Sanford Rose Associates. David is an award winning Executive Search Consultant, having earned multiple achievement awards for excellence in completing Director through CEO retained search assignments in the life sciences industry. David has been a member of the President's Club of SRA International for 4 years. The President's club is reserved for the top 10 office owners.
Prior to joining Sanford Rose Associates, David was Callaway Golf Ball Company's Vice President of Research & Development where he was a member of the start-up executive team that invested $200M resulting in Callaway becoming a market leader in less than 4 years.
Earlier, David spent 13 years with E.I. DuPont Company in a variety of senior-level management positions where he was responsible for Research & Development, Engineering, Customer Service and Manufacturing functions at various DuPont sites across the United States.
David received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, where he conducted research synthesizing anti-tumor agents. Over the years David has been a member of various professional and scientific organizations including ISPE, RAPS, PDA, ACS, ASQ, AlChE, and LES.
Company Profile
Located in Southern California, Sanford Rose Associates-Del Mar serves the needs of early-stage to mid-sized companies. The firm's success is based on its extensive experience, broad industry connections and thorough approach that have earned it multiple awards for its recruiting successes in positions ranging from the Director-level to CEO.
Testimonials
"...The hiring process using Sanford Rose Associates - Del Mar was a markedly different and very positive experience compared to many of the previous search firms we have employed on a recent particularly difficult search. I would not hesistate to recommend the team at SRA - Del Mar to others."
Michael Wahl, VP Engine Systems Analysis Achates Power
San Diego, CA
"We worked for the first time with David Felker from Sanford Rose Associates for the search of our new CEO for our US operations. We were very positively surprised about the outstanding professional management of the search before, during and after the selection. We found an excellent executive amongst a broad list of suitable candidates. We were so satisfied that we hired Sanford Rose immediately afterwards for the next search on VP level for the company. We can highly recommend Sanford Rose for top level executive search."
Heiner Hoppmann, Managing Director Technical Operations, Merckle Ratiopharm Group
Ulm, Germany
"Sanford Rose works very hard to make sure they know their client, and the position requirements. Their attention to detail, thoroughness, and high ethical standards sets them apart from most other firms."
Robert Jones, Vice President Human Resources Somaxon Pharmaceuticals
San Diego, CA
"Sanford Rose is a World Class recruitment firm. They are World Class because of the up front work that they do (both in terms of the company itself and the position being filled, but the candidates as well), their attention to details, their honesty and integrity, their genuine care for the whole process including recruit and client, as well as their follow-up during the recruitment phase, interviews and post hiring. The Sanford Rose staff is professional, courteous and knowledgeable. When recruits are presented, we are the least concerned regarding their credentials, fit and abilities - as the detailed reviews have already been completed by Sanford Rose. We have utilized Sanford Rose for our recruiting needs in the past and fully intend to partner with them in the future"
Stuart S. Daley, Vice President - Operations, Quality and Engineering, Kerry Sweet Ingredients Kerry Group PLC
New Century, KS
"David Felker and the team at Sanford Rose provided outstanding support to me on two critical searches last year – one for a technical director (California) and the other for a plant manager (Georgia). I have worked with many recruiters over the years. It was a pleasure to finally work with people who approached their assignments as partners in the process rather than as just service providers. David and his team are consummate professionals. Their initiative, commitment, responsiveness, and integrity stand out. They are pleasure to work with. ??David Felker directed our first search. I was so pleased with David, the Sanford Rose process, and the result that I didn’t hesitate to call David again for my next critical hiring need. David brings tremendous value through his strong technical, manufacturing, and senior management background, his keen intellect, and engaging interpersonal style. David quickly grasped my company’s needs, worked closely with me in focusing our searches, offered critical insights, and served as a valued advisor. David’s aim isn’t just to fill a position but to see that the best possible fit is achieved. To that extent, David was fully involved and available – to me and the recruits – throughout the searches. And, he has stayed in touch following each search to be sure things worked out as expected.
I am sold on the Sanford Rose search process. It is responsive, timely, and meticulous. Only pre-screened and qualified candidates were presented for my review. Resumes, interview summaries, and references were all documented. They were well written and uniformly formatted allowing me to get a quick and complete picture of each candidate.
When my next key hiring need comes up, there is no question who I will call."
Steve Kahane, D.Env., President and CEO International Coatings Corp.
Cerritos, CA
