Architect Of Modern Leadership In Life Sciences
Nick Poloni
President
Cascadia Search Group
Architect Of Modern Leadership In Life Sciences
Nick Poloni
President,
Cascadia Search Group
Some leaders are defined by the roles they hold. Others are defined by the way they reshape the industries around them. Nick Poloni, who firmly belongs in the second group, believes that the right leader can change the trajectory of a company and even the course of medicine. Long before he became President of Cascadia Search Group, he was learning the art of connection at Ricoh and Nike, where precision and culture left a lasting mark on him. That foundation fueled a career in executive search where he quickly rose to national recognition, earning international awards and building a reputation for placing leaders who not only fit roles but also accelerate innovation. Today, at Cascadia, Nick partners with biotech and pharma companies to build dream teams behind life-changing medicines. In this exclusive feature with TradeFlock, Nick shares the challenges, lessons, and vision that have guided his journey and continue to shape the future of executive search.
What did you take from Ricoh and Nike that shaped Cascadia?
My time at Ricoh and Nike gave me a front-row seat to how great organizations grow. At Ricoh, I learned the discipline of process, precision, and what it means to deliver value to clients consistently. At Nike, I experienced the energy that comes from a strong culture, a powerful brand, and people performing at the top of their game. Those lessons stuck with me and shaped how I think about talent — not as simply filling a position, but as fueling growth and defining a company’s future. With Cascadia Search Group, I’ve built on those experiences to create a boutique firm that combines rigor with a more personal, human touch.
What has been the toughest challenge in running Cascadia, and how did you overcome it?
One of the toughest challenges has been persuading large organizations to rethink their hiring practices. Many still see AI as a quick fix, but while it can streamline certain steps, it also has blind spots. Without human judgment and market expertise, those blind spots can lead to costly mistakes. The bigger hurdle, though, is cost perception. In a budget-conscious climate, recruitment fees are often treated as expendable. But the math tells a different story: a bad hire can cost up to 2x their annual salary, sometimes 8x the cost of a recruitment fee. And they’re not rare; nearly 3 out of 4 hiring managers admit they’ve made a bad hire. That’s the reality we’re solving for. The turning point came when we shifted our focus from presenting Cascadia as a cost to positioning it as a risk mitigation strategy. That shift helped leaders see long-term savings and build lasting partnerships with us.
What initiatives are you driving, and how do you balance them with AI in executive search?
Our focus is on two priorities: strengthening our specialization in biotech and pharma buildouts, and elevating the candidate experience so every interaction feels personal. That means sharper market mapping, faster outreach, and more transparent communication with clients and candidates. When it comes to technology, we take a balanced approach. AI, automated sourcing, and people analytics help us work faster and surface talent more efficiently. But the heart of executive search remains human judgment, context, and relationships. AI can scan thousands of profiles, but it can’t reveal who has the grit to lead through adversity or whose style will align with a C-suite vision. By combining efficiency with boutique-level judgment, we help clients not just hire fast, but hire right.
How do you build diverse leadership pipelines, and what mentoring do you recommend?
Building diverse leadership pipelines begins with redefining the pool, not just re-running the same search. Too often, companies circle back to familiar profiles. At CSG, we broaden the map by engaging therapeutic networks, affinity groups, and rising leaders with the skills and trajectory to succeed. Mentorship is just as critical. The strongest programs connect emerging leaders with mentors outside their reporting line and across functions, creating both freedom and perspective. Development must also be ongoing: feedback loops, visibility on strategic projects, and senior sponsorship. True diversity is more than hiring — it’s creating conditions where leaders thrive.
How do you give back, and what’s one change hiring leaders should make?
I give back by sharing what I’ve learned openly — publishing articles, tools, and practical insights on LinkedIn so both candidates and hiring leaders can cut through the noise. For me, it’s about democratizing access to good recruiting practices. When more people have the right playbook, everyone benefits, not just those who can pay for it. The single change I’d recommend to every hiring leader is to get crystal clear on must-haves versus nice-to-haves before starting a search. Too many senior roles come with long, inflated wish lists that slow the process and shrink the pool. When you strip it down to the three or four capabilities that truly move the business forward, you not only hire faster, you hire better.
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