Meet the Team

Josh founded SB Search Partners in 2021 to better serve both the Private Equity and Growth Equity communities. His tenure in search has led him to complete searches in nearly every function and industry, and through the years has carved out a niche in technology CFO and board work (B2B Software and B2C Internet).

Prior to SB Search, Josh helped co-lead Lancor’s Technology CFO practice, where he completed over 75 searches, and assisted the firm on countless others. He works with a number of leading Venture, Growth, and Private Equity firms to help in their most senior retained executive hires.

Josh graduated from the University of Nevada-Reno, with a Master’s Degree in Finance and a Bachelor’s in Finance and Economics. He played collegiate golf for the Wolf Pack, before serving as their Assistant Men’s Golf Coach.

Ellen is a Senior Associate for SB Search Partners. She supports in managing and executing retained executive assignments. She focuses her time on candidate identification, sourcing strategies, and data management

Ellen graduated from the University of Nevada-Reno, with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Being involved in the medical field, Ellen constantly witnessed the positive benefits to a company with the proper people in the leadership positions. With her research abilities fostered in the medical field and her ability to simplify comprehensive data, Ellen's passion quickly changed from medicine to executive search.

Cliff is a 35-year veteran in the executive search industry. His focus is serving high growth companies in a broad range of technology-oriented industries including semi-conductors, e-commerce, media, and food science. He is most known for working in the software industry. Functional expertise is the CFO position where he has completed hundreds of assignments, including 21 CFO’s who later led their company through a successful IPO. Notable clients include Pandora Media, Eat Just, Nutanix, Lending Club, Upstart, ServiceNow, Net Logic, Data Domain, Zulily, Mindbody, Okta, Tile, Alteryx, Venify and Corse Hero.

He currently acts as a coach/advisor to SB Search Partners. Cliff worked with Josh Baskins, founder of SB Partners, for 6 years while at Lancor. Outside of work, Cliff and Josh are occasional golf partners both having played varsity college golf in an earlier day; Josh far exceeds Cliff in golf skill!

Cliff is on the Board of Hopes of Northern Nevada, a health care organization serving those without private medical insurance or have no insurance. At Hopes, his focus is on their capital campaign to raise more than $30 for a new facility adjacent to the Nevada Cares Homeless Campus. In 2021 Cliff was a key member of Montreux Cares which raised more than $1m for the Campus from the Montreux Golf Community. He is also on the advisory council to the Dean of the Business School at University Nevada Reno. Earlier he was a founding member of the Educational Foundation of Orinda, CA.

Gayle is a Strategic Advisor for SB Search Partners. She brings over 30 years of executive search experience to the firm. Her focus has been in the technology industry, across all C-level positions. She brings an extensive background in executive search and human resources to the team.

Gayle previously served as a Director of Special Projects at Lancor for 5 years. Prior to Lancor, she was a founding Partner at KarrScheffel, and has held key management positions within the executive search practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Scheffel & Associates, and Baxter Biotech. She began her career with a Regional CPA firm in San Francisco as an Auditor.

Gayle has experience within a variety of industries including: technology, media, fintech and e-commerce.