About Dave
Dave Winston is a visionary leader in the world of executive search, combining over two decades of experience with a relentless passion for his craft. As the head of Caldwell’s Industrial Practice and Dallas office, Dave brings a diverse background and a wealth of expertise to the table, having successfully placed nearly 500 C-suite, finance and P&L executives, with a focus on PE-backed manufacturing companies. Dave truly enjoys recruiting transformational executives, and particularly doing it at Caldwell with his team who have been together for over 15 years.
For Dave, executive search is more than just a job, it’s a calling. His commitment to helping clients and candidates, combined with his passion for search and his diverse background, make him an asset to the private equity community and a true thought-provoking leader in his field.
Experience
Dave’s story goes beyond just his corporate career – before embarking on his journey in executive search he spent 20 years as a Marine officer. In addition to turning jet fuel into noise, he honed his leadership skills and developed a unique perspective on the importance of building relationships and providing solutions.
Education
Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Villanova University.
More About Dave
A lifelong athlete, Dave played NCAA Soccer and served 20 years as a FIFA referee. He is an avid outdoorsman who photographs, hunts and fishes around the world. He enjoys travel and has set foot in over 41 countries so far. He has served as chairman of Heroes on the Water, an organization that helps wounded warriors heal through kayak fishing and the outdoors.
Recent Feedback
“The team knew exactly what to look for and didn’t give up until we got there. Along the way everybody was focused and responsive.” – Nick Scarsella, President & CEO, Crestview Aerospace
Recent News
The CEO Succession Playbook
In the relentless pursuit of success and growth, few processes for companies carry as much weight as CEO succession. CEO succession isn’t just about filling a vacancy; it’s about selecting a talented successor who can ignite value creation and shape social impact. And yet, so many companies get CEO succession wrong. -read more-
Webinar: Unraveling the Complexity of the Defense Production Act of 1950. Caldwell, in association with Mike Tryon, JD, LL.M., former Commander Defense Contract Management Agency – International, recently hosted a webinar that provided a primer on the Defense Production Act (DPA). During the 60 minute presentation, Mike helped unravel the complexity of DPA as it relates to identifying, pursuing, and winning US government contracts for which your business may qualify. -read more-
Leading in a Crisis: How to think outside the box when there is no box. We’ve all heard the expression “think outside the box.” But what do you do when there’s no box, no frame of reference, or no paradigm to shift? -read more-
Navigating Uncharted Waters in Uncertain Times. Pragmatic governance during the COVID-19 Pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to spread disruption to the cadence of daily life around the globe, “the new normal” is a fast-evolving concept. -read more-
Strategic Insights for Hiring a Private Equity CFO. A survey on which attributes truly matter in the CFO chair. The signature of the private equity business model has always been a relentless focus on building value and wasting neither time nor resources on things that won’t add meaningful return on investment. -read more-
Activist Investors: Has Your Board Unwittingly Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Them? Activists seem to be a daily news item, and any company – successful or struggling – can attract activists. Within this environment, corporate boards need to be committed to functioning as a strategic asset of the corporation, rather than as a passive and homogeneous collection of long-tenured directors. Yet many boards either do not seem to appreciate the importance of this goal – or to know how to achieve it. -read more-
Waterman Hurst: 96% of Corporate Leaders Agree: Gender Pay Gap Must Be Fixed. The momentum is building, you read and hear about it almost daily. More board, CEO and top-level jobs are going to women in almost every industry and the drumbeat about the gender pay gap is loud and clear. But is this more of a media movement than a real fix? Will the momentum die before 50/50 leadership is achieved and before women and men are paid the same? -read more-
