Gretchen O’Brien is a Senior Vice President and trusted advisor to CEOs, Boards, and executive leadership teams, specializing in executive search and organizational build-out within complex, growth-oriented environments. She partners closely with clients—particularly Small to Mid-sized organizations—to identify and place transformative leaders who drive business performance.
Gretchen is known for leading high-impact, often confidential searches across the C-suite and VP levels, including Human Resources, Finance, Operations, and Marketing leadership. Her work frequently supports organizations undergoing transformation, succession, or strategic inflection points, where aligning leadership talent with business objectives is critical.
A highly communicative and hands-on partner, Gretchen operates as an extension of her clients’ businesses. She is valued for her ability to quickly calibrate with leadership teams, deliver well-vetted candidates, and navigate sensitive situations with discretion and precision—never wasting time with misaligned talent. Her approach blends market insight with a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, ensuring both immediate fit and long-term success.
Prior to transitioning into executive search, Gretchen spent over 15 years in senior Human Resources leadership roles. She served as Director of Talent Acquisition at The Overlook Retirement Community, where she partnered across the organization to lead workforce strategy and staffing initiatives. Earlier, as Senior Director of Human Resources at Not Your Average Joe’s Restaurant Group, she aligned HR strategy with business goals across a $300M, 6,000-employee organization, leading initiatives spanning talent acquisition, succession planning, leadership development, and performance management.
Earlier in her career, Gretchen built and led a successful recruitment and staffing business in the U.S., further strengthening her expertise in talent strategy, client development, and organizational growth.
Gretchen is actively involved in the HR and business community. She serves as Chair of the Membership Committee for the HR Leadership Forum and is a member of the Membership Committee for RI SHRM. She is also a frequent speaker at colleges and professional events, where she shares insights on leadership, talent strategy, and the evolving workforce.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Rhode Island, earned her SPHR certification through Bryant University, and is a certified Analyst in the Predictive Index® with certification in Talent Optimization.
Gretchen lives in the greater Providence, Rhode Island area with her husband, her large lab-mix, Kirby and her cat Reilly. Outside of work, she enjoys power yoga, hiking, traveling, and exploring new culinary experiences.
Contact Gretchen Directly: gobrien@kingbishop.com
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