Carson Kolb
Recruiting
Franklin, Tennessee
Carson Kolb, Inc. is a healthcare-focused executive search firm founded in 1998 and operating as a certified Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB). The firm is also a registered federal contractor (UEI GN2PQ235MP13, CAGE 9JQS1) with NAICS classifications spanning executive search (561312), staffing services (561320), and management consulting (541611, 54161).
Carson Kolb operates from two offices: Franklin, Tennessee (231 Public Square, Suite 300, Franklin, TN 37064 — 615.861.8925) and San Clemente, California (501 N El Camino Real, Suite 200, San Clemente, CA 92672 — 949.612.2544). Searches are conducted nationally and on a targeted regional basis depending on the client's leadership market.
The firm partners with hospitals, health systems, health plans, MSOs, IPAs, ACOs, medical groups, academic medical centers, life sciences companies, healthcare information technology organizations, and federal healthcare agencies. Engagements span non-profit, for-profit, private equity, and venture-backed organizations of every size, from regional providers to national systems. Over 95% of engagements come from repeat clients and referrals.
Where generalist search firms try to apply the same C-suite playbook across industries, Carson Kolb specializes in the operating reality of healthcare: regulated reimbursement, delegated risk, clinical-administrative balance, capitated payment models, value-based care performance, PE-backed roll-up dynamics, and the academic-clinical-research triple braid. The firm has placed CMOs, CFOs, Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Quality Officers, Chief Medical Information Executives, Medical Directors, Senior Medical Directors, Regional Medical Directors, nursing leadership, pharmacy leadership including PBM and formulary roles, and program directors across provider services, member services, quality, utilization management, and informatics.
The firm follows an eight-step research-driven search methodology:
1. Profile — developing a full understanding of the organization's culture, structure, goals, and leadership priorities through stakeholder discussions.
2. Assessment and Review — evaluating compensation, market dynamics, reporting structure, and geographic factors before launching the search.
3. Identification of Candidates — running a national or targeted regional search using the firm's proprietary database, professional network, and direct outreach to surface both visible and passive talent.
4. Candidate Screening and Evaluation — structured initial screening and in-depth interviews focused on experience, leadership style, and organizational fit.
5. Presentation of Candidates — delivering a clear, comparative slate of candidates both verbally and in writing.
6. References and Verification of Credentials — verifying degrees, licenses, and certifications and conducting multiple reference interviews.
7. Communication and Negotiation — serving as an intermediary throughout compensation, benefits, relocation, and onboarding discussions.
8. Post Placement — staying connected with both client and candidate for one full year following placement to support integration and confirm long-term success.
Matthew Kolb (President, Co-Founder) and Sally Kolb (CEO, Co-Founder) lead the firm. Both have served clients across health plans, hospitals, MSOs, IPAs, academic medicine, industry, and government for over two decades each. Matthew has placed executives for over three hundred companies, nationally and internationally.
Carson Kolb operates with an expansive, largely unrestricted candidate pool, which is structurally meaningful in executive search. Most firms maintain off-limits agreements with their largest clients that gate them out of significant talent. The firm's positioning preserves access to the broadest qualified pool for the majority of engagements.
Common search engagements include Chief Medical Officer at health plans and MSOs, Chief Financial Officer at hospitals and PE-backed providers, Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Quality Officer across health systems, residency program directors and academic chair searches, regional medical directors at managed care organizations, senior pharmacy leadership at PBMs and integrated systems, and executive placements for federal healthcare agencies served through the firm's WOSB and federal contractor credentials.
