I find the leaders your team actually needs.
I'm Chris Tillman. I run executive searches and fractional recruiting engagements for startups, growth-stage companies, and established organizations hiring Director through C-level talent.
Tell me where you are. I'll tell you how I can help.
I've structured my services around the hiring challenges I see most often. Find the one that sounds like you.
Making your first critical hires
You don't have a recruiting function yet. You need a VP of Engineering, a Head of Sales, or your first operations lead — and the wrong hire costs you six months. I run the whole search so you can stay focused on the business.
See how this works →Scaling leadership across functions
You've got product-market fit and you're building out the team. You need several hires but not a full-time recruiter. I embed with your team on a fractional basis and manage the pipeline week to week.
See fractional recruiting →Replacing or adding senior leadership
A key leader is leaving, or you're creating a new function. The search is confidential, the timeline is tight, and you need someone who's placed CMOs, VPs, and Medical Directors before. That's my background.
See executive search →Selected placements across biotech, pharma, and healthcare
Before launching Terrace Vanguard, I spent over a decade placing senior leadership at top life sciences and healthcare companies. Here are some of the highlights.
Clinical-stage biotech developing oral recombinant tablet vaccines for infectious diseases including COVID-19, norovirus, and influenza. BARDA-funded clinical programs.
A biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics to address serious unmet medical needs.
An Alphabet-founded research company focused on the biology of aging and lifespan. Partners with AbbVie and operates advanced research labs in South San Francisco.
A global biopharmaceutical company with a presence in over 80 countries. Therapeutic areas include oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, and gastroenterology.
Clinical-stage biopharma focused on novel therapies for fibrosis. Pipeline targets fibrotic diseases across multiple organs using its integrin biology platform.
A top-10 global biopharma company with a broad portfolio spanning immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, and women's health.
A global medtech company providing essential healthcare products across renal care, medication delivery, and clinical nutrition. Operations in over 100 countries.
A member of the Roche Group and one of the world's leading biotech firms with a deep portfolio spanning oncology, immunology, ophthalmology, and neuroscience.
Global biotech focused on developing therapies for rare diseases. Multiple FDA-approved products and a robust pipeline targeting conditions with significant unmet need.
A biopharma company focused on therapies for serious hematological and neuromuscular diseases. Acquired by Merck in 2021 for $11.5 billion.
A biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, particularly genetically defined hematologic diseases. Pioneered precision medicine approaches to cellular metabolism.
A global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Tokyo with a strong focus in oncology, urology, transplant, and infectious disease therapeutics.
A top-10 global pharma company headquartered in Paris. Operates across immunology, oncology, rare diseases, vaccines, and consumer healthcare in over 100 countries.
A leading enzyme engineering company that applies its CodeEvolver technology platform to develop biocatalysts for pharmaceutical, food, and industrial applications.
How It Works
What to expect when we work together
Whether it's a single executive search or ongoing fractional support, here's the general shape of every engagement.
Discovery Call
We spend 30–60 minutes on the role, the team, the culture, and what success looks like. I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit for the search.
Search Strategy & Targeting
I build a candidate target list based on your requirements, not a keyword blast. You'll see the strategy before I make my first outreach.
Weekly Pipeline Updates
You get a standing update every week — who I've contacted, who's interested, what the market is telling us. No black boxes.
Offer Through Onboarding
I stay through the offer negotiation, start date, and first 90 days to make sure the placement sticks. My work doesn't end at the signature.
Four ways to work together
Each engagement starts with a conversation. I'll recommend the right model based on what you actually need — not what generates the highest fee.
A dedicated, research-driven search for Director to C-level roles. I source candidates you won't find on job boards, run the full evaluation, and support you through offer and onboarding. Most searches close in 60–90 days.
Targeted recruiting for key individual contributor and manager-level roles. Streamlined sourcing, full interview coordination, and a 90-day placement guarantee. Built for roles where speed and quality both matter.
I embed with your team on a flexible monthly basis to manage requisitions, build pipeline, and run hiring processes across multiple roles. You get a senior recruiter without the full-time overhead.
Not sure which model fits? Start here. We do a discovery session, I assess your hiring needs, and design a tailored engagement — executive search, fractional, or a hybrid of both.
INSIGHTS
From the blog
Practical thinking on hiring, leadership, and building teams, written from 15 years of doing the work.
DIY Hiring Tools
The Terrace Vanguard Playbook Series
The same frameworks I use with clients, packaged so you can implement them on your own. If you want hands-on help, start with Services.
Let’s Talk
If you’re hiring and want to pressure-test the role, the market, or the best way to run the search, schedule a consultation and I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right fit.