For three decades, Rowan led a department comprising 50 attorneys
Longtime Cleveland Clinic CLO David Rowan has made the jump to executive search and talent advisory firm BarkerGilmore LLC, where he will be a strategic advisor and leadership development coach.
In the new roles, Rowan will focus on working with professionals and senior professionals in healthcare and the non-profit sectors. He is set to advise executive leadership and boards on executive coaching, legal, compliance, governance effectiveness, and succession planning.
“We are thrilled to welcome David as a strategic advisor and coach. His unparalleled experience in legal and governance leadership, particularly his work guiding the strategic expansion and complex governance at Cleveland Clinic, will be invaluable to our clients”, BarkerGilmore managing partner Bob Barker said. “His strategic approach to executive leadership development, combined with his background in succession planning and organizational transformation, will elevate the value we bring to every engagement.”
In three decades as CLO, Rowan managed a department comprising 50 attorneys and oversaw all legal functions at Cleveland Clinic, a US-headquartered healthy system that has been expanding worldwide. He helped to launch Cleveland Clinic London and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; moreover, he assisted in facilitating collaborations with technology companies.
He also served as chief governance officer and corporate secretary. He advised the Cleveland Clinic board and was a senior member of the team under three CEOs.
Rowan guided the clinic board through its succession process for two CEOs and helped to negotiate complex business transactions. In addition, he assisted in developing an international healthcare governance model covering several US and international locations.
He also brings private practice experience from his stint as partner at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (now Squire Patton Boggs), where he was co-chair of the firm’s healthcare practice and was on the firm’s management committee.
“From a career perspective, there are experiences and insights I intend to share that I believe will be helpful to others in addressing traditional management-related challenges, as well as how to recognize and benefit from opportunities to innovate, both in the healthcare space and general industry,” Rowan said. “The healthcare industry’s rate of change will continue to accelerate, and BarkerGilmore’s differentiated approach makes sense to me, in terms of its potential to help organizations manage in-house legal and compliance talent as a long-term strategic asset.”
