Client Services Director at Blair Search Partners
At Blair Search Partners, we know that strong leadership does not happen by chance. It is built through thoughtful alignment, deep relationships, and a clear understanding of what organizations truly need to move forward.
That same philosophy shapes how we grow our own team.
Today, we are proud to introduce Katie Do, Client Services Director at Blair Search Partners. Katie brings a career built across five countries, two of the world’s most recognized organizations, and a consistent thread: she works with people, not just positions.
Meet Katie
Before Katie Do joined Blair Search Partners, she had already worked in five countries, recruited for UNICEF disaster relief operations, spent nearly a decade at Dell, and brokered a multi-year partnership between two global organizations that had been in talks for two years.
She started at UNICEF’s Emergency Operations Division, first in Bangkok, then Switzerland, then New York. Her role centered on recruiting specialists who could be deployed to active disaster zones within days, including child protection experts, water and sanitation engineers, development professionals. They needed people with not just the right skills, but the ability to move fast, withstand difficult conditions, and remain committed for the long haul.
“It was a huge responsibility,” she said. “It was very daunting when I first started, but we all just had to jump in.”
The stakes were real and immediate. Getting the wrong person into the field meant vulnerable communities, including children, without the support they needed. That reality shaped how she reads people, not just what they’ve done, but who they are and how far they’ll go.
After years with UNICEF, Katie returned to the U.S. and stepped into a field marketing manager role at Dell Technologies. The move surprised people. But her reasoning was clear: she wanted to stay connected to international work, and Dell offered that, along with the chance to learn how a world-class sales organization actually operates.
At Dell, she moved across three different divisions over close to a decade, learning how sales teams drive to a number, how data and relationships work together, and how to bring people along toward a shared goal. She also carved out space for the work she cared about most.
Dell had a small corporate social responsibility team and Katie wanted in. She joined unofficially, as a volunteer alongside her regular role, out of pure conviction. That commitment eventually led her to broker a partnership between Dell and UNICEF that had been in discussions for two years without resolution.
A Global Lens, Grounded in Relationships
Katie has lived and worked in five countries and holds degrees from American University, and a certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School Online. But what she talks about most is not credentials. It’s connection.
“I’m intellectually curious,” she said. “I genuinely enjoy learning about people.”
That curiosity shows up directly in her work.
Take, for instance, an interview she described with a candidate from Ukraine. Rather than leading with a checklist, she started by asking which region the candidate was from. That simple question sparked a connection, helping the candidate feel seen in what can often be an impersonal and isolating process.
“I think it gives candidates a sense of trust and comfort,” she said. “And that helps me be able to build deeper relationships.”
Building Relationships That Come Back
Katie joined Blair Search Partners in 2023 as a recruiter to lead searches for clients including UPAC, Father Joe’s Villages, SANDAG, WILDCOAST, and San Diego Foundation. In May 2024, she stepped into the role of Client Services Director, charged with bringing in new clients and reactivating lapsed partnerships.
One year in, she reflected on the shift with honesty. “I knew I could do it, but at the same time, it was one of those, like, can I really, though?”
She can, and she did. In her first year, she brought on Segerstrom Center for the Arts, a major performing arts institution in Orange County that she initially connected with at a gift planning conference in Costa Mesa, is now on their third search with BSP.
Community as a Core Practice
Katie’s community engagement is not separate from her professional work. It is how she does her professional work.
She currently serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties. As a dedicated ambassador for the Red Cross, Katie is also a proud member of the Tiffany Circle, a philanthropic community of women committed to raising funds that support the Red Cross’s lifesaving mission.
Katie is also an active member of San Diego Rotary Club 33 She attends board meetings during work hours, an arrangement she views as fundamental to what BSP stands for.
“I think it lives out our values,” she said. “We place leaders for nonprofits and we know how important their volunteers and boards are to their success, so I appreciate that BSP supports me in paying that forward.”
Looking Ahead
Katie is over three years into her time at BSP, one year into a role she helped define from the ground up, and is still building. Her focus for the year ahead includes deepening existing client relationships, growing BSP’s reach in new community networks, and continuing to raise the bar on what full-cycle, relationship-first executive search and recruiting looks like.
She returns, again and again, to one idea above all others. Not a strategy or a system — just an orientation toward people. “I thrive on building authentic relationships. That is what we do best at Blair Search Partners and I love working for a company that leads with this ethos.”
Your Next Opportunity Starts Here
We are proud to have Katie on our team, and even more excited about what this means for the organizations we serve. Her approach strengthens our ability to connect clients with leaders who not only meet the role, but truly move the work forward. We’re incredibly grateful to have you, Katie!
Katie’s work at Blair Search Partners reflects what we value most: a genuine curiosity about people, the courage to show up where it counts, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve.
Whether you are an organization seeking leadership that aligns with your mission or a candidate exploring your next step, our team is here to help you navigate what comes next.
Learn more at blairsearchpartners.com and let’s see what we can do together. We’d love to help you find your next great hire.