Keller Augusta hires MacDonald as senior director, strategy & operations

Manhattan, NY Ryan MacDonald has joined Keller Augusta as senior director, strategy & operations and head of the New York office. MacDonald serves on Keller Augusta’s leadership team, reporting jointly to principal and founder Kate Keller and senior managing director Kaitlin Kincaid.

MacDonald began his career at Keller Augusta, joining the research team before becoming a recruiter. He most recently served as head of talent acquisition and head of the New York office at Social Finance, a national social impact investment firm, where he led the firm’s recruiting efforts, partnered with leadership on compensation and organizational planning, and built the systems and structure needed to support a growing business. Before Social Finance, he led technical and business operations recruitment at Arrowstreet Capital, a global institutional investment manager with more than $292 billion in assets under management.

“What drew me back to Keller Augusta is the people and the standard this team holds itself to,” said MacDonald. “I want to strengthen the systems and culture that let everyone here do their best work, and to extend that same care to how we serve clients.”

The appointment reflects a broader shift in how organizations approach talent leadership. Companies, and the clients Keller Augusta serves, increasingly expect talent functions to act as strategic partners in shaping culture and driving the organizational health that fuels growth. MacDonald’s return brings a combination of strategic and operational leadership, deep recruiting expertise, and a proven ability to attract and retain talent.

In his new role, MacDonald will focus on scaling Keller Augusta’s internal operations, including managing hiring for the firm’s own team, leading performance management and review processes, and creating greater clarity around roles and expectations across the firm. He will also support professional development company-wide, strengthen the firm’s culture at both the organizational and brand level, lead the New York office, and partner with the leadership team to optimize the firm’s technology posture as AI plays a growing role in the business.

“Ryan already understands who we are and what makes Keller Augusta special,” said Kate Keller. “He believes in our vision, cares deeply about our team’s and clients’ success, and is committed to fueling our continued growth.”

MacDonald graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Psychology.