Talent2GO Partner Emeritus

Jodi Avina is a Talent2Go Partner Emeritus at 2Go Advisory Group. As Director of Recruiting Services she built the firm's executive search and placement practice, and she co-leads the Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice Group.

She is a consultative and empathetic recruiter. Partnering with a client, she defines both the environment and the position to find the best cultural and competent fit. She keeps the process smooth by putting employer and employee at ease, so both can put their best foot forward.

Jodi serves a wide range of clients, drawing on her knowledge of international cultures and her fluency in several languages. Her career took a circuitous route, from living in France in college, to working with Ernst and Young, then healthcare and medical device sales before her recruiting work. That breadth is why she succeeds at evaluating candidates and connecting people with positions.

Growing up the oldest of six, she started working at 14 at a local doctor's office, where she built a strong work ethic and a compassion for people in need. She interviewed and qualified patients into funded medical studies, putting them at ease in stressful situations and getting critical information on the record, information that could affect their lives. Those skills proved equally vital in recruiting.

Recruiting, like nursing, is about what is not spoken as much as what is revealed on both sides of the table.

Her ease in difficult situations, and her knack for putting others at ease, opened doors. Early on, the President of the University of Portland tapped Jodi for fundraising after watching her talk with community members and donors. A past CFOs2Go client and treasured mentor, the CFO of PG&E, honed her skills further. He was an early adopter of the virtual staffing model introduced by CFOs2Go, and he recognized Jodi's ability to ferret out the best talent. He was the first to tap her for recruiting permanent positions on his team, which set her on the path to becoming Director of Recruiting at 2Go Advisory Group. He understood how much a recruiter has to understand the hiring manager and the company to find the right fit, and he trusted Jodi because she could read and assess candidates against both. He knew he struck gold.

Empathetic, astute, and devoted to finding the best fit for candidate and company alike, Jodi is the compassionate, consultative recruiter. Her passion is the middle market, working directly with C-level executives as part of the team. Companies in high growth or transition are often chaotic, and they need quick, efficient results.

Most recruiting firms treat the work as a numbers game, throwing candidates at a position until one sticks. Jodi built her practice on the opposite premise. She looks carefully at both the position and the candidate, takes the time to research and build relationships, and learns the details of the role and the people in the company. That takes a dogged attention to detail and a commitment to quality that not all recruiters possess.

A compassionate recruiter and consultant, Jodi strives to feed her soul and to support the community she calls home. She volunteers with the East Bay Leadership Council, which advocates on public policy issues affecting the economy and the quality of life of the East Bay community. She joined to learn more about the community where she lives and works, and to be an instrument of change. She serves on its Executive Committee, responsible for building membership in a more meaningful way. She also serves on the Salvation Army of Alameda County advisory board, and she co-founded a networking group that brings professional women together.