Connecting catalytic organizations with transformative leaders.
Practice
Leadership today is defined by agility and resilience. Finding the right leader takes a search partner equal to the challenge.
We lead with partner-level expertise. Ensuring seasoned judgment shapes every step—from defining the role and aligning stakeholders to creatively sourcing talent and securing the right leader for long-term success.
We share your values. Weaving shared values into every conversation and consideration, we ensure the process reflects the integrity of your organization and culminates in a leader who embodies your values and amplifies your impact.
We draw on a diverse network of relationships. Recruiting exceptional leaders requires the nuance of expertise, the rigor of research, and networks cultivated over decades and constantly refreshed.
We are unburdened by legacy systems. Working without typical agency constraints, we are catalysts, strategists, and doers bringing creativity, efficiency, and judgment to how leaders are identified, evaluated, and engaged.
Team
We founded IGNITE AGENTS to reimagine executive search through sharper insight, deeper alignment, and measurable impact.
As seasoned search professionals and former operators, we advise organizations through leadership transitions and periods of growth. We identify and attract the right leaders for the right moments.
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Karen Fullerton leads multi-sector executive searches — from early-stage startups and high-growth scale-ups to industry leaders and social impact organizations. For nearly two decades, she has recruited senior executives and board leaders (CEO, COO/President, CTO, CFO, CMO, CRO) through VP-level and strategic roles. Her expertise lies in innovation-driven sectors, where she has built leadership teams through multiple market cycles.
Prior to executive search, Karen was a builder and operator, building multiple enterprise SaaS startups from 0 > 1, launching a health-conscious consumer beverage brand, and developing public-private partnerships to expand STEM career pathways for underrepresented communities. She began her career as a Financial Analyst at ABN AMRO in Taipei.
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Debbie Tang leads global executive searches in both the private and public sectors, from Fortune 100 companies to universities and government agencies. She recruits senior executives across all functions (CEO, CFO, CHRO, General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer and Board Directors) in a wide variety of industries.
Before co-founding IGNITE AGENTS, Debbie was a Partner at a boutique executive search firm, and spent over six years as a Managing Director in Major, Lindsey & Africa's in-house practice group. Prior to executive search, she was in-house counsel for Marriott International and served as General Counsel of an international restaurant chain. She began her career as an Associate at Troutman Sanders and Reed Smith.
Debbie is actively involved in the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia. She received a BA degree from McGill University and a JD from Washington & Lee School of Law, where she was on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. She serves on the Boards of the Washington Project for the Arts (Co-chair of Governance Committee) and Norwood School (Vice-Chair & Chair of Committee on Trustees).
Expertise
We operate where mission & innovation converge. Our deep presence in these dynamic spaces gives us early insight into emerging priorities, trusted access to leaders, and the context to navigate complexity.
Sectors
Consumer & Lifestyle | FinTech & Financial Services | Healthtech | Philanthropy & Non-profit | Real Estate | Tech | Sustainability & Climate |
Functions
Board & Executive Leadership | Communications & Public Affairs | Data & AI/ML | Finance | Legal & Compliance | GTM & Growth | People & Talent | Product & Design |