Our Team

BROR DAVID JOHNSON, Founder

Bror David Johnson, the founder of Retention Executive Search LLC, brings over two decades of leadership experience in the Insurance and Recruiting industries. Since 1997, he has held key roles at leading Fortune 50 companies, including RR Donnelly, AT&T, Willis Towers Watson, and SunLife Financial. His distinctive expertise blends insurance placement, brokerage, consulting, and executive recruitment, making him a trusted partner in the industry.

Bror earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Indiana University. Before founding Retention Search, he built a successful career encompassing business development, underwriting, consulting, resource allocation, product development, hiring, and recruiting.

With an extensive network and a deep understanding of the insurance market, Bror is dedicated to connecting top-tier talent with critical roles across the country, leveraging his passion and insight to drive success for both clients and candidates.

Karyn Shirbroun, Recruiting Partner

Karyn led a team of investment professionals for over 35 years, creating investment strategies for private and institutional clients. During her career, she most enjoyed developing talent, mentoring, and team building among her many colleagues. Her passion lies in connecting people with great opportunities so they may find work that is empowering, fulfilling, and rewarding, so she is morphing a career’s-worth of experience and skills into talent acquisition. Karyn lives in the beautiful Rogue River Valley in southern Oregon where she has many volunteer pursuits. She grew up in Iowa and attended the University of Iowa and Drake University.

TOM BLYTHE, Recruiting Partner  

With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Tom has expertise in recruitment, compensation, benefits management, employee relations, and leadership development. He has successfully placed candidates from staff to C-Suite levels and developed strong relationships with brokers while managing a range of insurance coverages, including self-funded and fully insured plans. Tom’s passion for helping individuals succeed drives his commitment to matching career-minded professionals with key staffing opportunities.

ADAM THRALL, Recruiting Partner

Adam had started within the search industry in 2011 focusing within technology, corporate finance, and operational placement.  He is a graduate of Indiana University.  When Adam is not working on placing top candidates across the US, he can be found on the golf course or working on his latest investment property rehab.  

MARINA CHRISTOS, Strategy and Content

Marina Christos has been empowering small and medium-sized businesses to enhance their online presence since 2011. As the founder of Socialty, a Chicago-based social media marketing firm, she brings a wealth of expertise in social media strategy, content marketing, social recruiting, web development, and online presence management.

Marina earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Communications from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1999. Before launching Socialty, she spent over a decade in Human Resources at AT&T, where she specialized in recruiting and customer relationship management, honing her skills in relationship building and strategic communication.

Today, Marina leverages her diverse background to help businesses grow and succeed in the ever-evolving digital landscape.