Benjamin (Ben) McCombs is Research Manager based in the Chicago headquarters of Cook Associates, Inc. He oversees the research function within the Executive Search division, and is responsible for internal hiring and training, all research operations including the assessment of systems and tools, as well as assigning and monitoring individual search engagements among the research staff. Ben also personally conducts research to assist search teams with name generation, the development of organizational charts, and in providing competitive industry intelligence. He brings extensive experience in research strategies with a focus on marketing, sales, operations and business development functions. Prior to joining Cook Associates, Inc., Ben covered a wide variety of topics as an editor, reporter and writer with publications such as Moscow-Pullman Daily News, The Spokesman-Review/7, Streetwise, Gearwire, in addition to a privately-owned independent publisher, Whispering Pines Press. He earned a BA, Communication, with an emphasis on Journalism and a minor in English, from Washington State University. Ben is fluent in Portuguese and has a working knowledge of the Spanish language.