Our Leadership Team

Meredith Gantshar is the Founder and CEO at Merraine Group^® Inc. Originally from western Pennsylvania, Meredith attended the University of Pittsburgh for her undergraduate studies and later obtained a Master’s in Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.  With a lengthy career in healthcare, Meredith worked in diverse areas such as Alzheimer’s Research and Dental Health before launching Merraine Group^® in 2001.  As a working Mother and a nationally recognized corporate leader, Meredith has blazed a trail for working women and has led Merraine Group^® to record setting growth over the last two decades.  As the leader of a family business Meredith states the secret to her success is yielding to her husband on important subjects like which wine to select at dinner while she continues to “wear the pants in the family.”  Merraine Group^® is proud to be a woman-owned and operated business.

David is the President & Managing Director of Merraine Group Inc.^® and has been with the firm since inception.  He has been the driving force behind the firm’s global expansion as well Merraine’s product line diversification which now includes Executive Search & Permanent Placement, Interim & Contract Staffing, RPO, Organizational Management, Training and HR Outsourcing. Prior to Merraine Group^®, David spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles in the graphic communications industry with firms such as Quebecor World, now known as Quad Graphics. David is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and has assisted more than three dozen executive search and recruitment firms with their business development and growth plans. David is married to the “Big Boss,” has two dogs and can frequently be found in airports, hospitals (for good reasons) or if time allows… sampling a new vintage.  Apparently, he still orders the wine every time he and Meredith are in the same city which does not happen frequently enough.

Our beloved co-founder, Barbara Ratner, passed away on March 8th, 2022. Barbara was an amazing woman drawing her inspiration from the arts and her desire to help others. Barbara began her career as an opera singer. Later she became an author of children’s educational books, a fundraiser, and the proud mother of three children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Until she went into semi-retirement in 2019, she worked as the Senior VP of our firm where she held a seat on the firm’s Executive Committee and was responsible for Strategic Development. Over the years Barb filled many roles at our firm with responsibility for a diverse set of tasks including our database, candidate procurement, adviser to the CEO, and responsibility for the launch of our healthcare business.

A native of Philadelphia, Barb received her Master’s from Simmons College and spent most of her career on the east coast working in Massachusetts, New York, Maryland, and Florida. Barb also was the one that picked the name of our firm, one she was very proud of. During her 21 years with the firm, she literally placed hundreds and hundreds of candidates. Most important is the fact that Barb challenged all of us to be the best we could be. She accepted nothing less than 110%, a commitment to excellence, and a desire to help others achieve their dreams. We miss her greatly.

Laura is Merraine Group’s Vice President of Talent Engagement. Laura has over two decades of experience in leadership and talent development, including serving as Director of Area Operations Training for a global BPO organization, assigned exclusively to the AT&T account. Prior to that, she was the Director of Training for MRINetwork where she partnered with search firms worldwide to develop recruitment talent. Laura’s passion is growing companies, changing lives and helping her team exceed expectations.

Prior to joining Merraine Group®, Donald spent eleven years with Blue Cross/Blue Shield in their Philadelphia office. He now leads Merraine’s® Career Development Group where all of the recruitment teams report to him. If you’ve noticed a different cadence when he speaks, it may be because he’s from northern Scotland. He claims to have played both Trump International Golf Links as well as St. Andrew’s although neither of them went very well. Donald is the proud father of five children.

Amalia Gantshar is a third-generation Merrainiac! Trained as a Mechanical Engineer, Amalia’s love for systems, quality assurance and process improvement led to her role as Compliance Manager at Merraine Group. Nothing gets past her, and that’s why Merraine relies upon her expertise when it comes to all matters compliance. In particular, Amalia’s responsibilities include oversight for Merraine Interim which deploys interim leaders for contractual assignments all over the country.

Alfred has over 25 years of experience in corporate structure and operations. His team building skills and passion for innovation, have driven Alfred’s dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion projects. As the leader of Merraine’s Diversity & Inclusion team, Alfred is proud to work for a woman-owned business that practices what they preach. As a national leader in the subject of workplace inclusiveness, Alfred has been featured in major publications such as Modern Healthcare (August, 2021). Unfortunately, Alfred is not a wine drinker but he does pilot Cessna’s in his spare time.

Jane is a Master’s graduate in Business Administration and now works in the Corporate Office of Merraine Group as the Executive Assistant to senior leadership. She assists in the interview scheduling process, travel and relocation services of the company’s candidates. Jane has worked with the Executive C-suite for over 10 years across multiple industries of hospitality, media entertainment and graphic communication. She is also a graphic designer who designs everything from company brochures to event coordination.

Steve and David have worked together for close to thirty years. Steve is a licensed CPA and has oversight for finance, legal affairs and administration at Merraine Group®. He also plays a large role on the firm’s acquisition team where he holds a seat on the Executive Committee. Steve enjoys playing those games at the carnival where you have to guess how many jelly beans are in the jar and to be candid….he usually wins. If you’re a fan of the Big Bang Theory, Steve can give any of those guys a run for their money but he’s slightly more comfortable in social situations.

Rebecca David has been with the Merraine Group^® for almost a decade and is focused on finding the very best candidates for Merraine Group’s Key Account Team. She is well versed in healthcare, having grown up in a family where her father – a physician – discussed medical diagnoses at the dinner table. Rebecca has lived in several major cities across the U.S., including St. Louis, Chicago, LA and NYC, where she received her BA in Speech and an MA in Education. She is the proud mother of five children, one who is now a nurse and another who is currently in nursing school.

Jonathan leads all operational efforts at Merraine Group®. A graduate of Touro College, with a degree in Business Administration and Masters in Organizational Development, he worked as a Business Development Executive at KPMG before joining Merraine®. Jonathan has led organizational consulting projects for organizations of all sizes – from boutique firms to Fortune 500 companies. Jonathan has spent time in the Ukraine where he worked with under privileged children. He still yearns to be a stand-up comedian one day. Jonathan is the proud father of four children.

Fabiana joined the Merraine team in 2022 as our Marketing Specialist. Originally from Brazil, Fabiana brings to the table an invaluable international perspective. With years dedicated to steering brand development and crafting innovative marketing strategies for global entities such as Volvo, we are able to better serve our clients and candidates thanks to her wealth of experience and insight. Fabiana received her bachelor’s degree in social communication and advertising in 2011 and is now responsible for Merraine’s marketing strategies and social media initiatives.