Get to know us.

About Delphine

Delphine Barringer-Mills is a multilingual talent and executive search professional with over twenty years of progressive experience working with nongovernmental, nonprofit, and philanthropy organizations in the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, Central Asia, and Latin America.

She has worked extensively in talent sourcing, identification and capture in emerging and developing economies and hard-to-find technical and operational positions. Her broad network consists of technical talent (agriculture, public health, economic development, economic strengthening, nutrition, impact investment) and operational experts sourced across the globe from diverse sectors, professional levels and geographies.

Delphine is a practitioner. She is passionate about her role connecting talent to organizations, where both can develop and grow into future leaders. She complements this passion with a deep appreciation for the mechanics, structures and strategies that constrain, drive, and build opportunities for all those who engage with the development ecosystem.

Specializations

  • International recruitment across Africa, North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East

  • Surge recruitment for project start-up or quick-turnaround needs, including proposals

  • Recruitment for donor-funded programs (e.g., USAID, USDA, AFD, Gates Foundation, FCDO)

  • Qualitative and quantitative HR analytics

  • International compensation and benchmarking (non-expert, but experienced in global structures)

  • Proposal recruitment from capture to submission

  • Talent systems development, including CRM selection and implementation

  • Training, development, and mentorship

FAQs

We’re looking at potential recruiting firms, and the name of DBM&Co came up. What should we know?

DBM&Co is a boutique search firm exclusively dedicated to sourcing talent for NGOs, non-profits, and foundations. We lead an alliance of affiliated women-owned and operated firms. Together, our mission is to identify, source, and match exceptional candidates for leadership, programmatic, technical, finance, and operations roles within global organizations.

What is your distinct mission?

Our mission is to support the social impact goals of our clients. From the very first contact, we take the time to thoroughly research and understand your unique needs.

While fees in the non-profit sector don’t approach the levels seen in corporate C-suites, tech giants, or finance powerhouses, the demand for exceptional leaders, visionaries, and operators in NGOs and foundations is arguably even greater. That’s why we are committed to delivering world-class service at fees that are fair and sustainable for everyone involved.

This firm is our way of empowering people and organizations to amplify their missions and create lasting impact.

Can DBM&Co support our organization? We’re very large / small / decentralized / specialized / unique / global / complex.

Most likely, yes! Our clients range from large global foundations to small, founder-led grassroots programs, as well as every type of NGO in between. We have an extensive network of contacts and substantial goodwill built over 25 years in the sector. We will likely be able to meet your needs—and if not, we’ll be upfront about it.

A lot of big firms have an NGO practice area. They have global offices and hundreds of recruiters. Why would we give that up to work with a boutique firm?

Many “global” search firms are fragmented—collections of recruiters working in silos, relying on individual networks, and often delegating candidate outreach in a transactional way. DBM&Co works differently.

We partner with a trusted network of women-owned, values-aligned firms in key markets to deliver genuine global reach—combining consistency, care, and shared standards.

Our model is both personal and scalable, rooted in deep relationships with clients and candidates alike.

Our team consists of practitioners who understand the global impact sector from the inside out, bringing insight, nuance, and credibility to every search.

From first contact through contract signature, we prioritize relationships over transactions.

Big tech platforms dominate an increasing share of our attention and online interactions, while AI hype—and adoption—are rapidly accelerating. What does the future hold for a human-centered executive search firm?

We believe the power of genuine human interaction can’t be replaced. When was the last time someone was truly excited to receive a marketing email or be approached by a sales bot? Algorithmic search casts a wide net and has its place when hiring is a numbers game. But engaging candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job requires persuasion and connection that go far beyond clicks.

Don’t get us wrong—LinkedIn and other online networks are incredible research tools. We also use AI to enhance our workflows and efficiency. But the heart of our work happens one conversation at a time, seeking meaningful connections and often discovering great talent through serendipity.