Our Team
Rachel Fagnant-Fassler, President & Co-Owner
Rachel Fagnant-Fassler is President and Co-Owner of CFW Careers, where she co-leads operations of the firm with Cynnie King. After receiving a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan and a MA in Mental Health Counseling at NYU, she worked as a Career Counselor and as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in several nonprofit organizations before moving into executive search and coaching. Her expertise has informed CFW’s executive search and coaching services for over a decade. Her certifications include American University’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance.
Rachel also co-founded Changing the Conversation (with co-founders Cynnie King and Maria Simon) with a personal commitment to advancing women towards leadership and helping them to achieve the ultimate goal of gender equality in the highest ranks of the corporate world.
When she’s not in the office, you can find her going for long runs and hiking in the mountains outside of Denver.
I joined our firm as a graduate student. At the time, I thought that I was gaining invaluable skills that would inform my clinical practice. Ultimately, though, I found that my training enabled me to contribute the most to individuals and companies in career development. And my clinical background continues to inform the coaching work I do every day—with a focus on intentional career pathing as well as work-life mental health. I love facilitating individual career growth and working with managers to facilitate the growth of their own teams.
Recruiting expertise: leadership, sales, marketing, revenue operations, communications, and program direction.
Coaching expertise: developmental executive coaching, role transition, onboarding, career transition, career development, team management, team coaching, DISC assessment (TTI Success Insights), attention and performance, creative problem-solving, work life mental health, and outdoor coaching..
Cynnie King, CEO & Co-Owner
Cynnie King is CEO and Co-Owner of CFW Careers. She co-leads the firm with Rachel Fagnant-Fassler, together, extending the legacy of David King who founded the firm 50 years ago. Over the past 15 years, she has contributed to evolving the firm’s recruiting services and establishing its executive coaching practice. She has served as a trusted advisor to hundreds of corporate clients and individuals on the rise in their careers.
She is also co-founder, along with Rachel Fagnant-Fassler and Maria Simon, of Changing the Conversation, focused on elevating women toward leadership and building diverse and inclusive organizations.
A graduate of Colby College, Cynnie was previously Managing Partner of an international branding consultancy and business development executive for several other strategic branding and marketing communications firms. She was Vice President of WJM Associates, a provider of executive coaching for senior leaders. Her certifications include American University’s Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance and TTI Success Insights DISC.
An active member of her community in Lancaster, PA, Cynnie is engaged in various initiatives around caring for others. She recently rediscovered her joy in traveling abroad (there’s a chance she lived in Paris in a past life).
An essential part of career fulfillment is finding meaning and purpose in one’s work; and that’s exactly what I find in helping others to fully realize their professional talent and potential. As a recruiter, I lend a particular perspective relevant to aligning talent with opportunity. As an executive coach, I create a space where executives feel supported and empowered to take on new opportunities and overcome any obstacles holding them back. I challenge leaders in a way that encourages self-reflection and shifts their perception of themselves, allowing for professional growth and evolution, to the benefit of the organizations they serve.
Recruiting expertise: sales, account management, customer success, marketing, revenue operations, executive leadership.
Coaching expertise: career transition, career development, executive presence executive coaching, leadership coaching, team coaching, career transition, executive presence, internal career pathing, executive assessment, DISC assessment (TTI Success Insights).
Maria Carolina Simon, VP Talent Strategy & Partnerships
Maria Carolina Simon leads the recruiting practice and oversees partnerships at CFW Careers, leveraging her 20+ years of experience in management, sales, and business development. Throughout her career, worked at some of the world's top SaaS and digital media companies, making her exceptionally well-suited to advise and partner with sales organizations on recruiting, talent development, and retention strategies.
At CFW, Maria plays a pivotal role in guiding clients through every aspect of sales talent acquisition and growth, with expertise in recruiting for sales, account management, customer success, marketing, revenue operations, and executive leadership. Her industry focus includes SaaS, start-ups, private equity-backed companies, CPG, and manufacturing.
In addition to her leadership in talent strategy, Maria develops partnerships to help clients achieve their talent goals. She is a co-founder of Changing the Conversation, alongside Cynnie King and Rachel Fagnant-Fassler, with a personal mission to promote gender equality and empower women to reach leadership roles.
Maria holds a BFA from FIT and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University’s ILR School. She is passionate about creating dynamic, inclusive workplaces that reflect the diverse communities we serve and inspire individuals to maximize their potential.
Outside of work, Maria enjoys practicing yoga, cycling, and playing tennis. She lives in Richmond, VA (RVA) with her husband Eric, their daughter Mila, and their dog Chloe.
My commitment to effecting change is why I have joined CFW. Careers. I'm proud to be working with Cynnie, Rachel, our terrific team and our partners to fulfill the mission of helping clients build dynamic workplaces that reflect our ideal communities, and to inspire individuals to seek, develop, and optimize their potential.
Recruiting expertise: sales, account management, customer success, marketing, revenue operations, executive leadership, team building with industry expertise in SaaS, start-ups, PE backed companies as well as CPG, retail and EdTech.
Diany Levy, Recruitment & Marketing Specialist
Diany is the Recruiting and Marketing Specialist at CFW Careers, where she plays a key role in recruitment operations, account management, and driving marketing initiatives.
She holds a BA in Hospitality and Event Management from Johnson & Wales University and a Master’s in Marketing from New York University. Her professional experience spans corporate event planning across the US and LATAM, as well as working in international SaaS sales development with NYC-based startups.
When she's not working from her remote office near the beautiful beaches of Miami, Diany enjoys spending time with her two young children, baking fudge brownies and banana bread, and exploring Miami's vibrant food scene. She also loves traveling and immersing herself in different cultures.
From the very first day, I’ve been inspired by the collaborative spirit and genuine care that define how we work at CFW Careers—with each other, and with our clients and candidates. It’s incredibly rewarding to be part of a team that empowers individuals to navigate positive career changes. I love hearing people’s stories and supporting them in finding the right opportunities to enhance both their professional journey and overall quality of life.
Founder | David W. King
June 30, 1934 - October 22, 2022
David King founded CFW Careers in 1973 as Careers for Women, Inc., the only organization in the world whose sole purpose was to attract, train and place women in the executive sales profession. He inspired a revolution through his efforts to advance the workplace for all, believing that women were naturally better salespeople than men and that executive sales provided an environment with the autonomy and compensation structure for a successful saleswoman to earn more equitable compensation. His book, The Best Way in the World for a Woman to Make Money, brought his wisdom to more women and impacted thousands of lives by changing preconceptions of sales and inspiring career change.
I think the next great step in the Women’s Movement will be the economic step. Every woman should have a career. Every woman should have her own money. As long as you have to ask someone else for your money, you can not be independent and you can not be equal. And when you become economically equal, you will then also become socially, sexually and psychologically equal as well. DWK circa 1976
