Companies announcing new hires include: Diversified Search, RiseSmart, Advantage xPO, Cook Associates Executive Search and HFS Consultants.

Diversified Search announced that Marie Savard, M.D., joined the firm’s Philadelphia office as a managing director in its healthcare practice. Savard is an internal medicine physician and the author of three books on the subject of health and wellness. She is the former director of the Center for Women’s Health and associate professor at the Medical College of Pennsylvania.

RiseSmart, an outplacement provider, named Russell Williams as regional vice president of sales for key accounts. Russell was formerly a senior vice president at Lee Hecht Harrison, Adecco’s outplacement services division. Additionally, RiseSmart hired Neil Brooks as director of sales for the U.S. central region. Brooks previously was a national account executive at LexisNexis.

Advantage xPO, a workforce management solutions division of Advantage Resourcing, appointed Roger Clements as commercial director. Based in Advantage xPO’s London office, Clements will lead the firm’s commercial sales efforts across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Clements has more than 10 years’ experience in HR outsourcing.

Cook Associates Executive Search appointed Thames Fulton as managing director of its new board advisory services practice. Prior to joining Cook Associates, Fulton served as a consultant with Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.’s (NASD: HSII) CEO & board of directors practice.

HFS Consultants, a healthcare management and financial solutions company, announced that Ellen Montague has joined the company as manager, recruitment. Montague has more than 20 years of experience in the recruiting field. She will provide recruiting management and executive search services to HFS’s hospital and healthcare facility clients.