Shawn Friend

About Shawn Friend

Shawn Friend is the Founder and Managing Partner of Port City Labs and has been working in Executive Search for 20+ years. Previous to Port City Labs, Shawn was a Senior Partner at Prestige Scientific where he consistently ranked in the top 1% inside the Sanford Rose Associates (SRA) International Recruiting Network. He is well versed in leading cross functional project teams that include Quality Assurance, Regulatory, Pre/ Non-Clinical, Clinical, Chemistry Manufacturing & Controls (CMC), and others.Shawn has been involved in building numerous leadership teams for both biotech and pharmaceutical organizations. His initial plunge into recruiting, the focus was contingent search. From there, moved to tackling contract and fractional work. 10 years into his journey, he realized that a path to retained executive search paired well with his energy and “Rolodex”. Partnering with Venture, Private Equity, and numerous other industry leading Life Science companies is where has made his home. Shawn has been a key lynchpin in completing search projects for numerous C-Suite roles, Board Members, and other functional heads. Additionally, his work with multiple clinical research non-profits has given him the opportunity to give back and support development throughout the globe.Beyond his business leadership, Mr. Friend is actively engaged in community efforts and serves organizations like Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, NC Food Bank, and Wreaths Across America.

Experience

1. President

   A Prodigal Project

   Dec 2025 — Present · Wilmington, NC, US

   Our Mission: To unite and empower fathers to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, becoming godly men who are intentional in guiding their children and demonstrating Christ’s love in their hearts, churches, and communities. Vision: Supporting dads in their personal journey as followers of Jesus Christ. We do that through community engagement, interpersonal engagement, and providing a platform for spiritual engagement.

Skills

• Recruiting
• Recruiters
• Resume
• Staff Augmentation
• Internet Recruiting
• Staffing Services
• Benefits Negotiation
• Permanent Placement
• Contract Recruitment
• Technical Recruiting
• Applicant Tracking Systems
• Screening
• Executive Search
• Screening Resumes
• Talent Acquisition
• Sourcing
• College Recruiting
• Resume Writing
• Temporary Placement
• Talent Management
• New Business Development
• Sales
• Training
• Interviews
• Management
• Networking
• Human Resources
• Onboarding
• Sdlc
• Cold Calling
• Temporary Staffing
• Recruitment Advertising
• Employee Benefits
• Hiring
• Employer Branding
• Search
• IT Recruitment
• Taleo
• Interviewing