Former Vlasic Pickles president, executive search firm founder Dennis Sullivan dies

By SHERRI WELCH

Former Vlasic Pickles Co. President Dennis Burns Sullivan, who also made a name for himself in the executive search industry, died Friday at his Bloomfield Hills home. He was 74.

The native Detroiter graduated from the University of Detroit High School, served in the U.S. Air Force and return home to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business from the University of Detroit.

He began his career in sales at General Foods before moving to Detroit-based Vlasic Pickles, where he rose to president of the company. Following the sale of Vlasic Foods to Campbell Soup in 1978, Sullivan opened a local office for Management Recruiters International Inc. and in 1981 founded Sullivan & Associates, which became the largest executive search firm in metro Detroit and a licensee of Boyden Executive Search.

Sullivan served as a trustee for the Brother Rice Dad’s Club, Lourdes Senior Community, theCardinal Club of Detroit and Henry Ford Health System, where he later received a double lung transplant.

He is survived by his wife Patricia; sons Christopher William, Daniel Burns and Michael John; and seven grandchildren.

Visitation is set for 3-8 p.m. Wednesday at A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Royal Oak. A funeral mass is 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Regis Church in Bloomfield Hills, preceded by visitation at 10 a.m.

Memorial donations may be made to University of Detroit Jesuit High School or Brother Rice High School.