President Barack Obama imposed tough restrictions on White House aides decamping for K Street, but one staffer from the Office of Presidential Personnel is becoming a headhunter for lobbyists.

Joanna Martin is signing on to the executive search firm Korn/Ferry International, where she will conduct searches for top K Street executives on behalf of trade associations and blue chip companies. She will focus on energy, financial services, health care, insurance and technology.

At the White House, she recruited and recommended candidates for senior positions in the Obama administration.

“We’re thrilled to have Joanna join our growing team at Korn/Ferry International,” Nels Olson, Korn/Ferry’s vice chairman and co-leader of board and CEO services, said in a statement. “She’s a consummate professional and a highly skilled executive search specialist who is already a star in our business.”

Martin replaces Blair Bennett, a former client partner at Korn/Ferry, who joined Wal-Mart earlier this year as director of executive recruiting.

Prior to joining the White House, Martin served as a regional finance director on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. In 2006, she worked in Richmond, Va., as a director of gubernatorial appointments for then-Gov. Tim Kaine.

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