Ability to search through members database in the front end

Our customers would love to have the ability to search through the members database.
For example: they are looking for other members within the same workfield of with a certain expertise, so they can easily get in touch with them of follow them.

This feature would also be very helpfull to us as the community team:
For example: we can filter members by expertise, get in touch with them, build relationships with them and stimulate user generated content

We are a B-2-B software company. I am curious to see whether other (B-2-C) companies would also consider this feature as valuable.