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Board Directors & Chairs

Experience true partnership as you bring leadership to the boardroom

Shareholders and society as a whole now expect much more from boards of directors, as part of increased scrutiny of our institutions. In addition, there is a growing demand from senior executives for their boards to provide judgment and wisdom on how to “do things better,” taking advantage of global and technological opportunities while avoiding traps and ensuring growth and sustainability.

At Egon Zehnder, we welcome this higher level of scrutiny and stand ready to work with you as partners in building the best boards of directors possible. Through more than 400 international board-consulting assignments annually, we have accumulated insight on a broad range of topics that boards will encounter. Our experience goes well beyond executive search to build on nearly 50 years of learning how board directors can have the greatest impact, both individually and collectively.

We take particular pride in our deep experience helping boards of directors source and develop leadership talent, both on the board and in CEO succession projects. With 63 global offices in 36 countries, we are able to identify, assess, and develop director candidates all over the world. The collective expertise of our consultants — all of whom had significant careers in business before coming to our firm — allows us to better understand and anticipate your talent requirements in this area. Our wide reach also enables us to be creative when it comes to talent solutions; you can expect to meet candidates who don’t show up in traditional databases and who bring diversity of all kinds.

Our board work has three main components. With each of them, we leverage our unique global reach and equal partnership model to make sure that everything we do has a singular focus: bringing better leadership to the boardroom. We invite you to experience true partnership as you build a more effective board.


Board Directors & Chairs Consultants

Ashley Summerfield

Ashley Summerfield

London

Global Lead

Ashley Summerfield leads Egon Zehnder’s global CEO and Board Consulting Practice. He is a trusted advisor to scores of prestigious clients around the… Read more

Thorsten Gerhard

Thorsten Gerhard

Stuttgart

Local Lead

Based in Stuttgart, Thorsten Gerhard leads Egon Zehnder’s CEO and Board Consulting Practice in Germany. He advises on CEO succession and executive… Read more

Elke Hofmann

Elke Hofmann

Munich Office Leader

Local Lead

Based in Munich, Elke Hofmann heads Egon Zehnder’s Munich office and leads the CEO & Board Advisory Practice in Germany. Read more

Charles Gray

Charles Gray

New York

US Lead

Charles “Chuck” Gray, based in New York, co-leads Egon Zehnder's newly formed US CEO and Board Practice. Read more

Lisa Blais

Lisa Blais

Boston

US Lead

Lisa Blais serves on Egon Zehnder’s Board of Directors and leads the firm’s US CEO & Board Practice. She also recently served as Managing Partner of… Read more

Olli Laurén

Olli Laurén

Washington, D.C.

Olli Laurén serves as Managing Partner in Washington D.C. He also leads Egon Zehnder’s Global Machinery & Industrial Technology practice. Read more

Alan Hilliker

Alan Hilliker

New York

Alan Hilliker, based in New York, is a member of Egon Zehnder’s U.S. Board Consulting and CEO practices. Read more

Anne-Claire Monod

Anne-Claire Monod

New York

Anne-Claire Monod is a sought-out advisor to industrial businesses who has developed trusted relationships with Fortune 500 corporations as well as… Read more

Ashley Ma

Ashley Ma

New York

Based in New York, Ashley Ma is a core member of Egon Zehnder’s Financial Services and Technology and Communications Practices. Read more

Carol Kauffman

Carol Kauffman

Boston

Carol is a Senior Leadership Advisor for Egon Zehnder. She has been on the faculty of Harvard for 30 years and is a Visiting Professor at Henley… Read more

Dick Patton

Dick Patton

Boston

Dick Patton partners with clients on CEO succession, advisory, and search, in addition to providing board consulting and search, talent assessment… Read more

Martha Williams

Martha Williams

Boston

Martha Williams, based in Boston, advises companies in the retail and consumer sectors. She is a valued partner to leading national and global clients… Read more

James Satterthwaite

James Satterthwaite

Boston

Jamie Satterthwaite, based in Boston, leads the Firm’s North America Software practice. Read more

Ian Bolin

Ian Bolin

Atlanta, Detroit

Ian Bolin, based in Atlanta and Detroit, leads Egon Zehnder’s Global Automotive and Mobility Practice. Read more

Richard Warren

Richard Warren

Atlanta

Rich Warren, based in Atlanta, is active in Egon Zehnder’s Media & Entertainment, Sports, and Legal Consultancy Services practices and co-leads Egon… Read more

Glenn Zweig

Glenn Zweig

Atlanta

Based in Atlanta, Glenn Zweig is a leader in the Firm’s CFO and Tech practices with a specialization in Software, Digital, and Tech-Enabled Services. Read more


Thought Leadership | Board Directors & Chairs

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The Next Frontier of Board Diversity

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While tech has become the operating system of today’s companies, less attention has been paid to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) or Chief Technology… Read more

Moving from Board Member to Board Leader

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In the last five years, boards in the United States have been more intentional about adding directors from underrepresented minorities. However, that same level… Read more

How Boards Can be ESG Leaders, Not Followers

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In June 2022, Egon Zehnder held the latest event in its Corporate Governance Exchange (CGX) series, which brings together chairs and Nomination & Remuneration… Read more

Strategic Board Succession Planning Comes of Age: 2022 Update

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In the past, boards treated board succession tactically, appointing the most eminent available candidate or someone who could meet an immediate need. Read more

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