Egon Zehnder Names Grant Clayton U.S. Market Leader

Zurich, Feb. 24, 2026 – Egon Zehnder, the world’s premier leadership advisory firm, today announced that Grant Clayton has been appointed U.S. Market Leader, effective March 1, 2026.  He succeeds German Herrera, who has held the position since 2021 and was recently elected Global Chair of the Firm.  

Clayton currently leads Egon Zehnder’s U.S. Technology Practice and formerly led the Firm’s CFO and Audit Chair practice in the U.S. during his 15 years in the Firm. He has deep experience in both executive search and leadership development, particularly with CFOs and financial leaders, with organizations ranging from Fortune 50 companies to small private-equity-backed businesses. Before joining Egon Zehnder, Clayton served as a partner and member of the investment committee of private equity firm CHB Capital Partners and as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he focused on strategy, operations improvement, and business development initiatives.  

Clayton takes over the role from Herrera, who led the U.S. on a growth journey, opening four new offices in the country, growing the number of consultants to over 150 and through an acquisition of the Prince Houston Group in New York. 

"It has been a privilege to witness the outstanding leadership that has driven Egon Zehnder’s growth in the United States, and I am thrilled to welcome Grant as our new U.S. leader," said Francesco Buquicchio, Global CEO of Egon Zehnder. "His deep expertise, commitment, and forward-looking vision make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our U.S. team. As German transitions to the role of Global Chair, I am confident that Grant will build upon our Firm’s strong foundation and continue to deliver exceptional value for our clients and colleagues across the country." 

Egon Zehnder is the world’s premier leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose. We are built on a foundation that supports partnership in the truest sense of the word and aligns our interests with the interests of our clients. Our 600 consultants across 71 offices and 37 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly to deliver the full power of the firm to every client, every time. We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership. 

For more information, visit egonzehnder.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

Cheryl Soltis Martel, Washington, D.C.
Cheryl.Martel@egonzehnder.com

Bailey Wenkel, Chicago
Bailey.Wenkel@egonzehnder.com