NEW YORK, April 18, 2023 — Egon Zehnder, the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, has announced the appointment of a new leader to its US CEO and Board Practice. Charles “Chuck” Gray will join Lisa Blais in co-leading the newly combined CEO and Board Practice, effective immediately. Last year, Egon Zehnder combined its CEO and Board Practices globally under the leadership of Ashley Summerfield to coordinate efforts in building and deepening relationships with senior leadership. Blais and Gray will work closely with Summerfield to leverage global best practices, perspectives, and tools.
Blais leads Egon Zehnder’s US Board Practice and will now lead the newly combined practice alongside Gray. She serves on the Firm’s global Board of Directors and chairs the Finance and Risk Committees and has also worked with boards and CEOs across a range of leadership advisory, board advisory, and search services. Her experience in CEO succession and search work has been in the industrial sector, however, her board work cuts across industries including healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer. Blais previously led the Firm’s Boston office and the Industrial Practice in North America.
“I am thrilled to bring the US CEO and Board Practice into a new era alongside Chuck,” said Lisa Blais. “His bold, action-oriented leadership style and his ability to understand the needs of our clients will be key as we advise boards and CEOs on the increasingly challenging issues they face.”
Over the last several years, Gray has had an impact both inside and outside the Firm as an advisor to boards, leading key client relationships with members of the Fortune 100. Becoming co-leader of the CEO and Board practice is a natural extension of the work he has been doing. “I’m honored to join Lisa in providing a holistic advisory experience to CEOs and boards,” said Chuck Gray. “Combining these practices and joining our experience will elevate our capabilities and help clients address the new and evolving complexities they face within and outside their organizations, driving actionable, meaningful impact.”
Gray will be transitioning out of his role leading the North America Technology Officers Practice where he brings a deep expertise in Technology and has placed many top CIOs and CTOs into executive roles and onto boards. Under his leadership, the Technology Officers Practice has grown significantly and expanded its capabilities into segments such as Data & Analytics, CTO/Engineering, and Product. With Gray transitioning into this new role, the North America Technology Officers Practice will now be co-led by Karena Man and Joon Yoon.
About Egon Zehnder
Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent 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. Our 567 consultants across 63 offices and 36 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly across geographies, industries and functions 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.
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