Egon Zehnder Appoints Global Leader of HR Practice
September 4, 2026 – Global leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder has named Ayşe Güçlü Onur as global leader of its human resources practice. She succeeds Rafael Altavini, who helped expand the practice’s work with leaders, teams and organizations navigating transformation and change. “This appointment comes as companies and boards increasingly look to CHROs to help shape business strategy, lead transformation, build leadership pipelines and navigate major shifts in culture and the workforce,” the firm explained.
“Clients are looking for CHROs who can operate at the center of business strategy, not alongside it,” said Francesco Buquicchio, CEO of Egon Zehnder. “Ayşe understands that shift deeply. She brings the advisory experience, global perspective, and practitioner’s mindset to help companies find and develop HR leaders amid increased complexity and ambiguity.”
Ms. Onur brings a combination of executive search, assessment and development, and executive coaching experience to the role. She advises senior leaders across Europe and the United States on talent strategies and pipelines, succession planning, leadership assessment and development, culture and organizational transformation, workforce planning, employee experience, and AI-enabled change. Ms. Onur has been with Egon Zehnder for 18 years and is a senior partner based in New York City.
“CHROs used to be evaluated by how well they supported the business,” Ms. Onur said. “Today, the best drive it. Our role is to help CHROs move from a seat at the table to a hand in business growth. We help them connect leadership decisions, talent, and culture directly to elevated performance. That’s the shift Egon Zehnder is built to guide with our leadership advisory services.”
Egon Zehnder’s human resources practice partners with companies to find, develop, and transform future-ready CHROs. This includes executive search, leadership assessment and development, board effectiveness, culture, succession planning, organizational transformation, and helping organizations build the workforce needed for the age of AI. Over the past five years, the practice has completed more than 1,800 human resources assignments globally, including more than 150 CHRO searches in the past year.
The practice combines global reach with first-hand HR experience. Many consultants held senior corporate leadership roles before joining Egon Zehnder, including former CHROs from Mastercard, DuPont, and GSK. The practice also advances the CHRO agenda through research and development programs focused on the changing CHRO role, including the Transformational CHRO Program, developed with the University of Cambridge Judge Business School and Mobius Executive Leadership, to help CHROs strengthen both the external capabilities needed to shape strategy, culture, and organizational performance, and the self-awareness and resilience required to lead through complexity and change.
Related: Egon Zehnder Forms Alliance with IMD
Egon Zehnder currently ranks as a Top 5 global executive search firm, according to Hunt Scanlon Media. With more than 500 consultants in 70 offices and 36 countries around the globe, Egon Zehnder works with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises, and non-profit and government agencies to provide board advisory services, CEO and leadership succession planning, executive search and assessment, and leadership development solutions. Since 1964, the firm has been at the forefront of defining top leadership in the face of changing economic conditions as well as major transitions in the executive search field.
New U.S. Market Leader
Egon Zehnder recently named Grant Clayton as U.S. market leader. He succeeded German Herrera, who has held the position since 2021 and was recently elected global chair of the firm.
“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 Mr. Buquicchio. “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.”
Mr. 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, Mr. 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.
Related: Egon Zehnder Appoints Leaders of Global Technology & AI Practice Group
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
