H.I. Executive Consulting Expands in Paris
March 18, 2025 – Global search firm H.I. Executive Consulting (HIEC) has expanded with the addition of Selma de Fressenel as a partner based in Paris enhancing its presence across Europe. “We are delighted that Selma is joining our team at HIEC,” said Melissa Reed, managing partner and global leader, consumer practice. “Selma brings an outstanding track record with a focus on digital and technology leaders that encompasses a broad range of clients and industries. Her knowledge of this space is exceptional and the network she has built will be invaluable to our clients. We are especially excited about the work she has done with consumer organizations that will further develop our expertise in consumer digital search.”
Ms. de Fressenel joins HIEC with over 20 years of experience identifying and supporting senior talent in the French and European digital & technology and entrepreneurial ecosystems. She has extensive knowledge of the digital leadership landscape making placements across the consumer, luxury, media, telecommunications, technology and retail industries.
Previously, Ms. de Fressenel managed and developed the digital & tech practice at Lincoln Talent, an independent French executive search firm. Before that, she co-founded Digital Jobs in 2009, where she spent 15 years supporting business leaders in leveraging digital & technology as a strategic development tool. Ms. de Fressenel is fluent in French, English and Arabic.
“I am really excited for this new chapter in my professional career,” said Ms. de Fressenel. “HIEC is an incredible company with outstanding professionals known for their expertise and great track record in this industry. Joining them represents an honor and marks a big step in my professional career. I can’t wait to start and join forces with all my new partners to bring a strong value proposition for the market.”
H.I. Executive Consulting is a global transformational executive search firm founded in 2007, focused on hiring transformational board, CEO, and senior-level executives globally for digital focused clients. The firm operates across 13 offices in North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
Past Alliance
HIEC recently formed a strategic alliance with Software Club (SWC), a fundamental business value research platform focused exclusively on the analysis of public and privately owned software and technology companies for private equity funds and professional investors. “This partnership is an opportunity for HIEC’s network of world-class chairs, chief executives, private equity funds and family offices to benefit from access to Software Club’s analysis and insights, the extensive and close knit community Software Club has generated and the robust and often proprietary data and market insight brought together on a daily basis,” the search firm said.
Related: HIEC Expands Industrial and Consumer and Retail Practices
Software Club was established to forge an advanced, qualitative and quantitative methodology for insight gathering into the top European and U.S. software and technology companies to invest in, learn from and connect with. “Helping private equity funds form precise origination strategies, valuation metrics and creating an invaluable network around specific subsectors or themes,” HIEC said.
H.I. Executive Consulting Partners with KPMG – Connect On Board
H.I. Executive Consulting (HIEC) has formed a partnership with KPMG – Connect On Board, a U.K.-based board-level talent platform. KPMG Connect On Board helps organizations build stronger, more diverse boards by connecting them with top senior talent. This collaboration connects KPMG’s board-level talent platform with H.I.E.C’s global expertise in board-level search. Melissa Reed, managing partner, is leading the efforts for this alliance. “Building on a successful last year, where we saw significant growth in chair and NED appointments across listed companies and investor backed portfolios, we’re keen to support our clients in developing even stronger, more diverse boards in 2025,” H.I. Executive Consulting said.
Ms. Reed joined HIEC in May 2018 and has over 20 years’ experience in retail and consumer executive search. She has worked with a large number of leading international quoted, private, and investor-backed clients on key positions including CEO and non-executive director as well as a wide range of general management and functional leadership roles. She also advises on CEO succession planning and leadership assessment.
HIEC was already supporting the SWC community of global leaders and private equity funds by bringing an overlay of global leadership insight, talent and organizational advisory services, market access and connectivity to those building and leading top software, technology and data businesses across an array of subsectors and scales.
“Where Software Club brings unparalleled depth of specialist company data and insight, HIEC brings the equivalent in talent, leadership and global network across private equity and listed technology and software businesses,” HIEC said. “The partnership between HIEC and Software Club marks a significant milestone and allows both businesses to bring new levels of support to our clients and board and executive communities, with informed decision making tools and a platform through which to build trusted connections.”
Related: H.I. Executive Consulting Appoints CEO
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
