Odgers Berndtson Appoints Head of Diversity
December 22, 2021 – Odgers Berndtson has named Ryna Young as partner and head of diversity. “We are proud to be a leader in our industry as we appoint Ryna Young as head of diversity,” said Carl Lovas, chair and chief executive officer of Odgers Berndtson Canada. “We are deeply committed to creating an equitable client and colleague experience. Welcoming Ryna to the team is just one more step in ensuring we live our organizational values.”
Ms. Young brings 25 years of experience in executive and interim executive search, leadership development, and succession management. She is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Having spent the majority of her career in recruitment, and navigating her own leadership journey, Ms. Young has witnessed firsthand how unconscious and systemic bias can affect the candidate and client experience, according to Odgers Berndtson.
Ms. Young has placed board members and other senior leaders within a number of functions, including operations, human resources, IT, sales, finance and accounting across the public and private sectors. Previously, she served as managing director at Optimum Talent. Before that, Ms. Young was a partner with LLH Knightsbridge. She has a degree in psychology from the University of Windsor and is an active volunteer in her community, serving at Foodbank Oakville, Kerr Street Mission and Scott Mission.
As head of diversity, Ms. Young will draw on her expertise to support the firm with two key strategic initiatives: She will act as an ambassador for DE&I in the delivery of its integrated advisory services and she will serve as an internal champion to ensure the firm is attracting and developing diverse talent. “I believe I have a responsibility to promote greater diversity and inclusion in our industry, which is why I was attracted to Odgers Berndtson,” said Ms. Young. “They understand that the work they do to identify and develop leaders has very real business and social implications, and they are fully committed to leading change. The fact that I get to help shape that journey is an honor and responsibility I embrace.”
Odgers Berndtson also named Jeongah Seo as head of people analytics and talent insights. She will be responsible for driving the firm’s data, analytics and intelligence business and strategy. “Jeongah has spent most of her career focused on change management, process optimization, operations and commercial growth strategy, and she brings keen analytics and insights that will help deliver unique digital solutions to our clients,” said Steve Potter, U.S. CEO.