James Abruzzo
Managing Partner, Global Nonprofit Practice
James serves as Managing Partner of the Global Nonprofit Practice, based in New York City. He also leads the firm’s Nonprofit Leadership Consulting Practice and is a member of the Board & CEO Practice. He founded the Nonprofit Practice in 2002.
With 40 years of experience as an Executive Search and Management Consultant to nonprofit organizations, James’ clients span the nonprofit spectrum — cultural organizations, zoos and aquariums, national health services, universities, social services, international relief organizations and trade associations. Having completed over 500 senior executive searches, he is recognized for his work with nonprofit boards on succession planning, strategy and executive compensation. He is also responsible for recruiting new Partners, developing intellectual capital and representing the firm at nonprofit industry forums.
James co-founded The Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School in 2003. This center hosts symposia and workshops for nonprofit leaders, operates a certificate program in nonprofit leadership, provides consulting to nonprofit organizations and conducts research on critical nonprofit issues. Until his retirement from the institute in December 2017, he also served on the faculty of the Rutgers Business School. From 1985 to 1990, he served on the graduate faculty of Columbia University and the faculty of business schools abroad including the Free University in Berlin, the University of Bologna Graduate School of Economics and, currently, Bocconi SDA, the leading Italian Business School in Milan.
