Sonya Olds Som, Esq

Global Managing Partner, Legal, Risk, Compliance, and Government Affairs

Sonya Olds Som serves as Global Managing Partner in Diversified Search Group’s newly created Legal, Risk, Compliance and Government Affairs practice.

Combining her extensive executive search experience in the legal industry with a proven track record of understanding the importance of diversity and inclusive leadership, Sonya leads searches and advises clients in recruiting Chief Legal Officers, General Counsels other C-Suite and Board members with compliance expertise across industries.

Sonya has built a reputation as a connector of people. She has an unrivaled ability to build strategic partnerships. By cultivating key alliances through a highly consultative approach, Sonya has been able to leverage her deep background in talent acquisition, diversity & inclusion, and labor & employment law to attract top industry talent for organizations globally. Sonya regularly provides thought leadership through industry panels, the media, and social media.

She provides organizations with the ability to strengthen their culture of Diversity & Inclusion by positioning this as an integral component to successfully doing business.

At the core of her role is conducting executive searches across C-Suite roles and industries as well as conducting Diversity & Inclusion consulting for organizations.

Prior to joining Diversified Search Group, Sonya was an Executive Search Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Chicago office and as a member of the firm’s Diversity Advisory Services Practice.

Preceding her time with Heidrick & Struggles, Sonya was a Partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa. For nearly a decade, she oversaw various areas of recruiting within the legal field including developing and sourcing candidates, business development and marketing. She was able to leverage a deep professional network throughout the legal industry to place leaders in global legal departments and top law firms.

Sonya has been honored by organizations including the National Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, and Ms. JD for her work in helping to diversify the legal profession.

Education

JD, International Legal Affairs with Concentration in Business Law
Cornell Law School

BA, English with Honors
Kalamazoo College