RSR Partners Names Consumer Goods & Services Practice Leader
February 24, 2021 – Greenwich, Conn-based RSR Partners has named Gretchen Crist as leader of the firm’s consumer goods and services practice. “Gretchen brings direct experience leading consumer goods and services organizations through transformation and growth,” said Brett Stephens, CEO of RSR. “Her insightfulness and authenticity are immediately apparent to our clients. We are delighted that she will further amplify the team and extend the firm’s platform in this dynamic sector.”
Since joining RSR last spring, Ms. Crist has recruited a number of senior executives to C-suite level roles and to the boards of a variety of consumer organizations, in addition to advising on cultural transformation and board effectiveness projects. She also coaches chief human resources officers on how to build effective talent teams and serves as the head of the firm’s human capital practice. In addition, she a member of firm’s family-owned and family office team. Prior to joining RSR Partners, Ms. Crist was chief human resources officer of Henkel North America and served on Henkel’s Executive Committee. Prior to Henkel, she was CHRO at the Sun Products Corp., which she co-founded in 2008.
RSR Partners, founded by Russell S. Reynolds Jr. in 1993, is an executive, board and leadership recruiting firm with offices in Greenwich, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. Its specialties include: consumer goods and services, hospitality, industrial, financial services, retail, board, CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, chief information officers, chief marketing officers, sport leadership, risk, board recruiting, board advisory, management consulting, technology, innovation, leadership, assessment, asset management, family office, fintech, investment technology, blockchain, cryptocurrency, leadership assessment, executive search, talent, talent advisory, healthcare, life sciences, human capital and corporate affairs.
Newly Combined Family-Owned and Family Office Practice
RSR Partners recently combined the firm’s family-owned business and family office practices to jointly offer clients a full range of services related to governance, executive recruiting and succession planning. “The COVID pandemic has challenged many of our family-owned business clients to better plan for leadership succession,” said Thames Fulton, a member of the RSR’s board recruiting practice. “No one wants to wait for an emergency to begin succession. Whether the family needs to develop the next generation to manage the business or search externally, many are coming to us for governance advice and for the tools to transition smoothly and position for the future.”
RSR’s family-owned and family office practice is national in scope and brings together members of the firm’s board recruiting, board advisory, executive search and family office practices. The team specializes in guiding family-owned businesses towards longevity, from generation to generation.
RSR Partners recently launched a new board and CEO services practice. It was created to partner with CEOs and boards to understand issues, assess opportunities and strategically advise to ensure that sustainable growth strategies are optimized, according to the search firm. “Boards and CEOs today face complex challenges at an accelerating pace driven by the rapid evolution of digitization and globalization,” RSR Partners said. “There is also increasing pressure coming from regulators and shareholder activists. To meet the demands of the future and achieve success, it is critical that corporations focus on continuous improvement and innovation.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
