Russell Reynolds Associates Appoints New CEO

Top leadership appointments, of men and women, have been gaining traction at executive search firms over the past year. A top five-ranked executive search firm prepares for big growth and expansion with a key leadership appointment. Constantine Alexandrakis, currently head of the firm’s Americas region, has been named CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates succeeding Clarke Murphy. Let’s take a look at the new appointment!

January 5, 2022 – Russell Reynolds Associates has appointed Constantine Alexandrakis, currently head of the firm’s Americas region, as its new chief executive officer succeeding Clarke Murphy, who will remain with the firm, transitioning back to full-time client work. “Constantine is a demonstrated leader who has an inspiring vision,” said Mr. Murphy. “With his global orientation, collaborative leadership, inclusive mindset, and passion for the business, I am confident that he will lead this organization forward with tremendous success. I am proud to be a part of the firm’s legacy and am looking forward to continuing to work with Constantine as he positions us for the future.”

Mr. Alexandrakis served on the firm’s executive committee between 2015 and 2018 and in 2018 was appointed head of the Americas – including the U.S., Canada, and Latin America – overseeing the firm’s growth and expansion in the region. His earlier leadership roles included leading the U.S. as well as the firm’s global leadership and succession practice. He has been with RRA for over 15 years and, as a leadership advisory consultant in the firm’s CEO and board practice, has advised corporate boards and CEOs across a range of industries.

“I am honored to lead this firm into the next chapter of our growth and development and am focused on ensuring that we continue to be recognized and valued by clients worldwide as the premier leadership advisory firm – with a team and with insights that are second to none,” said Mr. Alexandrakis.

“We are grateful to Clarke for his transformative leadership and tireless commitment to our firm, its special culture and ensuring we are delivering our very best to the clients we serve. The great success we have achieved during his tenure is a testament not only to his decades of insight into the leadership issues our clients face, but also to his deep personal passion for our firm’s purpose: improving the way the world is led,” he added.

Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates in 2004, Mr. Alexandrakis served as vice president of operations for Hostway Corp., a cloud services provider. He was also a strategy consultant for Towers Perrin and earlier in his career worked as a financial analyst with United Airlines. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton University and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and is a member of the Florida Bar. Mr. Alexandrakis is based in Chicago and has served on several boards in support of the local community.

Russell Reynolds Associates is a global leadership advisory and search firm. Its 425-plus consultants in 46 offices work with public, private and non-profit organizations across all industries and regions.

Leadership Appointments Rising at Recruiting Firms

Top leadership appointments, of men and women, have been gaining traction at executive search firms over the past year. Here’s a look at several examples taken from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:

Diversified Search Group (DSG), a leading search firm backed by private equity firm ShoreView Industries, has appointed vice chairman Aileen K. Alexander to chief executive officer, reporting to Judith M. von Seldeneck, founder and chair. Ms. Alexander’s accession comes following Dale E. Jones’ recent decision to step down after nine years as CEO. Under Mr. Jones’s leadership, the firm’s revenue grew from $27 million to more than $100 million. Mr. Jones will remain with the firm as a senior adviser, serving clients in its corporate board and CEO practice. “I would like to thank Dale for his leadership and the significant contributions he’s made to this firm. He has cemented his legacy as a pioneer in this industry and as a transformative leader in the growth of Diversified Search Group,” said Ms. Seldeneck. “The board and our management team believe that Aileen Alexander is the ideal leader to position our company for even greater growth and success in the future as we focus on cultivating new leaders for this changing world.”

The board of directors of Isaacson, Miller has appointed Ericka Miller as the firm’s next president and CEO. “As one of the first women of color to lead a major national executive search firm, Ericka brings a deep and lifelong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, consistent with Isaacson, Miller’s core values,” the search firm said. “Ericka has done an excellent job of building and leading our PreK-12 education and education improvement practice, chairing the promotions committee, and serving as an indispensable member of the board of directors,” said John Isaacson, founder and chair of Isaacson, Miller.

San Diego, CA-headquartered executive search firm Bespoke Partners has added a new president and chief operating officer to its leadership team as it seeks ways to drive and scale its human capital advisory service offerings. Joining Bespoke as president is Eric Walczykowski, a technology industry veteran who has served in leadership roles in business development, sales and marketing. He is charged with driving Bespoke’s transformation from a pure executive search firm to a full-service human capital advisory firm. Mark Hood joins as chief operating officer, bringing decades of experience in operations, management, and capital market activities. Mr. Hood will be expected to build the firm’s talent and management infrastructure to scale its capacity across multiple service lines, while sustaining the firm’s track record of performance, quality, and client satisfaction.

Chicago-headquartered referral recruiting service Hunt Club has expanded with the addition of Stephanie Tysdal as its chief operating officer. “Stephanie is incredibly customer focused. We spent our first conversation talking about all the ways that the recruiting industry (to date) has neglected using technology to change the customer and candidate experience,” said Nick Cromydas, co-founder and CEO. “She immediately understood the advantage our business can have by further unlocking our expert network marketplace to access the best candidates via trusted introductions. She’s spent time in archaic industries in benefits and logistics, redefining how to use technology, engineering, data science to deliver an unparalleled experience, and we’re really excited to have her deliver that for Hunt Club and the recruiting space.”