Russell Reynolds Associates Appoints U.K. Insurance Practice Leader
March 4, 2020 – Executive recruitment firm Russell Reynolds Associates has continued its recent expansion with the addition of Tom Hicks to lead its U.K. insurance practice. He will also play a key role on the global financial services team.
“We are delighted to welcome Tom to the team,” said James Roome, U.K. country manager for Russell Reynolds Associates. “His track record clearly demonstrates his ability to develop trusted long-term relationships with senior clients across a wide range of organizations, having worked with FTSE 100, FTSE 250 and Fortune 500 companies, as well as major private equity investors on a regular basis.
Based in London, Mr. Hicks joins Russell Reynolds Associated with more than 20 years of executive search experience. He is a trusted client advisor to leaders across the insurance industry. In his role as managing director, financial services sector, he will be responsible for continuing to build the firm’s presence in the insurance market, with a particular focus on recruitment and leadership advisory mandates at the executive and board levels.
Previously, Mr. Hicks was a senior client partner in Korn Ferry’s London office and a member of the firm’s global financial market practice, leading the insurance sector in the U.K. He has consulted with primary carriers, syndicates, and reinsurers in property and casualty, life and pension, and brokerage. Engagements have ranged from global in scale to local and placements include non-executives, chief executive officers, chief financial officers, chief operating officers, sales and marketing directors, human resources directors, chief underwriting officers and claims directors.
“We have built a market-leading position in the sector, driven by the leadership of Deborah Howard, and Tom is the perfect candidate to take on the directorship of this team when Deborah retires from her full-time role later this year,” said Mr. Roome. “Companies in this sector face significant challenges in areas that include digitization, continued regulatory change and changing consumer habits. In addition, as in other markets, we expect to see an increased focus on developing progressive workplace environments with sustainability and D&I high on the agenda,” he said. “Tom is exceedingly well placed to advise clients on the management structures they need to meet those challenges.”
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.
Growing Global Firm
In January, the firm added Zack Deming as a consultant in the firm’s industrial practice and Americas practice leader for transportation and logistics. Based in Atlanta, he works closely with transportation, logistics, airports and aviation-related companies, as well as private equity and infrastructure funds that invest in this space, to advise them on their executive search, succession, and development strategies and approaches. Mr. Deming previously spent over seven years at Korn Ferry, where he most recently held a senior client partner role in their civil aviation and transportation and logistics practices.
Russell Reynolds Associates Names Canadian Operations Leader
Russell Reynolds Associates has named Pascal Bécotte to lead its operations in Canada, which is comprised of three closely integrated offices: Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. In addition, the firm has added four new consultants to its Canada team to expand its support of evolving client needs.
The firm closed the year by adding Immo Futterlieb as managing director in Munich and Moritz Trebeljahr as executive director in its Hamburg office. Dr. Trebeljahr, who holds a doctorate in history, previously worked for Egon Zehnder for more than 10 years, where he specialized in recruiting general counsels and chief compliance officers. He joined the corporate officers practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, focusing on legal and compliance, finance and HR roles. In addition, he will handle supervisory board and corporate governance issues.
In December, Russell Reynolds Associates also expanded with the addition of veteran HR executive Katherine Henry as a senior member of the firm’s global corporate officers sector, leading the human resources officers practice in Australia. She is based in Melbourne and advises clients on matters pertaining to organizational transformations, talent acquisition and development. Previously, Ms. Henry was with ASX-listed Bellamy’s Organic and UXC, where she held chief human resources officer roles.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
