Russell Reynolds Associates Names Head of Dubai Office
January 22, 2021 – Russell Reynolds Associates has named Matthew Lewis as a consultant and country manager for the Dubai office. In this role, he will be responsible for enhancing and growing the firm’s presence in the Middle East. “With over two decades of experience advising boards and CEOs at the world’s leading companies, Matthew is uniquely suited to help lead our firm’s efforts in the United Arab Emirates and wider Middle East Region,” said Matthias Oberholzer, regional head for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Russell Reynolds Associates. “Demand for our firm’s services in this region continues to grow, and Matthew’s expertise advising companies in regard to their overall talent strategy, particularly with respect to leadership assessment, succession planning and the recruitment of CEOs and directors, will allow us to augment an already strong team in Dubai.”
“Matthew understands the hurdles that local and multinational companies face during times of economic and political uncertainty and is well positioned to serve our clients as they assemble leadership teams to confront these challenges,” Mr. Oberholzer said. Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Mr. Lewis founded his own Dubai-based talent advisory, leadership consulting and executive coaching firm specializing in emerging markets. Previously, he was a partner at two global executive search and leadership consulting firms, where he managed the Dubai office and led teams across the U.K., the Middle East and Africa. Mr. Lewis is also a committee and board member of the British Business Group Dubai and is a working committee member of the Capital Club, DIFC, Dubai. He is a member of the International Coach Federation and is a frequent guest speaker at leading business schools and leadership conferences in the region. Mr. Lewis received a bachelor’s degree, with honors, in construction management from the University of South Wales. He is currently a doctoral candidate in applied neuroscience in executive coaching from Monarch Business School in Switzerland.
Dubai Market
One of the world’s fastest growing economies, Dubai’s current gross domestic product is projected at $107.1 billion. The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the world’s largest single source of crude oil, and related industries dominate the region, making it a hotbed of activity for search firms with an eye on expansion.
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. Ranked by Hunt Scanlon Media as the third largest search firm in the Americas, Russell Reynolds Associates earns annual revenues of more than $436.6 million.
Recent Partnership
Russell Reynolds Associates and Hogan Assessments, a global provider of personality assessment and leadership development, have expanded their partnership with a new initiative to increase the effectiveness and versatility of C-suite leadership teams. “The complexity and pace of change in today’s environment requires C-suite leadership teams to act with purpose, vision and speed,” said Clarke Murphy, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates. “Too often, though, teams at the top are not teams at all. Ineffective C-suite teams create a cascade of confusion for their organizations and are often paralyzed by sudden shifts in their environments.”
The expanded partnership builds upon the firms’ well-established partnership to drive C-suite performance, combining Russell Reynolds Associates’ depth of expertise in advising CEOs, C-suites and boards on their leadership challenges with Hogan’s suite of assessment instruments, data assets and scientific acumen. The firms will work together to create a new diagnostic approach to designing, aligning and accelerating C-suite team performance and readiness to lead across a range of future business scenarios. Russell Reynolds and Hogan first partnered in 2016 when they joined forces in an effort to increase the success rate of executive appointments and accelerate the development of rising leaders.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
