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Constantine Alexandrakis
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago
Constantine Alexandrakis is the Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates and serves on the firm’s Board of Directors. Based in Chicago, he has held numerous leadership positions at the firm, most recently as the head of the Americas region.
Constantine advises corporate boards and CEOs for public and private companies across a wide range of industries. During his nearly two decades at RRA, he has completed board director, CEO, and other top management succession and search assignments for leading public companies and private equity-backed portfolio companies. He also has expertise in corporate governance, board effectiveness, and succession planning.
Constantine joined the firm in 2004 after serving as vice president of operations for Hostway Corporation, a web solutions provider. He was also a strategy consultant for Towers Perrin. Earlier in his career, Constantine worked as a financial analyst with United Airlines.
Constantine received his AB in economics from Princeton University, with honors, and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also holds a JD from the University of Miami School of Law.
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Combining decades of global leadership experience, the Board of Directors at Russell Reynolds Associates provides guidance and insights that keep the firm at the forefront of the executive search and leadership advisory industry. Learn more about each member, their sector expertise, and the vast knowledge they bring to the table. |
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Go-to-Market Leadership
Jim Hinds
London
Jim Hinds is an expert in building highly effective boards, hiring chairmen, CEOs, and their leadership teams for businesses in the consumer products, business services, retail, and private equity spaces. He is also Russell Reynolds Associates’ global relationship lead for some of the largest and most admired consumer organizations. Based in London, Jim works with these global organizations on their most strategic and important talent issues, leading assignments for both public and private leadership teams while providing pre-acquisition CEO advice and assessments. He has an extensive track record of hiring CEOs and giving the board and their leadership team strategic advice on how to align talent with overall business strategy.
Jim currently serves as Global Industry Co-Leader on the Senior Leadership Team. Since joining the firm in 2007, he has held several senior leadership roles, including regional coordinator for the firm’s business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, European Advisory Services Practice Lead, a member of the firm’s EXCO, and the UK Country Manager.
Previously Jim was a Managing Director at the strategy consulting firm Marakon Associates and brings more than 10 years of general management and marketing experience, working with companies such as Gillette, Wyeth, and Astra Zeneca. He was the CEO of a venture-backed startup, bringing first-hand executive experience to his searches.
Jim received a BA with honors in economics from the University of Manchester and an MBA from IMD Business School. He also served on the Board of Make A Wish as a trustee for four years.
Justin Cerilli
New York
Justin Cerilli advises clients on how to recruit and retain transformational leadership talent in Financial Services. He is a core member of our Financial Services and Technology Industries, with strong expertise in technology, operations, data, and analytics leadership. He focuses primarily on technology, digital, and data leaders, advising clients on how to recruit and retain transformational leadership talent in financial services, FinTech, data and analytics, and information services.
Justin currently serves as Global Capability Co-Leader on the Senior Leadership Team. He has held several leadership positions at RRA, including Area Manager for New York, Stamford, and Boston, founder of the Data and Analytics Practice, and member of the firm’s Global Executive Committee.
Justin recently recruited a president to a rapidly growing financial services technology company, led the successful CEO succession assignment for a high-growth FinTech firm, the head of operations and technology to a large asset and wealth management firm, the chief information officer for a global insurance firm, the executive chairman for a data and analytics company, a global chief operating officer to an international insurance company, and the chief data and analytics officer to a Fortune 50 company.
Justin holds a BA from Gettysburg College. He serves on the board of Catholic Charities.
Amy Scissons
New York
Amy Scissons is the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates. Based in New York, Amy oversees global marketing and communications for the firm, including Marketing, Public Relations, Branding, and Internal/External Communications.
Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Amy most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for Mercer’s international region, where she led marketing operations in more than 100 cities and 41 countries for the global HR consulting firm. With more than 20 years of experience, her expertise spans several industries and global markets, specializing in integrated marketing strategy, demand generation, customer-centric digital/data-driven marketing, and leading high-performance teams.
Amy earned her BA in history and her MBA from McGill University. She also holds a Certificate in International Business from HEC Paris and has spoken as a guest lecturer at ESADE Business School. She speaks fluent English, Spanish and French.
Geographic Leadership
Kimberly Archer
Washington, DC
Kimberly Archer serves as the Co-Lead of Americas, specializing in advising purpose-driven clients across a multitude of industry verticals, with a focus on succession and overall team and leadership effectiveness. Based in Washington, DC she is also a core member of the Social Impact and Education Industries and the Board & CEO Advisory Partners Capability at Russell Reynolds Associates. She leverages her extensive expertise to recruit high-impact CEOs and other key leadership roles in corporate and external affairs, as well as people and culture.
Since joining in 2005, Kimberly has held numerous leadership positions including co-leadership of the Social Impact & Education Sector, Practice Leader for Education, and Area Manager for the Washington, DC office. She has served on the firm’s Risk Management Committee and LEAP Committee, responsible for internal global promotions.
Prior to RRA, Kimberly worked in philanthropy, specifically developing strategic partnerships and corporate alliances for one of the largest US-based public health foundations. She also held multiple roles in communications and marketing with Avon Products, Inc and Federated Department Stores/Bloomingdale’s.
Kimberly holds a BA in psychology from Hofstra University. She has also completed the Executive Education Leadership program at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kimberly is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the the Hofstra University Women’s Advisory Board. She is passionate about child advocacy and protection and has served on the board of Darkness to Light, as Vice Chair and Governance Chair. Following her board service, she remains an advisor.
Filiep Deforche
Brussels
Filiep works closely with senior leaders to build great teams and enable transformation across sectors. Based in Brussels, he serves as Co-Lead of EMEIA.
Filiep has deep experience in the industrial and financial services industries. He leverages his strong strategic consulting background to work with leadership teams and boards of both local and international companies of all sizes. Filiep brings nearly three decades of experience to his client work, including 25 years with Boston Consulting Group. Filiep led BCG’s Brussels office and was a practice leader for the people and organization practice for the Western-Europe and South-America region. He also was a leader of several partner evaluation and compensation committees at the regional and global levels.
Filiep holds an MSc in civil mechanical-electrical engineering from Ghent University and an MBA from Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, both in Belgium. He is fluent in Dutch, French, and English and is a Certified Leadership Performance Coach. He chairs and is a member of several NGO and Association Boards of Directors.
Clare Metcalf
Chicago, Minneapolis - St Paul
Clare Metcalf serves as the Co-Lead for Americas and leads significant CFO searches and succession projects across sectors. Based in Chicago, she works in a wide range of industries to help CFOs recruit top talent, fill key positions, and build their talent bench. She is also part of our Board & CEO Advisory team, leading the recruitment of executives with strong financial expertise to the boards of leading companies.
Before joining Russell Reynolds, Clare spent more than a decade at another leading global search firm, where she conducted financial officer searches and seconded on chief strategy officer searches. Before this, Clare was an executive at Roebuck and Co., where she was Director of eCommerce for Sears.com. Prior to this role, she served as Director of Strategy for Sears’ retail operations. Earlier in her career, Clare was a management consultant at A.T. Kearney after beginning her career as a compensation consultant with The Hay Group.
Clare received her bachelor's degree, (Hons), in economics and international relations from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA from the University of Chicago, where she received the George Hay Award in marketing. Clare is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and a Trustee of The Goodman Theatre.
Matthias Oberholzer
Zurich
Matthias Oberholzer advises national and international clients in the recruitment of CEO, board, and other top management positions. Based in Zurich, he currently serves as Lead of Asia Pacific. He advises clients primarily in the insurance banking and private equity industries. His recent work includes the successful recruitment of CEOs, CHROs, CMOs, COOs, heads of strategy, and regional CEOs for private banks and global insurance companies.
Matthias joined the firm in 2008 and has since held numerous leadership positions. He has served as the head of the EMEA region, Area Manager of RRA Switzerland, and head of the Global Insurance Practice. Previously, Matthias worked for McKinsey & Company advising insurance, banking, and sports clients. During his time, he held leadership roles in the European and Swiss insurance practices and led knowledge management development in the areas of claims management, underwriting, bancassurance, and others. Earlier in his career, Matthias founded and sold several companies as an independent entrepreneur. He has published a book on product innovation in the P&C insurance industry and authored several articles for leading industry publications.
Matthias received his BA in business administration and his MBA in insurance economics from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland. He also holds an MS in e-commerce from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in insurance economics from the University of Basel.
Matthias is a member of YPO.
Laura Sanderson
London
Laura Sanderson advises companies on key appointments to shape their future. She has now been responsible for more than 300 appointments to the boards of FTSE 100, FTSE 250, private, mutual and family-owned firms.
Based in London, Laura co-leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ operations in EMEIA and oversees the firm’s Board & CEO Advisory Partners team throughout Europe. She has more than 20 years of experience identifying and recruiting leading executives to serve on boards. She conducts a broad range of Chairman and Non-Executive Director assignments and also advises on CEO appointments in her areas of expertise.
Laura joined Russell Reynolds Associates when The Zygos Partnership became a part of the company. She joined The Zygos Partnership shortly after the business launched, later becoming a partner at the firm. There she focused on leading client assignments in financial services and other regulated industries. Earlier in her career she worked at a boutique executive search and consultancy firm, providing company chairmen with strategic advice on a range of issues, including corporate governance.
Laura received her MA in English and her MPhil in medieval and renaissance literature, together with three scholarships, from Trinity College, Cambridge University. She became a Fellow of Winchester College in 2020.
Strategy and Excellence Leadership
Todd Safferstone
New York
Todd Safferstone serves as the Head of Strategy and Excellence for Russell Reynolds Associates. Based in New York, he is responsible for growth strategy, corporate development, and new product development.
Before his current role, Todd led the creation of the firm’s Knowledge Management function, oversaw the global research organization, and served as RRA’s Head of Innovation. Prior to joining RRA, he held a number of global leadership roles in CEB’s human resources practice. He also served in CEB’s London office, where he led the HR practice in EMEA and was a member of the firm’s European leadership team.
Todd is a frequent speaker at client events around the world and regularly contributes to client engagements focused on leadership succession. His research on leadership and talent has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The Economist.
Todd holds a BA in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Operations and Services Leadership
Eric Allen
Stamford
Eric Allen is the General Counsel and Secretary of Russell Reynolds Associates. He is responsible for all legal matters, including issues relating to corporate governance, risk management, ethics, data privacy, intellectual property, and group structure. He advises the firm on employment laws and practices around the world.
Prior to joining RRA, Eric was the chief legal officer at the international private equity firm Hicks Muse Tate & Furst. Prior to Hicks Muse, Eric was the associate general counsel of Syntroleum Corporation, where he negotiated and drafted major business agreements for this publicly traded alternative energy company. He previously was an attorney at ConocoPhillips and Baker Botts.
Eric holds an AB in history from Stanford University and his JD from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law where he was managing editor of the law review.
Renée Bell
Chicago
Renée Bell is the Chief People Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates, responsible for all aspects of the development and execution of the firm’s human resources strategy globally.
Renée has a deep background in human capital management, with a particular focus on learning and development and talent management. Previously, she spent nearly a decade as RRA’s Global Head of Learning and Development and was instrumental in leading our professional development programs, DEI efforts, redefining sponsorship, and more. Most recently, Renée was the chief talent officer at Cornerstone Research, where she managed a global team of over 20 across eight locations and established the company’s DEI Council. Earlier in her career, she spent more than 15 years at McKinsey & Company, where she held an array of positions, from business analyst to director of professional development.
Renée holds a BA with honors in economics and government from Harvard University and an MBA with honors from the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business and an MPP from the Harris School of Public Policy.
Harpreet Khurana
New York
Harpreet Khurana is the Chief Digital and Data Analytics Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates. Based in New York, he is responsible for the firm’s global digital strategy and data capabilities.
Harpreet brings years of experience helping companies drive digital innovation. Most recently, he was a Vice President of Digital Transformation at Salesforce, where he spent eight years advising clients on enabling world class customer experiences based on technology and human factors. With expertise that spans corporate strategy, innovation consulting, and emerging technologies, Harpreet has worked in over a dozen countries helping clients with digital-led business model transformation. He has also led innovation teams at IBM, Thomson Reuters, and Booz & Co. Harpreet started his career at a wireless startup focused on bringing e-commerce capabilities to the burgeoning Indian mobile market.
Harpreet holds an MBA from Columbia University and a BS in computer science from the University of Mumbai.
Sabina McBride
Chicago
Sabina McBride is the Chief Client Services Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates. Based in Chicago, she is responsible for overseeing the support teams that partner with Consultants on client execution across the firm and core operational improvement projects. Sabina has held several leadership positions at RRA, most recently as the Global Head of Operational Transformation and previously as the Director of Operations for the Americas. Earlier in her career, Sabina was a Consultant in the firm’s Retail and Consumer Digital and Media Practices.
Prior to rejoining RRA in 2017, Sabina was the chief operating officer at LaSalle Network, a staffing, and recruiting firm, where she was a member of the executive leadership team overseeing operational improvement, data & analytics, technology enhancements, overall business strategy, and managed the marketing client recruiting team. She also ran her own consulting company, where she advised small to mid-sized companies on corporate strategy, workforce management, recruiting, and financial analysis. Previously, she held senior strategy and finance roles at SAVO, a provider of sales enablement solutions. Sabina began her career in equity research and investment banking in the US and the UK covering consumer, retail, and apparel companies and clients.
Sabina holds a BA, magna cum laude, in political science from Amherst College.
Paul Ottolini
Stamford
Paul is the Chief Financial Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates, responsible for managing the firm’s global financial operations, connecting strategy with performance, and overseeing financial reporting and budget management. Paul serves on the firm's Senior Leadership Team and manages a global team of 50+ finance and accounting professionals.
Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Paul served as the CFO of IBM's global business services division, overseeing a team of 600+ finance professionals and responsible for the financial and operational performance of the GBS division. Before that, Paul spent 23 years at Deloitte in several internal finance and operations roles and in client service as part of Deloitte Consulting. In his final role at Deloitte, he served as deputy to the CFO and was accountable for reporting, planning, forecasting, and performance analysis for Deloitte’s US operations. At the start of his career, Paul worked for General Motors as both a software engineer and a process reengineering lead.
Paul holds a BS, magna cum laude, in electrical and computer engineering from Kettering University. He also holds an MBA, with highest distinction, from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.
Office of the CEO
Michelle Lalonde
Toronto
Michelle Lalonde is Chief of Staff to the CEO and a member of the Senior Leadership Team, based in Toronto.
Michelle has held several senior leadership roles at RRA, most recently as the Director of Operations for the Americas. She was also a core member of the firm’s Consumer industry, where she advised clients across North America on hiring, assessing, and developing top industry talent. She previously served as the Global Knowledge Leader for RRA’s Board & CEO Advisory Partners.
Previously, Michelle worked as a management consultant at A.T. Kearney in the Consumer practice. She began her career as an environmental engineer at Golder Associates.
Michelle holds an MBA and an MASc from the University of Toronto as well as a bachelor of engineering from Queen’s University.