Heidrick & Struggles appoints Kati Najipoor-Smith, former global CEO of Egon Zehnder, as Regional Co-Managing Partner of its CEO & Board practice.
In her new capacity, Najipoor-Smith will co-lead the practice across Europe and Africa, supporting boards and CEOs in addressing complex leadership challenges. The firm operates 22 offices throughout the region, with Najipoor-Smith based in Frankfurt.
With nearly 30 years of experience in executive search and strategy consulting, she advises chairs and CEOs of publicly listed, family-owned, and private equity–backed companies. Her work focuses on strengthening board effectiveness and developing high-performing senior leadership teams across sectors and geographies.
Earlier in her career, Najipoor-Smith worked as a strategy consultant at Roland Berger. She joined Egon Zehnder in 1999, steadily rising through the ranks to most recently serve as Global Head of CEO and Board Advisory. She holds a background in engineering, with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland, a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of California, Davis, and a Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.
About her appointment, Najipoor-Smith said “In this era of unprecedented uncertainty and complexity, business leaders are under immense pressure and the quality of leadership – at both board and C-Suite levels – is being tested like never before. With that in mind, I am excited to join Heidrick & Struggles and to work alongside a highly qualified and diverse team to support our clients’ most critical leadership decisions.”
Press release:
Heidrick & Struggles Appoints a New Managing Partner for Their CEO & Board Practice in Europe and Africa