Heidrick & Struggles Strengthens Board with Appointment of AI and Talent Leaders Aseem Datar and Leanne Wood

New Appointments Bring Strategic Expertise to Support Firm's Next Chapter of Growth

CHICAGO, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Heidrick & Struggles today announced the appointments of Aseem Datar, Corporate Vice President, AI Platform and Quantum at Microsoft, and Leanne Wood, former Chief Human Resources Officer at Vodafone, to the firm's Board of Managers, the company's governing body. The appointments follow the recent designation of Tom Monahan, who continues to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Heidrick & Struggles, as Vice Chairman of the Board, alongside the appointment of Tom Murray, President of Heidrick & Struggles, to the Board. Together, these appointments further strengthen the Board's expertise across technology, leadership, talent, and organizational transformation as the firm enters its next phase of growth as a private company.

Datar and Wood bring significant expertise across technology innovation, leadership, organizational transformation, and global business strategy as Heidrick & Struggles continues advancing its long-term growth strategy and leadership advisory capabilities worldwide.

"We are delighted to welcome Aseem and Leanne to our Board of Managers," said Tom Monahan, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Heidrick & Struggles. "Our Board's expertise reflects some of the most consequential forces shaping the future of leadership and business today. Aseem's experience at the forefront of AI innovation and enterprise technology, combined with Leanne's distinguished leadership across talent, culture, and organizational transformation, will provide invaluable perspectives as we continue investing in innovation and helping clients navigate increasingly complex leadership challenges around the world."

Datar is Corporate Vice President, AI Platform and Quantum at Microsoft, where he leads the company's strategy and execution across advanced AI and next-generation computing. Over more than two decades at Microsoft, he has scaled some of its most significant businesses, holding senior leadership roles in business and product strategy, operations, and cloud and AI platform growth — including as Chief Operating Officer for Microsoft Azure. He also brings experience working with emerging technology and venture-backed companies through his time at Madrona Venture Group.

Wood is an accomplished global business and board leader with extensive experience across talent strategy, organizational transformation, and corporate governance. Most recently, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Vodafone, where she led global people and organizational transformation initiatives across more than 100,000 employees and operations spanning Europe and Africa. Her experience also includes global senior leadership roles at Burberry and Diageo, where she helped guide complex business transformation, leadership succession, and culture initiatives. She also brings prior board experience, having served as Chair of Vodafone Shared Operations Limited and as a Non-Executive Director at Compass Group and Vodacom Africa.

"As Heidrick & Struggles continues building on its strong market position following the recent transition to private ownership, attracting world-class leaders to our Board remains a critical priority," said Carmine Di Sibio, Chairman of the Board of Heidrick & Struggles. "Aseem and Leanne each bring highly relevant experience across technology innovation, talent leadership, and organizational transformation that will help guide the firm as it continues investing in innovation and delivering exceptional value for clients globally."

Following the company's take-private transaction led by Advent International, Corvex Private Equity, and a global network of strategic investors in late 2025, Heidrick's Board of Managers reflects a combination of firm leadership and investor representation alongside independent business leaders. The Board is chaired by Carmine Di Sibio, Operating Partner at Advent International and Former Global Chair and CEO of EY. Tom Monahan, Chief Executive Officer of Heidrick & Struggles, was recently appointed Vice Chairman of the Board, and Tom Murray, President of Heidrick & Struggles, was recently appointed to the Board. Additional Board members include Joe Costa, Managing Partner of Corvex Private Equity; John DiCola, Managing Director at Advent; Mark Dirzulaitis, Director at Advent; and Chris Satti, President of Salem Capital Management. Chris Egan, Managing Partner at Advent, and Paul Yun, Managing Director at Mousse Partners, serve as Board observers.

About Heidrick & Struggles 
Heidrick & Struggles is the world's foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services. For more than 70 years, we have delivered value for our clients by leveraging unrivaled expertise to help organizations discover and enable outstanding leaders and teams. Learn more at www.heidrick.com.

Media Contact
Bianca Wilson
Global Director, Public Relations
Heidrick & Struggles 
bwilson@heidrick.com