Leadership transitions aren’t the only occasion when companies hire an executive search firm. Such consultancies often also lend a hand with tasks such as teaching members of the C-Suite new skills and improving team cohesion. This week, Boardroom Insight caught up with Ari Roitman of Egon Zehnder to learn more about that aspect of executive search firms’ work. On the in-house HR side, we heard from Monks CPO Deb Stroff about what it’s like leading people operations at a large consultancy. And speaking of marketing, RGP’s new CSxO (and former CMO) Jennifer Jones gave us a primer on developing business strategies in the professional services sector.

Egon Zehnder opens an office in Philadelphia. The hub is the sixty-ninth branch office launched to date by the Swiss company, which ranks as the world’s largest privately held executive search firm. The Philadelphia office is led by Ari Roitman, who also heads Egon Zehnder’s sports practice. The firm says that its local team will provide not only executive search services but also “integrated leadership solutions”. We asked Roitman what that means.

“Executive search remains essential, but it’s inherently episodic as it focuses on identifying and placing a single leader,” Roitman said. “At Egon Zehnder, we go into system mode, beginning with asking a seemingly basic question: ‘What does the organization truly need?’ The leader is usually just one part of that answer.”

Roitman said that the other pieces of the puzzle span a wide range of areas. “We address the full context in which leaders operate: organizational design, culture, team effectiveness, and the strength of succession across the C‑suite and the board itself,” he explained. “We work with directors as they navigate complex governance responsibilities and help them to assess the pipelines that feed critical roles, the readiness of future leaders, and the conditions required for sustainable performance.”

RGP appoints a CSxO. The newly created title, which stands for chief strategy and experience officer, is held by Jennifer Jones, who was previously the consulting firm’s CMO. Jones will be responsible for aligning RGP’s business strategy with customer requirements and industry trends.

“That means translating market opportunity into a clear service model, focused go-to-market strategy, and an employee experience that enables consistent execution,” Jones, who will also continue to lead RGP’s marketing and communications functions, told Boardroom Insight. She went on to explain what this kind of work looks like on a day-to-day level.

“Building a strategy for a large consultancy takes rigor, but it starts with listening. To our clients, to our teams, and to where the market is moving: finance transformation, AI, data, M&A, and ERP modernization,” Jones said. “But the real work is operational: clarifying what we sell, how we sell it, how we deliver it consistently, and where we invest. It requires listening deeply to CFOs and CIOs navigating change, while also understanding the strain our own teams face in execution.”

Jones joined RGP in 2019 after it acquired an IT consultancy where she worked as a managing director. RGP, which is traded on the Nasdaq, has since made several additional acquisitions to expand the scope of its services. The firm helps clients with a wide variety of tasks ranging from accounting to AI model development.

Deb Stroff joins Monks as chief people officer. London-based Monks is the flagship operating brand of S4 Capital, a publicly traded professional services firm with more than 7,000 employees. It helps large brands with marketing campaigns and IT projects such as AI rollouts. Stroff, who previously held HR leadership roles at major brands such as EY, will lead Monks’ recruiting operations. Additionally, she will be responsible for optimizing the firm’s organizational structure and the software systems that it uses to perform HR-related work.

“I think the effective implementation of operations and further optimization of enterprise systems will aid in the organizational change at Monks,” Stroff told Boardroom Insight. “Ultimately, these systems aren’t about replacing the human element; they’re about allowing our Monks to focus on what they do best: creating authentic, high-impact work that resonates with culture. We’re focused on building a structure that is as dynamic and data-driven as the brands we serve.”

“My goal is to apply a real-time philosophy to our Monks’ journeys and operations – building an organizational structure that is as dynamic as the technology we use,” she added.

S4 Capital formed Monks through a lengthy series of deals that began in 2018. That year, it acquired San Francisco-based ad agency MightyHive and a content production studio called MediaMonks. S4 Capital merged them in 2021 to form Media.Monks, which became Monks about three years later. Along the way, the professional services firm absorbed more than half a dozen other consulting firms focused on areas such as auto marketing and data analytics.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash