Heidrick & Struggles Announces William O'Leary as Partner

Heidrick & Struggles, a premier provider of executive search, leadership consulting and culture shaping services worldwide, enhances its corporate affairs, government affairs, communications and marketing expertise with the addition of William (Bill) O'Leary as Partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office.

In addition to helping lead external affairs executive search work, O'Leary will also be involved in CEO & Board work within the Education, Nonprofit and Social Enterprise Practice.  

"In the current economic and political climate, boards and CEOs are increasingly concerned about how to navigate a complex and unpredictable world highly impacted by policy decisions emanating from our nation's capital.  Whether it is organizational reputation, political and regulatory challenges, Bill's breadth of experience across government, public affairs and business will prove instrumental in helping our clients navigate this environment," said Eric Joseph, Partner-in-Charge, Washington, D.C., Heidrick & Struggles.

O'Leary has spent most of his career in Washington, D.C. in the public, private, and non-profit sectors at Fortune 10 and other blue-chip organizations. He began his career working for the White House and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in communications and external outreach roles. Subsequently, O'Leary held officer-level marketing and communications roles at Citigroup and Fannie Mae and served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Georgetown University. 

Prior to becoming an executive search consultant, O'Leary served as senior vice president and managing director at Grenzebach Glier and Associates, where he built and led the strategic communications consulting practice advising leading university, medical and health, arts and culture, and NGO clients. 

"Over the last five years, some of the world's most innovative and successful consumer brands have hired senior executives with deep Washington experience to help grow and protect their businesses.  As a trusted advisor with a solid understanding of the needs and challenges of the private sector and the political dynamics in D.C., Bill is a strong addition to our practice and our firm," said Joseph.

"I am excited to join the Heidrick & Struggles team," O'Leary said. "I was heavily drawn to the firm's ability to marry executive search with leadership advisory services and a robust set of analytical tools.  This firm knows that a strong presence and understanding of Washington, D.C. is critical for today's competitive leadership market."  

Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, O'Leary worked for a global executive search firm where he helped build and co-lead the global corporate affairs practice. 

O'Leary received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a M.A. from Johns Hopkins University and a M.B.A. from Georgetown University. O'Leary serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and is active with a number of charitable organizations.