Leading a global partnership like Boyden requires a different style of leadership than a traditional top-down corporate structure. As President and CEO, Chad Hesters oversees an executive search and leadership advisory firm spanning more than 75 offices in 45-plus countries, where success depends on local market insight, cross-border collaboration, and trust. At the same time, clients are asking Boyden to help identify leaders who can manage AI disruption, workforce change, succession, and organizational transformation rather than simply fill senior roles.

Before moving into executive search, Chad served as a U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer and later held corporate finance and strategic planning roles at Shell and Hunt Oil. He then spent more than a decade advising clients at Korn Ferry and Heidrick & Struggles, with a focus on board and C-suite talent in sectors including natural resources and agribusiness. Since becoming President and CEO of Boyden in 2023, his work has centered on strengthening the firm’s global platform while preserving the partner-led, relationship-driven model that defines its approach.

In this conversation with The Consulting Report, Chad discusses how AI is changing leadership needs, why executive search remains a highly human business, and how servant leadership shapes his approach to leading a privately held global partnership.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Consulting Report: Can you provide an overview of Boyden’s core areas of specialization?

Chad Hesters: As a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm, Boyden transforms today’s organizations with tomorrow’s leaders. With 80 years of experience and more than 75 offices in 45+ countries, we help growth-minded companies find trusted leaders who fit their culture, accelerate performance, and build long-term value. Our deep expertise across privately held, family-owned, mid-cap organizations combined with global reach, local insight, and a partner-led approach ensures measurable impact in executive search, interim management, and leadership advisory services.

Boyden’s key areas of specialization include family-owned and privately held businesses, consumer and retail, industrial, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, technology, human resources, board and CEO succession, private equity and venture capital, nonprofit organizations, professional services, education, and social impact.

“Clients often view Boyden not simply as a recruiter, but as a trusted advisor during pivotal moments of organizational change, succession, expansion, or reinvention.”

The Consulting Report: What makes Boyden’s approach distinct?

Chad Hesters: Our primary differentiator is that we are the leading search firm serving mid-cap, private, and family-owned organizations globally. With 80 years of experience and a strong local market focus, our partners bring the speed, discretion, and cultural insight needed to place executives who align with a client’s values, earn trust quickly, and drive long-term success. Our approach is highly relationship driven. Clients often view Boyden not simply as a recruiter, but as a trusted advisor during pivotal moments of organizational change, succession, expansion, or reinvention.

The Consulting Report: How would you describe your firm’s culture?

Chad Hesters: Our culture is highly unique; we are entrepreneurial, collaborative, relationship-oriented, and globally connected. Boyden combines the agility and client intimacy of a partnership model with the reach and capabilities of a global organization. Partners work closely across borders, industries, and practices to deliver the best outcomes for clients, creating a culture that values collaboration over internal competition.

At its core, Boyden’s culture is built around trust, long-term relationships, intellectual curiosity, continuous learning, respect for diverse perspectives, local market expertise, partnership, high-touch client service, discretion, care, integrity, and accountability.

Because many Boyden clients are privately held or family-owned businesses, the culture also reflects a strong appreciation for legacy, stewardship, and long-term organizational value creation.

“Executive search remains a highly human business.”

The Consulting Report: How is AI changing the leadership needs clients bring to Boyden?

Chad Hesters: The rise of AI has absolutely influenced the nature of leadership mandates and the conversations clients are having with us. While AI has not reduced the importance of executive search, it has shifted demand toward leaders who can navigate transformation, digital acceleration, workforce evolution, and organizational change.

Clients are increasingly seeking CEOs and executives who understand AI-enabled business transformation, leaders who can balance technology adoption with human leadership and culture, digital and cybersecurity executives, change-oriented leaders who can guide organizations through disruption, and board members with technology and AI governance expertise.

At the same time, AI is also changing how organizations think about talent, productivity, and workforce planning. As a result, Boyden is increasingly engaged not only in filling leadership roles, but also in advising clients on leadership capabilities needed for the future.

Importantly, executive search remains a highly human business. While AI can improve research, market mapping, and data analysis, aspects such as leadership assessment, judgment, relationship-building, and cultural alignment continue to require experienced advisors and human insight.

“My north star and primary influence has been the servant leadership model.”

The Consulting Report: What leadership philosophy has shaped how you lead Boyden?

Chad Hesters: I feel that in order to be effective, a leader should deploy a leadership style that is appropriate for the situation they are operating within. In the case of Boyden, which is a privately held, global partnership, my north star and primary influence has been the servant leadership model. Along with our Board of Directors, it is the CEO’s job to develop and deliver on strategy, but I believe strongly that prioritizing the development and success of others is a required foundational mindset to be an effective leader in our organization.

The Consulting Report: What do you prioritize outside of work?

Chad Hesters: Someone once told me that you can tell what people care about by their checkbooks and calendars. That has really stuck with me over the years. So, outside of work there are several major categories of how I attempt to intentionally fill my time. First, and most importantly, I take my role as a husband and father seriously. That means spending time with family and helping build the circumstances that will allow us to be successful, however that may be defined. The time that remains tends to get split between my interests in global geopolitics and natural resource conservation. Typically, this takes the form of ongoing education, travel and time in the field, and nonprofit board work.