CEO Connection

Robert "Bob" Hallagan is Vice Chairman, Board Leadership Services of Korn/Ferry International. He was previously Vice Chairman of Heidrick & Struggles. From 1991 to 1997, Bob successfully led Heidrick & Struggles to record revenue growth and profitability as CEO of the firm. The initiatives he established while CEO were credited with enhancing the firm's long-standing reputation for high quality executive search and client service. From 1981 to 1991, he was the Office Managing Partner of the Boston office, which he joined in 1977.
In 2004 Bob was elected Chairman of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) a Washington based organization devoted to Director Professionalism. Previously Bob had co-founded, and was initial CEO, of The Center for Board Leadership, a joint venture between the National Association of Corporate Directors and Heidrick & Struggles. The Center develops "Best Practices" for effective board leadership. This is achieved through a series of Blue Ribbon Commission Reports. Topics have included: Director Professionalism, CEO Succession, Corporate Strategy, Audit Committee Performance, Board Evaluations and CEO Compensation. Bob co-chaired the study on Board Evaluations.

Bob had a distinguished career in financial services before joining Heidrick & Struggles. He was Executive Vice President of the Boston Stock Exchange, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hawthorne Securities, and a Loan Officer with Citibank.

In addition to Board work, Bob’s search assignments have focused on assisting organizations in structuring their executive leadership teams and in recruiting high-performing talent. He has successfully recruited Chief Executive Officers, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Financial Officers and other senior executives for national and international organizations.

Given his exposure to hundreds of corporate boards, his high-level relationships with world-class board members and CEOs and his acclaimed research at NACD, Bob is well qualified to consult with companies seeking to build high-performing boards or to enhance the effectiveness of their current boards or leadership teams.

Bob holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree in economics from Williams College. Bob is a director of the ResCare, Inc., National Association of Corporate Directors and Berkshire Life Insurance Company.