AESC Appoints New Global Chair and New Chair of Asia Pacific & Middle East Council

The Board of Directors of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), the standard-setting global body for the executive search and leadership consulting profession, today announced the appointment of Thomas T. Daniels as Chairman of the Board, effective immediately. Mr. Daniels’ appointment comes after Jason Johnson stepped down from his role as AESC Global Chair and Chair of AESC Asia Pacific and Middle East Council, following his departure from CTPartners and the re-establishment of his own firm, Johnson Partners. 

Daniels has served as Acting Chair since July 2015 and will continue in his role of Chair, AESC Americas Council. He is Senior Director/ Partner in the Spencer Stuart New York office. As part of his role with AESC, he serves on the Executive Committee and also chaired the search committee to appoint AESC President & CEO Karen Greenbaum, who was appointed in October 2014. 

"Representing the profession as AESC Chair is truly an honor," said Daniels. "AESC members are trusted advisors to their clients worldwide and I am committed to upholding the highest standards of excellence in executive search and leadership consulting that AESC membership commands. AESC is the voice of excellence for our profession worldwide, addressing the critical issues of talent and leadership in the dynamic environment in which clients operate today.”   

Mr. Daniels is a member of Spencer Stuart’s Financial Officer, Financial Services, Board, CEO and Private Equity practices. He has been involved in executive search, succession planning, executive assessment and board assignments for large multinationals midcap, private equity and alternative asset management firms and regulatory and standard-setting bodies. Daniels is a member of Spencer Stuart's Audit and Risk Oversight Committee.   Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Daniels worked for J.P. Morgan Chase in New York and Chicago, serving as a Managing Director.   He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, University of Chicago Booth School of Business and he also attended Beijing Normal University in the People’s Republic of China.

In addition, Steve Mullinjer will now serve as Chair of AESC Asia Pacific and Middle East Council. Mullinjer is Regional Leader at Heidrick & Struggles, based in Hong Kong. He will also serve as a member of the AESC Executive Committee. Mullinjer leads a team of more than 300 professionals, delivering executive search and leadership consulting services in 15 offices across Asia Pacific. A veteran consultant, he is a regular commentator on regional media such as ABC and CNBC. Earlier in his career, Mullinjer held general management, sales and marketing and product management positions in Australia and China with companies like Pacific Dunlop and IBM. He holds two bachelor’s and two master’s degrees and has done research on joint venture management in China at the Australian National University.

"I am proud to represent the executive search and leadership consulting profession in the Asia Pacific and Middle East region," said Mullinjer. "Asia and the Middle East continue to be drivers for global economic growth and I look forward to working with AESC members in the region as they continue to deliver competitive advantage solutions to their clients in this part of the globe and worldwide." 

Karen Greenbaum, AESC President and CEO, said: “We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Tom Daniels as AESC Global Chair and Steve Mullinjer as Chair of AESC Asia Pacific and Middle East Council. Their firms, Spencer Stuart and Heidrick & Struggles respectively, have demonstrated commitment to AESC standards of excellence for many years and I greatly value the leadership and integrity that both Tom and Steve—as well as the other members on the AESC Board—bring to our global membership and to our profession.”

For a complete list of AESC Board and regional Council members, visit www.aesc.org/about-us/board-councils. 

About the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants

Since 1959, AESC has set the standard for quality and ethics in executive search and leadership consulting worldwide. Because AESC members must commit and adhere to the AESC's industry and government recognized Code of Professional Practice and Standards of Excellence, clients can be assured that AESC members are able to serve as trusted advisors for their most important engagements. As the voice for executive search and leadership consultants worldwide, today AESC is comprised of more than 350 member firms, representing 8,000 executive search professionals in 70 countries. To learn more about AESC and its membership, visit www.aesc.org. For information about AESC's career service for executive-level professionals, visit www.bluesteps.com.