DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Increasingly complex and often-contradictory global operating environments marked by higher expectations from a growing network of stakeholder groups are redefining the Chief Executive Officer role, creating a new challenge: finding and developing transformational leaders who will succeed as tomorrow's CEOs.

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford and Heidrick & Struggles International (Nasdaq:HSII), the premier professional services firm focused on serving the leadership needs of top organizations globally today announced a research collaboration intended to shape a world-first, multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to transformational leadership development.

"A new leadership contract is emerging between corporations and stakeholders to ensure long-term, sustainable value creation and legitimacy," said Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School, Oxford.

"To succeed in an uncertain future, global corporations will need a reimagined talent pipeline to identify, develop and stretch leaders," said Jory Marino, Heidrick & Struggles interim CEO.

The research initiative brings together two globally renowned institutions in leadership with complementary, mutually reinforcing strengths. Heidrick & Struggles focuses on executive search and recruitment, leadership assessment, coaching, succession planning and on-boarding. Saïd Business School, Oxford focuses on leadership development, research, life-long learning and reflection.

"Both Heidrick & Struggles and Saïd Business School, Oxford are committed to helping the world be better led," Marino said. "Announcing this collaborative effort at the World Economic Forum in Davos makes perfect sense."

The global research initiative will explore how the world's most successful companies identify and develop transformative leaders—while also diagnosing gaps and opportunities for completely new approaches.

Saïd Business School and Heidrick & Struggles will announce the research initiative on Thursday, January 23 at a panel discussion of prominent senior business leaders moderated by Maria Bartiromo, award-winning television anchor and author. The panel includes Ellen Kullman, Chair and CEO of DuPont, Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO of Alcoa; Mark Weinberger, Chairman and CEO of EY, and Ray Bingham, Chairman of the Board, Flextronics.

Featured Moderator:

Maria Bartiromo, Award-winning Television Anchor and Author

For more than 20 years Maria Bartiromo has been the most visible face of business in cable news. She was one of the first news correspondents to report live daily from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. She is also a best-selling author: The 10 Laws of Enduring Success and The Weekend That Changed Wall Street.

Distinguished Panelists:

Ray Bingham, Chairman of the Board, Flextronics

Ray Bingham has served as Chairman of the Flextronics Board since January 2008 and as a member of the Board of Directors since October 2005. He is also an Advisory Director, previously Managing Director, of General Atlantic LLC, a global private equity firm. Mr. Bingham is also a member and presiding director of Oracle's Board of Directors since 2002.

Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO of Alcoa

Klaus Kleinfeld is chairman and chief executive officer of Alcoa. He joined the company in 2007 as president and chief operating officer, and seven months later assumed CEO responsibilities. He has served on Alcoa's board of directors since 2003 and was named chairman in April 2010.

Ellen Kullman, Chair and CEO of DuPont

Ellen Kullman is the 19th executive to lead the company in more than 210 years of DuPont History. She became president on Oct. 1, 2008, and CEO on Jan. 1, 2009. Prior to her appointment as DuPont president and CEO she served as executive vice president and a member of the company's office of the chief executive.

Mark Weinberger, Chairman and CEO of EY

Mark Weinberger is the Global Chairman & CEO of EY, a leading global professional services organization that provides assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. With 175,000 people in more than 150 countries, EY is one of the largest professional services organizations in the world.

Representatives on site:

Saïd Business School at Oxford University

Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School; Andrew White, Associate Dean for Executive Education, and Valerie Keller, Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School and WEF Young Global Leader.

Heidrick & Struggles

Jory Marino, Interim Chief Executive Officer; Valerie Germain, Managing Partner, and Head, Functional Practices and Jeff Cohn, Partner, Leadership Consulting.

About Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford:

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford blends the best of new and old. We are a vibrant and innovative business school, deeply embedded in an 800-year-old world-class university. We create programmes and ideas that have global impact. We educate people for successful business careers, and as a community seek to tackle world-scale problems. We deliver cutting-edge programmes and ground-breaking research that transform individuals, organisations, business practice, and society. For more information, see www.sbs.ox.ac.uk

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII) is the premier provider of senior-level Executive Search, Culture Shaping and Leadership Consulting services. For 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles' leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com.

CONTACT: Said contact: Josie Powell
         M: +44 (0) 7711 387215
         josie.powell@sbs.ox.ac.uk

         H&S contact: Lia Randazzo
         M: +1 312.731.4003
         lrandazzo@heidrick.com