CHICAGO, March 20, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII), the premier provider of Executive Search and Leadership Consulting services worldwide, today announced it has for its sixth consecutive year, partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to assess the global nominees for the Young Global Leaders for 2013.

Each year thousands of exceptional individuals are identified for this honor, drawn from every corner of the world. Heidrick & Struggles leveraged its expertise to help the World Economic Forum evaluate individuals against the specific criteria that it has set out to shape this international community of young leaders.

"Our partnership with the World Economic Forum is one we take great pride in, and partnering to select the best and brightest of the world's future talent is a great responsibility and honor that we take very seriously," said Heidrick & Struggles CEO L. Kevin Kelly.

This year, 199 Young Global Leaders were tapped from 70 countries and represents the best of today's leaders under the age of 40. These leaders are truly global and come from all sectors of expertise, with 42% women. Europe logged the greatest contribution to this year's line-up with approximately 25% of the honorees hailing from, or working in the region.

The honorees come from East Asia (46), Europe (49). Latin America (16), the Middle East and North Africa (12), North America (40), South Asia (18), and sub-Saharan Africa (19).

All of the nominations go through an independent evaluation by Heidrick & Struggles and a selection committee headed by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In order to assess the nominees, Heidrick & Struggles selected team leaders from within its organization to be responsible for the specific regions. In total, more than 50 global consultants and associates were involved in the review. Candidates are selected based on their proven track record of professional accomplishments, breadth of their expertise, commitment to society and their ability to overcome adversity, among other criteria.

About Young Global Leaders

The Forum of Young Global Leaders has three objectives:

    To transform the next generation of leaders: through personal experiences that exchange knowledge, build better understanding and define the major global challenges.
     
    To build a global community of peers: by engaging Young Global Leaders into networks and processes that search for forward-looking and innovative solutions for humankind.
     
    To positively impact global challenges: by engaging Young Global Leaders in collaborative actions that leverage individual contributions in to collective action and taskforces. For a full 2013 list of YGLs honored, click here.

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., is the premier provider of senior-level Executive Search and Leadership Consulting services, including culture shaping, executive assessment, succession planning, board effectiveness, leadership development and leadership strategy. 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.

About The Forum of Young Global Leaders

Established by Professor Klaus Schwab in 2004, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is a unique, multistakeholder community of the world's most extraordinary young leaders who dedicate part of their time to jointly addressing global challenges, and who are committed to devote their knowledge and energy to working collectively towards a better future. Every year, the Forum honours between 100 and 200 outstanding young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. www.weforum.org

CONTACT: Jennifer Nelson
         +1 (404) 682.7373
         jnelson@heidrick.com