CHICAGO, Jul 14, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) --

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII), the leadership advisory firm providing executive search and leadership consulting services worldwide, announced today that two of its Education & Social Enterprise Practice consultants -- Susan Gluck Pappajohn and Naree Viner -- have created a New York-based team focused on serving the arts and cultural institutions along with other organizations associated with this sector. The Education & Social Enterprise (ESE) Practice serves leadership needs for a wide range of mission-driven organizations in education, associations, arts and cultural institutions, non-governmental organizations and social service organizations and foundations.

Joe Haberman, Global Practice Managing Partner, ESE, states, "Today more than ever, every enterprise, both social and commercial, requires leaders with the management skills to steer their organizations safely through current societal and economic realities. We believe these challenges will persist for some time and now require higher level and innovative leadership, whether that talent has non-profit experience or comes from the commercial sector."

Gluck Pappajohn and Viner bring a substantial amount of experience from both the for-profit and non-profit sectors -- something clients value during these demanding economic times. "We have found that this blend of experience provides a much-welcome perspective for our clients as their organizations re-examine business models, mission orientation, strategic plans and evaluate their leadership needs," Gluck Pappajohn and Viner noted. They both have exceptional track records working with a variety of mission-driven organizations, with a focus on placing CEOs and other senior executives. Gluck Pappajohn and Viner will also lead the practice's activities in the arts and culture sector. They both share a passionate connection and commitment to the arts, having spent a significant part of their careers working in some of the world's pre-eminent arts organizations.

Gluck Pappajohn previously worked at a boutique executive search firm serving clients in the cultural, social service, education and foundation arenas. Gluck Pappajohn began her career as a dancer for the New York City Ballet, joining the company at age 17, under the tutelage of George Balanchine. Currently, she is an officer of the George Balanchine Foundation and a member of Interlochen Arts Academy's Corporate Advisory Board. After her dancing career, Gluck Pappajohn co-founded one of Time Warner's first digital media units and then became the General Manager of IBM's Multimedia Studio, a unit that produced Crayola's digital art software and the first interactive version of World Book. She also oversaw IBM's global licensing initiatives as a direct report to IBM's Chief Marketing Officer. Gluck Pappajohn received her BA from Harvard College and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Viner was co-leader of the education and non-profit practice for a boutique firm in Pasadena, California. Her successful placements include CEO/executive director and senior-level positions at social service organizations, colleges and universities, and prominent art museums. Earlier in her career, she was with the J. Paul Getty Trust and was a principal developer of one of first websites featuring educational content with images from art museums around the country. Viner thus brings in-depth expertise and an expansive network within the art museum field. She gained experience in the for-profit sector when she joined an educational technology company focused on the K-12 market and later another focused on executive education delivered online. She subsequently joined a large social service agency, managing a myriad of strategic initiatives, including a founder/CEO transition team, IT transformation project, and successful development of one of the organization's first multi-million-dollar grants. She earned her BA from Williams College and MA from the University of Washington, both in art history.

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 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.

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SOURCE: Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

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