Biography

Tom Monahan is CEO of Heidrick & Struggles, the premier provider of executive search, corporate culture and leadership consulting services, and on-demand talent solutions serving leading companies in virtually every sector and industry around the world. His experience and insights, along with his passion for innovation and the science of leadership, help drive corporate performance - at Heidrick & Struggles and across the globe.

Tom's passion for the performance of people and organizations led to his work of finding, developing, and supporting high-impact leaders. He came to Heidrick & Struggles with a decades-long career of building and leading innovative technology, data, and services companies and as a long-time Heidrick & Struggles client.

Most recently, Tom was president and CEO of DeVry University, where he led the university to digital innovation, sustained growth, outstanding student success metrics, and financial strength as a newly independent institution, all while freezing tuition and increasing grants and scholarships.

Before joining DeVry, Tom was the executive chair of digital engineering pioneer ProKarma, and prior to that, he spent more than two decades as a leader, CEO, and chair of CEB, a C-suite advisory company that equips leaders of global organizations with insights, tools, and actionable solutions to transform enterprise performance. Under Tom's leadership, CEB grew to serve more than 10,000 companies, including more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500.  

Tom is currently the executive vice chair of the DeVry University Board of Trustees. He is also a board member of TransUnion (NYSE: TRU), chair of its Audit & Compliance Committee, and a member of its Nominating and Governance Committee. In the past, he has served in board leadership positions at both public and private-equity-backed companies, including Convergys (NYSE: CVG), WorkforceLogiq, and Winsight.

Tom has lectured on leadership, data analytics, digital business, and service-based business models, including at Georgetown, Harvard, University of Maryland, Dartmouth, and DeVry and its Keller School of Management.

Tom earned an MBA, with distinction, from New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business and an AB, magna cum laude, from Harvard University.

Tom is a trustee for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The Nature Conservancy of Maryland and DC. He is a member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and the Economic Club of Washington D.C.