Greenwich, Conn., July 29, 2026 – RSR Partners is proud to recognize Steven M. Mollenkopf, Independent Chair of The Boeing Company, as The Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award recipient for the 2025–2026 proxy year. Steve is the third annual recipient of this distinguished award.
The Chair of the Year Award was established to celebrate the legacy of Russ Reynolds, an industry icon who spent more than 50 years advising corporate boards and CEOs. The award annually recognizes an Independent Chair who has helped guide a board and company through significant turbulence while demonstrating exceptional leadership, character, and integrity. Rather than a lifetime achievement award, this honor recognizes a leader who stepped up to meet the moment when it mattered most. The recipient is chosen by an independent selection committee of renowned experts in their fields, including strategic communications, activist defense, investments, human capital, and governance.
“Steve Mollenkopf’s leadership as Chair came at a defining moment for Boeing,” said Brett Stephens, Chair of the selection committee and CEO of RSR Partners. “The company’s transformation is ongoing, but Steve’s leadership has helped establish a stronger path forward for both the board and the enterprise. His impact on board culture, effectiveness, and governance during a period of extraordinary consequence makes him a deserving recipient of this recognition.”
“As a director, you want to know that your experience and perspective matter, and Steve creates that environment,” said Akhil Johri, a member of The Boeing Company board of directors. “He cares deeply about the company, listens carefully, both in the boardroom and outside it, draws out the best thinking, and helps convert a range of views into clear priorities. That ability to harness the full intellectual capital of the board has and will continue to have a meaningful impact on how we help Boeing succeed.”
“Steve is precisely the kind of leader this award was created to honor,” stated Russ Reynolds. “He is motivated by service rather than recognition, approaching his role with quiet confidence and a clear desire to make a lasting contribution. Steve leads with integrity and character, always keeping his focus on the company and the people who depend on it.”
About Steve Mollenkopf
Steve brings to the Board critical insights in engineering leadership, risk management, complex global operations and human capital management from his more than 25 years of service at Qualcomm, an engineering-driven, high-technology manufacturing company and a global leader in the development and commercialization of foundational technologies for the wireless industry. During his tenure as CEO of Qualcomm, he led the company through significant change and unprecedented challenges. Steve possesses expertise and direct leadership experience in precision engineering, project management, manufacturing, quality control and designing testing regimes for complex systems. He also brings corporate governance expertise and perspectives on a wide array of strategic and business matters from his service on the board of Dell, a global technology company focused on providing broad and innovative technology solutions for the data and artificial intelligence era. Steve is a published IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) author and an inventor on 38 patents. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan. As a result of his complex manufacturing expertise, his engineering background and his record of independent leadership at Boeing, the Board elected Steve to serve as independent Board Chair.
Steve is Chair of the Board and a member of the Compensation Committee, the Governance & Public Policy Committee, and the Special Programs Committee.
About Russell S. Reynolds, Jr.
Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. (“Russ”) is an American business executive, author, and founder of two of the search industry’s most prominent firms. Considered one of the pioneers of the executive search and board recruiting profession, Russ has counseled the boards and CEOs of many of the world’s leading companies over the past 50 years. In 1969, he founded Russell Reynolds Associates, which soon became one of the world’s foremost international executive recruiting firms. Russ sold his interest in the firm in 1993. In 1994, Russ founded The Directorship Group, later named RSR Partners, where he served as Founder and Chairman until 2022.
About the Chair of the Year Award
RSR Partners announced the establishment of the Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award in October of 2022. The award celebrates the legacy of Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. (“Russ”), who has spent more than 50 years advising boards and CEOs on leadership and governance.
To be eligible for the award, a nominee must serve as a Chair of a board of directors at a U.S. public company with revenue or market cap greater than $1 billion. The winner of the award is chosen by an independent committee comprised of renowned experts in the areas of strategy, finance, strategic communications, shareholder activism defense, investment management, human capital consulting, and corporate governance. This year’s committee included:
More information about the award can be found at: www.chairoftheyearaward.com.
About the RSR Partners
RSR Partners is a leading boutique retained board and executive search firm, headquartered in Greenwich, CT, dedicated to assisting boards and CEOs with their most crucial leadership needs. Established in 1993 by industry visionary Russell S. Reynolds, Jr., our firm brings over three decades of specialized experience in board and executive recruiting, strategic selection, and seamless succession planning.
We have successfully completed thousands of high-impact engagements for a diverse clientele, including public companies, mutual fund complexes, foundations, private equity-backed firms, and family-owned businesses. Our expertise spans a wide array of sectors, notably asset management, industrial, consumer, financial services, healthcare, marketing and digital, and technology.
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Contacts
Lindsay Griesmeyer
+1 (203) 618-7076
media@rsrpartners.com
In the high-stakes world of boardrooms, where decisions can make or break billion-dollar enterprises, the effectiveness of a board often hinges on one pivotal role: the Chair. From Fortune 10 giants to pre-IPO upstarts, a Chair’s ability to lead isn’t just about sitting at the head of the table, it’s about orchestrating the talent around it.
The best Chairs harness the unique skills of each board member, fostering a dynamic mix of decision-making and debate that leads to the best possible outcomes. While some individuals are naturally gifted in leading leaders, the most impactful board Chairs often develop their approach through relentless dedication, agility, accessibility, courage, humility, and integrity.
What Makes a Chair Exceptional?
Insights gathered from The Russell S. Reynolds Jr. Chair of the Year Award process reveal the traits that board members admire most in their Chairs:
Over the past few decades, we have seen the best boards have a “leader among leaders” as their Chair as well as stable of other capable and respected Directors who have the universal support to assume the Chair position if the time comes. In the end, the secret ingredient to Chair effectiveness isn’t just about who they are; it’s about how they lead, inspire, and elevate those around them. We are here to help boards make sure they get it right.
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Brett Stephens is the CEO of RSR Partners and helps lead the firm’s Board & CEO Services.
RSR Partners is a boutique professional services firm headquartered in Greenwich, CT, that specializes in helping Boards and CEOs with their most critical recruiting, selection, and succession needs. The firm was founded in 1993 by industry icon and Chairman Emeritus, Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Over the past 30 years, the firm has conducted thousands of projects for Boards and CEOs at public, private equity owned, and family-owned businesses across a range of industries including asset management, consumer markets and enterprises, financial services, healthcare, industrial, marketing and digital, and technology. To learn more about RSR Partners, click here.
In 2022, RSR Partners established the Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award, which annually recognizes a Chair of a public company’s Board of Directors who successfully led the board through significant business or governance challenges. The award celebrates the legacy of one of the search industry’s greatest leaders and icons, Russ Reynolds, who has spent more than 50 years advising boards and CEOs on leadership.
In a striking rebound, the IPO landscape in the Americas has surged this year by over 20% compared to the same timeframe in 2023, with the proceeds from these offerings more than doubling due to the larger size of the deals[1]. This resurgence is led by the healthcare and technology sectors, particularly biotechnology, which alone launched nine deals raising a collective US$1.5 billion. Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture the market’s imagination, but investors are increasingly demanding tangible proof of its potential impact. Despite the looming challenges of global geopolitical tensions and the upcoming U.S. presidential election, the robust start to the market and growing investor confidence suggests a promising horizon for public listings, extending beyond large-cap entities to a broader spectrum of companies into 2024-2025.
Drawing on three decades of experience advising boards and CEOs through complex leadership challenges, we have observed the speed bumps investor-led boards face when transitioning to become more independent. A critical juncture often arrives when financial sponsors perceive a viable route to an IPO. The significance of a board’s capabilities and composition in maximizing a public listing cannot be overstated, yet one of the greatest barriers is often the reluctance of directors to relinquish their positions when it becomes clear that change is necessary. While some boards hesitantly skirt around these issues, the most successful ones embrace a proven pathway to prepare their governance structures for the public markets.
To navigate this transition and effectively prepare for a future IPO, chief executive officers and boards should consider three governance best practices:
1. Board Architecture
The axiom in real estate that “the taller the building, the stronger the foundation needs to be” equally applies to board structure. Recent shifts in corporate governance have redefined board construction to better weather potential challenges. In advance of any public listing, it is essential for boards to address these fundamental governance tenets.
2. Board Leadership
Determining the leadership structure of the board is perhaps the most critical decision post-architecture finalization, influencing the board’s capabilities, effectiveness, and culture:
3. Board Recruiting
The current environment for board recruitment is fiercely competitive, with a pressing need for directors who bring diversity of thought, background, and expertise. When adding additional independent directors to the board, we have found it is important to keep the following concepts forefront when building out the rest of the board.
By adhering to these best practices, companies who are on the path to an IPO can assemble a board that not only meets today’s challenges but also positions the company for sustained success in the public domain.
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Brett Stephens is the CEO of RSR Partners and helps lead the firm’s Board & CEO Services.
RSR Partners is a boutique professional services firm headquartered in Greenwich, CT, that specializes in helping Boards and CEOs with their most critical recruiting, selection, and succession needs. The firm was founded in 1993 by industry icon and Chairman Emeritus, Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Over the past 30 years, the firm has conducted thousands of projects for Boards and CEOs at public, private equity owned, and family-owned businesses across a range of industries including asset management, consumer markets and enterprises, financial services, healthcare, industrial, marketing and digital, and technology. To learn more about RSR Partners, click here.
[1] Data provided by EY Private.
