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
Governance has meaning only when a board confronts uncomfortable questions honestly. Much of what passes for governance—process, cadence, reporting—accumulates regardless. Stewardship begins only when a board takes responsibility for what must be preserved, and what must change, so that the enterprise’s continuity is meaningful rather than merely nominal.
Stewardship is often confused with preservation. Boards frequently mistake habit for purpose and continuity for stewardship when they are really protecting familiarity—structures, roles, and assumptions that once worked but may no longer. Stewardship is not concerned with preserving form so much as with preserving the enterprise’s capacity.
That distinction matters because endurance, by itself, is never the point. What ultimately justifies continuity is whether the enterprise continues to serve a purpose worth carrying forward. When continuity becomes the objective rather than something ordered to purpose, governance begins to turn inward. Institutions begin protecting themselves rather than the work they exist to do.
Not every enterprise should last forever. Some should transform, others should combine with different institutions, and a few are best served by the harder work of ending well rather than lingering badly. Those outcomes are often treated as failures of stewardship, when in reality they are sometimes its clearest expression. Without a purpose worth carrying forward, endurance gradually gives way to inertia.
Purpose, when taken seriously, is never abstract. Every enterprise sits within a web of human reliance: employees whose livelihoods depend on it, customers who rely on and trust it, suppliers who plan around it, and communities shaped by its presence. Whether boards acknowledge this explicitly or not, the web of human reliance is already part of its purpose. Ignoring that reality does not make decisions more objective, but it does make them less attentive to the obligations they carry.
Including the web of human reliance in the enterprise’s purpose does not excuse underperformance; it raises the standard. A business that cannot remain economically strong will fail those who depend on it faster than one willing to change in uncomfortable ways. An enterprise that cannot remain economically strong will not be able to honor the obligations it carries, regardless of the purposes it claims.
Stewardship becomes demanding precisely because boards are always operating under constraint, required to act with incomplete information, limited time, and competing obligations. There is no framework that resolves the trade-offs between continuity and change, performance and patience, people and capital. There is only judgment, exercised repeatedly, and ownership of the consequences that follow.
In practice, that judgment is most often expressed through disciplined inquiry rather than insistent direction. The most effective board members are rarely the most prescriptive. Their contribution lies in the questions they ask—questions management cannot easily sidestep and questions other directors may hesitate to raise. Over time, those questions shape decisions more profoundly than instruction ever could.
This does not mean boards never give guidance. At true inflection points—strategic shifts, leadership transitions, distress—direct guidance is part of the job. But when boards default to instruction rather than inquiry, they often undermine the accountability they are meant to reinforce. Asking questions is essential governance, because it leaves ownership of action and outcome with those charged to carry it.
Disciplined inquiry only works when it is backed by real authority. The board’s questions carry weight because they exist in the shadow of its most serious responsibility: the selection, evaluation, and, when necessary, removal of the CEO. That responsibility should be exercised rarely and deliberately, but it cannot be treated as unthinkable. A board unwilling to contemplate CEO change is not stewarding the enterprise so much as avoiding the responsibility that authority entails.
Pressure alone cannot sustain stewardship, because boards that never affirm quietly erode their own authority. Stewardship therefore requires boards to say, explicitly and without hedging, when they believe the enterprise is being led well and in the right direction. That affirmation is neither permanent nor unconditional, but it signals shared ownership of the strategy and its risks, and it gives management the confidence to act decisively rather than defensively. Over time, inquiry draws its force from affirmation that has been earned, and accountability becomes credible only where support has been real.
Different ownership structures fail stewardship in different ways. Family enterprises often struggle with avoidance born of personal and relational proximity. Public companies are tempted to substitute defensibility for judgment under constant scrutiny. Other ownership models are structured around deliberately shorter horizons. The contexts differ, and so do the pressures they produce, yet the underlying burden of stewardship does not disappear. Stewardship rarely proceeds comfortably. It resists the promise of certainty without responsibility, change without cost, or endurance without purpose, and in doing so it requires patience, friction, and a willingness to act without the assurance of immediate understanding.
Stewardship is less something to be implemented than a way of proceeding, shaped through judgment exercised over time. It asks boards and owners to decide with the future in mind, to change what must be changed to preserve what matters, and to accept that responsibility cannot be fully hedged or explained away.
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Thames Fulton is a senior member of the firm’s Board Recruiting practice. He also supports the firm’s Chief Executive Officers, Industrial Technology, and Family-Owned Businesses practices. He is a functional specialist working on board recruiting, corporate governance consulting, and best-in-class succession planning for both board members and CEOs. He serves as a board- and CEO-level advisor assisting clients with ascertaining and recruiting the optimum balance of skills and experience required to build robust and effective boards and corporate governance processes in support of successful businesses.
The C-suite landscape is fundamentally reshaped. It’s no longer enough to hire for deep functional expertise; today’s challenges demand a new blend of tech fluency, strategic foresight, and cross-functional agility. As we head into 2026, many organizations face a critical talent gap: finding leaders equipped to govern a world that didn’t even exist last year.
This shift is perhaps most evident in the marketing function, where the role has exploded in scope.
The CMO’s Evolution from Brand Steward to Growth Engine
The modern CMO is rapidly becoming the Chief Growth Officer (CGO), focusing on: Revenue Accountability: Direct ROI and P&L Ownership—making marketing a true financial partner to the CFO.
To meet these expanded expectations across the entire C-suite, the search has intensified for a new kind of executive.
The true talent gap is not about finding experienced leaders, but those with the propensity to adapt to rapid change and ambiguity. The new C-suite profile demands these critical competencies:
Organizations that proactively invest in reskilling current executives and strategically recruiting leaders who embody this new, future-forward profile will be the ones that define the new era.
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Kimberly Melcer leads the firm’s Marketing practice. She specializes in recruiting for C-suite roles across the AdTech, MarTech, digital, and marketing sectors at start-ups, privately held companies, and public organizations.
Greenwich, Conn., May 9, 2025 – RSR Partners, a leading board and executive search firm, is proud to recognize Joseph (“Joe”) Echevarria, Chair of the board of The Bank of New York (BNY), as The Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award recipient.
The Chair of the Year Award was established to celebrate 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. The award annually recognizes a Chair for their leadership and ability to successfully steer a public company Board through significant business or governance challenges. The winner of the award is chosen by an independent selection committee comprised of renowned experts in their fields, including Mikaela Boyd, Sarah Nash, Kim Lew, Dan Hawkins, Nik Deogun, and Brett Stephens.
“The profound governance transformation at BNY since 2019 is a direct result of the board’s exceptional ability to navigate unexpected challenges,” said Brett Stephens, Chair of the selection committee. “Joe can authentically connect with people at all levels, and he is known for his low ego and great sense of purpose. His calm, measured, and values driven leadership was never more evident than during the surprise CEO transition in 2019, when Joe stabilized the board, and ultimately guided a CEO succession process that selected Robin Vince as CEO-Elect in March 2022. Since then, BNY has been a leader in its sector and has achieved a 108% total return vs. 32% in the Financial Sector (IUFS ETF).”
“Joe’s ability to focus the board on BNY’s most critical priorities, never letting personal agendas or comparisons to other boards dilute the conversation,” stated Kim Lew, a member of the selection committee. “Perhaps most impressive is his behind-the-scenes influence: his steady guidance with the board and management along with strong relationships with regulators, even as the financial sector faces growing scrutiny.”
“Joe consistently places the institution above himself —listening first, speaking last, and ensuring every voice around the table is heard,” said Al Zollar, fellow board member at BNY. “In a time when boardrooms demand both diplomacy, trust-based relationships, and decisiveness, Joe has set the tone and tenor for the board to focus on doing the right things right.”
“I am honored and delighted that a board leader like Joe Echevarria was selected,” stated Russ Reynolds. “I have always believed that the best leaders are those that put others above themselves. And as any seasoned sailor knows, storms will come—and I believe all great companies need calm, capable captains to chart the course forward. Joe is the model of what great board leadership looks like.”
About Joe Echevarria
Joe Echevarria has served as a director of BNY since February 2015 and as Chair of the Board since September 2019. Joe served as Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte LLP, a global provider of professional services, from 2011 until his retirement in 2014. He previously served in increasingly senior leadership positions during his 36-year career at the firm, including U.S. Managing Partner for Operations, prior to being named Chief Executive Officer. Joe currently serves as a trustee, President and CEO of the University of Miami, and CEO of UHealth–University of Miami Health System, where he leads more than 20,000 professionals whose focus is transforming lives through education, research, and patient care. He remains active on various boards, serving on the boards of directors of both Pfizer and UNUM. He previously served as Chairman of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and as a member of the Private Export Council, the principal national advisory committee on international trade.
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 peer nomination period takes place from August through September. 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.
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Contacts
Lindsay Griesmeyer
+1 (203) 618-7076
media@rsrpartners.com
RSR Partners, a leading board recruiting and executive search firm, announced that Edward D. C. Fowler (“Ed”) has been named Co-Head of the firm’s Asset Management practice, alongside current Co-Head, Maryann Bovich, effective immediately. Ed is an exceptional recruiter with more than 30 years of search experience and a track record of developing and leading relationships with top investment firms and allocators across the United States.
“Ed has a great reputation in the endowment and foundation community,” said Brett Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of RSR. “His authentic long-standing relationships with prominent and respected institutions drive Ed’s success in delivering outstanding leadership and talent for our clients.” Stephens continued, “That success has been foundational to our position as the go-to firm in the asset management arena.”
Ed primarily works with endowments, foundations, family offices, and OCIO firms. He recruits CIOs and also helps build out their teams. Additionally, Ed recruits both investment and institutional sales professionals for a variety of direct investment firms. His resume also includes numerous COO, risk, and general counsel searches for his clients.
“We have a uniquely talented team that consistently brings innovative strategies and a hands-on approach to identifying people who enhance all aspects of our clients’ performance, relationships, and culture,” said Ed. “I look forward to serving in a leadership role as we continue to grow our specialized practice known for its bespoke, client-focused search process.”
Ed joined RSR Partners in 2017, when the firm acquired Higdon Partners to broaden its reach in the asset management community. Prior to Higdon, Ed was an entrepreneur. He founded and ran his own recruiting firm focused exclusively on asset management and co-founded a successful recruiting-related software start-up. Early in his career, he worked at the prominent law firm Wachtell Lipton. Ed graduated from Vanderbilt University with a BA in political science and later earned an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
About RSR Partners
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, and technology.
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Contacts
Lindsay Griesmeyer
+1 (203) 618-7076
media@rsrpartners.com
Dear Clients and Friends,
2023 was a dynamic and transformative year across the corporate landscape, and so far, we expect this trend to continue in 2024. Leadership in the boardroom and C-Suite has never been more indispensable. From our beginnings as a boutique board advisory firm, to our evolution into a “boardroom-centric” search firm, we are incredibly proud to work with so many companies that believe that great leadership is a competitive advantage, and with candidates who have a genuine and positive impact on the world around them.
One of the ways we celebrate great leadership is with the Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Chair of the Year Award. The Chair of the Year Award was established in 2023 to celebrate the legacy of Russ Reynolds, an icon of the executive search and board recruiting industry. The award recognizes a Chair who successfully led a Board of Directors through significant business or governance challenges. As featured in Fortune magazine, the inaugural award was presented to Sarah Nash, Chair of Bath & Body Works, at our annual Directors Dinner in New York in October. We were delighted to recognize Sarah’s extraordinary leadership and character. We hope that many of you will nominate a Chair for the award this year and join us at our Directors Dinner in October.
Our Board practice continues to anchor the firm’s activities and provide enhanced insights and connectivity to assist our executive searches across our core practice areas (Asset Management, Consumer, and Industrial Technology). Our collaborative approach – a hallmark of our firm – helped bring to light some of the trends we expect to be explored by boards and C-Suite leadership teams in 2024:
We look forward to continuing to assist our clients with their most important, complex, and sensitive leadership and governance concerns in 2024. We believe that RSR Partners is uniquely situated in the industry to provide unparalleled access and insight into top-performing business leaders. In addition to our board recruiting capabilities, we offer our clients a broad set of other Board and CEO services. Should you have any important board or C-Suite leadership needs in the coming year, we would be delighted to share our capabilities and expertise to help you. More importantly, we look forward to our continued friendship with you all.
With gratitude,
Barrett J. Stephens
Chief Executive Officer
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Greenwich, CT, March 1, 2023 – RSR Partners, a leading board recruiting and executive search firm, announced today that Kimberly Melcer has joined the firm to lead their Marketing & Digital practice. Kimberly specializes in identifying leaders with digital transformation capabilities across the C-Suite, and especially within the marketing function. She works with start-ups, privately held, and public organizations. She has extensive experience within the AdTech, MarTech, and broader consumer and marketing services industries.
Prior to joining RSR, Kimberly helped lead the Digital practice at Buffkin / Baker. She transitioned to executive recruiting following a marketing and merchandising career in the fashion industry, most recently serving as Vice President of Global Merchandising at Armani Exchange. She started her career in the Macy’s Buying Program and later led the marketing and merchandising team within the non-beauty business at Avon.
“Ability to drive technological and digital transformation is increasingly a skill our clients are looking for on their boards and their leadership teams,” stated Brett Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of RSR. “Kimberly’s experience deepens and enhances our ability to access the talent our clients need to be at the forefront of innovation. Kimberly is a fantastic addition to our team as we continue to build service offerings that complement our existing strengths and add value for our clients.”
“There are incredible opportunities for leaders who operate at the convergence of data, technology, and marketing,” said Kimberly, “and the MarTech and AdTech landscape continues to evolve and grow. I was attracted to RSR’s collaborative culture and entrepreneurial spirit, especially since this area of expertise is welcomed across the firm and interconnects with other C-Suite functions. I’m excited to be a part of the firm’s future and its continued success.”
About RSR Partners
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 consumer goods and services, financial services, healthcare, industrial, and technology. To learn more about RSR Partners, click here.
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Contacts
Lindsay Griesmeyer
+1 (203) 618-7076
media@rsrpartners.com
Chicago, IL., August 3, 2021 – RSR Partners, a leading board and executive search firm, has announced that Eric Douglas Keene has joined the firm’s Board & CEO Services practice as a Managing Director in Chicago.
Known for high quality and versatility, Eric brings more than 25 years of experience recruiting a range of board directors, C-suite level executives, and commercial leaders for clients throughout the U.S. He leads engagements across a variety of industries, including consumer products and goods, industrial technology, financial services, private equity, and healthcare and life sciences; and is a seasoned functional expert recruiter in the areas of strategy, human resources, marketing and sales, finance, operations, and information technology.
“Eric is a terrific addition to our Board & CEO Services practice,” said Brett Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of RSR. “He has successfully operated at the intersection of the boardroom and C-suite and has the experience and capabilities for building high performing and diverse teams.”
“I am drawn to RSR’s legacy and 30-year track record helping board and C-suite executives with their most important leadership needs,” stated Eric. “I look forward to offering my distinctive lens, both internally and externally, and to providing clients access to an enhanced network and an additional set of expertise and capabilities.”
Eric is the Founder & President of Keene Advisory Group. He previously served as a firm-wide leader on Diversity & Inclusion and was a member of the Consumer and Corporate Officers practices at Russell Reynolds Associates. Prior to Russell Reynolds Associates, Eric worked for McKinsey & Company, serving international clientele on issues of operations, organization, sales, and strategy.
A Shaker Heights native, Eric received his MBA as the Weatherhead Alumni Scholar from Case Western Reserve University and earned his BSc in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.
About RSR Partners
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 company was founded in 1993 by industry icon and Chairman, Russell S. Reynolds, Jr. Over the past 25 years, the firm has conducted more than 1,000 projects for Boards and CEOs at public, private equity owned, and family-owned businesses across a range of industries including consumer goods and services, financial services, healthcare, industrial, and technology. To learn more about RSR Partners, click here.
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Contacts
Lindsay Griesmeyer
+1 (203) 618-7076
media@rsrpartners.com
