Alison Ranney and Theodore Dysart Join Russell Reynolds Associates

Ranney returns to the firm and Dysart joins to focus on CEO and board of director searches

Chicago, April 11 - Leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA) announced that Alison P. Ranney and Theodore (Ted) Dysart have joined as managing directors. Both based in Chicago, Ranney and Dysart bring nearly five decades of combined experience advising CEOs and boards and leading director and senior executive searches across the globe.

“Alison and Ted bring impressive expertise in leading CEO and board of directors searches,” said John Madera, leader of Russell Reynolds Associates in Chicago and Minneapolis and member of the firm’s Board & CEO Advisory practice. “Alison’s experience in recruiting women and leaders of color into CEO, C-suite and board roles will help diversify leadership, a key focus for our firm. Ted’s expertise in board governance and succession planning will help strengthen our clients’ resiliency, reduce their risk profile, and drive market impact. Furthermore, Alison and Ted’s civic commitment will underscore RRA’s commitment to Chicago and our region.”

Ranney will lead CEO and Board Director searches for corporate and social impact clients and Dysart will focus exclusively on board, CEO, and succession planning engagements for industrial, consumer, financial services, social impact organizations and family-owned enterprises.

For the past nine years, Ranney served as managing partner of a boutique executive search firm focused on mission-driven search. She founded and led its Chicago office during a period of significant recognition and growth through an acquisition. Prior, she worked at Russell Reynolds for over eight years, originally joining in 2005. During that time, she led the growth of the Social Impact & Education practice in the Midwest and received the firm’s Excellence in Client Service award. She started her career as a corporate attorney with Skadden, Arps.

“Russell Reynolds is where I found my passion for executive recruiting,” noted Ranney. “I am excited to return to this exceptional firm to continue to work with boards on their most important leadership issues.”

Deeply committed to civic engagement, Ranney has served on numerous regional and national nonprofit boards. She serves on the board of Wintrust Bank and is a member of the Commercial Club, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Chicago Club and The Chicago Network. Alison holds a BA, with honors, from Brown University. She earned a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago.

Dysart previously spent 22 years at an international leadership consulting, senior-level executive search firm as a managing partner and later vice chairman. During his time there, he helped lead the global Board of Directors Practice and was an active member of the CEO Practice. Dysart began his career working for Russ Reynolds, the individual who founded our firm.

“I look forward to helping clients build and manage effective businesses and working with boards on long-term development plans,” said Dysart. “Russell Reynolds Associates’ initiatives and company values align with mine and they offer a tremendous opportunity to further the field of search and executive leadership advisory.”

A regular commentator about corporate governance in the media, Dysart has served as a guest lecturer at George Washington University, Northwestern University and The University of Chicago. He was named in Businessweek’s Top 150 World’s Most Influential Headhunters in the World and Directorship magazine’s Directorship 100, a listing of the most influential individuals in corporate governance (15 times), among other industry awards.

He is an active member in civic circles and serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Club, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), and Ox Building Products. He is also a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the Commercial Club. Prior he served as a board member and Chair for the Greater Chicago Chapter of the Red Cross and the Academy for Urban School Leadership. He received his bachelor's in management information systems from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.