London, 1 July, 2021 — Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm, is pleased to announce that Shami Iqbal has been appointed to the role of UK managing partner, effective 1 July 2021.
Shami succeeds Simon Fenton, who has served a three-year term as managing partner following his return to the UK after seven years based in Hong Kong from where he led firm’s Asia Pacific business. Prior to that, Simon Fenton had been responsible for the EMEA region, and over the years has held other key leadership roles in the firm.
Hugh Thorneycroft, who leads Spencer Stuart’s regional operations in EMEA, said: “I am incredibly grateful to Simon for his enormous contribution to the UK business and for steering the firm through an unprecedented period. Over the past 18 months we have focused on UK leadership succession and we are delighted to appoint a successor as capable as Shami who will lead with great energy and judgement.”
Prior to taking up his role as UK managing partner, Shami has been leading the firm’s Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs Practice in EMEA and chairing Spencer Stuart UK’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. Before his 15-year career in executive search and leadership consulting, he was a sports lawyer at a leading London law firm. Shami brings a wealth of experience and proven capabilities to the role and is highly regarded across the Spencer Stuart partnership.
“It is an incredibly exciting time to take the reins in London as we continue to support our clients with their leadership needs post the pandemic,” Shami said. “Expectations on leaders have never been higher, and I am delighted to be working with an incredibly talented UK team as we, and our clients, navigate an evolving commercial, environmental, social and governance landscape.”
About Spencer Stuart
At Spencer Stuart, we know that leadership has never mattered more. We are trusted by organizations around the world to help them make the senior-level leadership decisions that have a lasting impact on their enterprises, on their stakeholders and the world around them. Through our executive search, board and leadership advisory services, we help build and enhance high-performing teams for select clients ranging from major multinationals to emerging companies to non-profit institutions.
Privately held since 1956, we focus on delivering knowledge, insight and results through the collaborative efforts of a team of experts — now spanning more than 70 offices, over 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties. Boards and leaders consistently turn to Spencer Stuart to help address their evolving leadership needs in areas such as senior-level executive search, board recruitment, board effectiveness, succession planning, in-depth senior management assessment, employee engagement and many other facets of culture and organizational effectiveness, particularly in the context of the changing stakeholder expectations of business today. For more information on Spencer Stuart, please www.spencerstuart.com.