Heidrick & Struggles Appoints Cecilia Nelson-Hurt as Chief Diversity Officer
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII), a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, announced it has appointed Cecilia Nelson-Hurt as its new Chief Diversity Officer, effective immediately.
Nelson-Hurt joins the firm from L’Oréal USA, where she served as Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. She was responsible for shaping the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts that underscore its commitment to building an inclusive beauty brand and as an equal opportunity workplace. She also developed and facilitated its diversity and inclusion programs and worked with the company’s employee-led Think Tanks to create and implement strategies and initiatives that positively impacted employee engagement, consumer insights and community outreach.
“At Heidrick & Struggles, we are committed to building diverse leadership teams and organizations and creating inclusive workplace cultures, both for our employees and our clients,” said Krishnan Rajagopalan, President and CEO, Heidrick & Struggles. “We are delighted to welcome Cecilia who brings her deep passion, experience and commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion to our firm. We look forward to further strengthening our focus and efforts on increasing representation and fostering an equitable and inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive and achieve success.”
Nelson-Hurt commented, “It is an incredibly exciting time to join Heidrick & Struggles as the firm looks to accelerate its transformation and growth journey globally. I am honored to have this opportunity to lead the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and deliver long-term, sustainable programs and initiatives that build on its values and commitment to creating the most diverse and inclusive executive talent and leadership advisory firm in the industry.”
Previously, Nelson-Hurt was Vice President of University Relations and a Diversity and Campus Relations Officer at JPMorgan Chase, where she managed relationships with business and recruiting teams to create targeted events at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She also developed and maintained relationships with multiple diversity-oriented organizations, including National Association of Colleges & Employers, Universum and Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement, increasing the number of diverse applicants for its entry-level and experienced hire recruiting programs.