Overview
Lee Hanson is a vice chair and partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ New York and San Francisco offices. She is a senior member of the CEO & Board of Directors Practice and Legal practices, working with clients across a wide range of industries including financial services, technology, industrial, and consumer. She also manages some of the firm’s most significant legal and compliance searches across industries, including clients from the Fortune 100 to pre-IPO companies.
Lee has written articles for Directors and Boards magazine and speaks regularly on topics such as diversity on boards and the evolving profile of corporate directors. She was named to the NACD Directorship 100, which recognizes the most influential leaders in corporate governance.
Experience
In addition to her executive search practice, Lee was co-chair for several years of the Global Promotions Committee and a past chair of the Global Partnership Council. In 2012, she received the John E. Struggles Award, a partner-nominated and selected award, given to the partner who most demonstrates the partnership commitment, client focus, and personal integrity hallmarks of our founders.
Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles in 1995, Lee spent fifteen years as an investment banker, most recently at Merrill Lynch & Co. and previously at Morgan Stanley & Co. Prior to this, she served as a law clerk to a federal district judge in New York.
Education
Harvard Law School, JD, cum laude
Yale University, BA in Economics. summa cum laude
Philanthropy and Service
Lee is a member of the board of directors of Analysis Group, Inc., an economics and financial consulting firm. She is a director of the Giffords Law Center, which advocates on behalf of preventing gun violence. She also served on the board of Students Rising Above, a non-profit focused on assisting high-potential, low-income high school students to achieve a successful college career. Lee was previously vice president of the board of the Financial Women’s Association of San Francisco.
Lee was a trustee at the Head-Royce School in Oakland, California for nine years, the last two years as chair of its board. She also served as co-chair of the school’s capital campaign.