L. Kevin Kelly

Kevin was raised in Virginia and received a Bachelor of Science from George Mason University and an MBA from Duke University, for which he is now proudly serving on the Board of Advisors for the Fuqua School of Business.[2] Kevin has lived and worked all over the world, including Tokyo, London, New York, and now Chicago, where he resides with his four children.

Kevin began what would become his pivotal role in leadership consultancy at the executive search firm, Heidrick & Struggles.[2] As Chief Executive of Heidrick & Struggles, Kevin transformed an extremely successful executive search company into a modern global leadership-consulting firm, operating in 60 countries. Kelly joined the Heidrick & Struggles' Tokyo office in 1997. He later served as regional managing partner of Asia Pacific and then Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from 2001 to 2006. He became chief executive officer in 2006.[3][4]

Throughout his career, he has focused on the challenges of leadership and has authored three books on the subject: “CEO-The Low Down on the Top Job” (2008); “Top Jobs – How They are Different and What You Need to Succeed” (2009); and “Leading in Turbulent Times” (2010).[5]

Kevin’s expertise played a pivotal role in defining the new terms of engagement between technology and talent in the early 2000s with creative joint ventures encompassing NASDAQ and the Economist Intelligence Unit. He also collaborated with the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders program, contributing to the community’s personal development as contemporary leaders.

After Heidrick & Struggles, Kevin became the President and CEO of Asia Pulp and Paper NA. Through this role, Kevin deepened his understanding of doing business in China and across South East Asia. By building trusted relationships and advocating for high standards of transparency, Kevin was able to maintain the integrity of the business’s supply chains and introduce world class sustainability standards.

As CEO of Halo Privacy, Kevin has transitioned to a privacy activist, working to ensure individual protections in an increasingly more threatening digital landscape. Yet, he also continues his leadership consultancy with both Fortune 500 companies and various trade groups to ensure that the fostering of talented individuals continues to evolve in this ever-changing global marketplace.