LONDON & DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Russell Reynolds Associates has opened an office in Dubai, located at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The global leader in assessment, recruitment and succession planning for chief executive officers, boards of directors and key roles within the C-suite started doing business in the Middle East in 1975. The firm now has 46 offices in 26 countries spread across Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East.

"Our firm was first in our industry to establish a Middle East Practice, and we remain unique with dedicated consultants based both inside and outside of the region. Our Dubai office is another important step in the global expansion of Russell Reynolds Associates," says Clarke Murphy, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates. "Our company continues to expand: the past calendar year was an history high."

The executive search firm's presence in the Arab world will be boosted by the new office. "The Middle East continues to play a key strategic role for many of our clients, most major multinationals and world banks. Our Dubai office complements our clients' growing demands for physical presence in the region", explains Stephan Schönwälder, Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates and Area Manager for Dubai. The Dubai office will be tightly integrated with the firm’s Middle East desk in London. Senior members of this desk are Mat Green and Lamees Al-Ashtal, who have a combined 45 years of executive search experience.

Stephan Schönwälder joined Russell Reynolds Associates from another search firm, where he led the Middle East Financial Services Practice for four years. He also worked on numerous assignments in the ICT and FMCG industries and served family-owned businesses. Previously, Schönwälder was a Partner with McKinsey & Company, serving as the head of the company’s Middle East Business Technology Practice and as a core member of the region’s Financial Services Practice. He also worked for numerous family conglomerates and government institutions, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Earlier, Schönwälder spent time in the United States and Germany with Microsoft, where he held product development and marketing roles.

As Schönwälder explains, "The region has considerable potential. Many of the Gulf States are successfully expanding their range of economic activities – moving away from oil toward promising sectors of the future such as tourism and hospitality, financial services and telecommunications. We advise companies and institutions in the region on all talent issues across all industries, with our wide-ranging executive search knowledge and international and local expertise."

About Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds Associates is a global leader in assessment, recruitment and succession planning for boards of directors, chief executive officers and key roles within the C-suite. With more than 370 consultants in 46 offices around the world, we work closely with public, private and nonprofit organizations across all industries and regions. We help our clients build teams of transformational leaders who can meet today’s challenges and anticipate the digital, economic, environmental and political trends that are reshaping the global business environment.

Find out more at www.russellreynolds.com and follow us on Twitter: @RRAonLeadership