Anne Martin Simonds, is a Partner and Head of Global Development and Social Enterprise at Spencer Stuart in Washington, DC. She helps organizations across all industries assess CEOs and build boards committed to the highest levels of impact. With more than 25 years of experience in leadership consulting and drawing from her cross-industry knowledge and deep understanding of the current geopolitical landscape, she counsels towards systems-level change to help organizations and their leaders translate emerging trends into opportunities that can transform their businesses, their communities — and the world.

Annie is an impartial adviser to the CEOs and boards of some of the world’s most high-profile organizations. She guides her clients through substantive change, innovation and social entrepreneurship, often by bringing together private, public and third sector leaders. She has significant expertise helping rapidly evolving organizations grow where existing models may not exist, applying an innovator’s mindset to help ensure the right level of change to catalyze versus paralyze. She looks beyond pedigree in order to recruit leaders who align not only with the role, but also will succeed within the broader context of the operating environment or system.

In addition to recruiting CEOs and board members, she advises on organizational restructuring, organizational culture and critical board/governance issues, including succession. She is passionate about diversity and equality. She serves on the boards of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and Project HOPE, bringing firsthand perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing boards and leaders at the intersection of public, private and third sector implementers and funders.

Annie graduated from UVA with a degree in biology and her son, William, is a current student at the College of Arts & Sciences.