Years active 1993–present | Name Nels Olson | |
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Occupation Executive recruiter, Korn/Ferry Education George Washington University Profiles | ||
Nels Olson is Co-Leader and Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO Services Practice with Tierney Remick at Korn Ferry International . He has been appointed to the 2009 Directorship 100 and participated in more than 350 placements. Recent CEO and Board placements include the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell; Boston Federal Reserve, NFIB, PhRMA, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, NewsCorp and Pepco Holdings.
Contents
- Career
- Leadership commentary
- Notable placements
- CEO
- Board Directors
- Education
- Charity and board involvement
- References
Career
Olson served on the staff of the White House under George HW Bush from 1989-1992 in the Office of Presidential Personnel. His primary position was to identify and recommend candidates for senior political positions in cabinet agencies. He was also responsible for the political clearance for all presidential appointees.
He then joined Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., a DC based public relations firm and eventually joined Korn Ferry, where he was initially tasked with helping former government officials find placement in the private sector: "Olson helped link one of the hottest legislative talents, ex-House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.), with Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and helped get Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s (R-Tenn.) former chief of staff, Mitch Bainwol, to the Recording Industry Association of America."
Olson has gone on to lead the CEO Practice at [Korn Ferry]. While in this role he has commented on the intersection of government and corporate leadership in publications such as the New York Times, National Associate of Corporate Directors (NACD), and The Korn Ferry Institute.
Leadership commentary
Olson often provides commentary on Boardroom level leadership including topics such as:
• Why the CEO Is the Other Chief Diversity Officer (Chief Executive.net) • Another View: Why C.E.O.’s Need to Engage Washington (New York Times Online) • Boards Must Look to the Future with a Thoughtful Succession Plan to Lead and Win (NACD Directorship) • The Mosaic that is the Modern Boardroom (Korn Ferry Institute)
Notable placements
Nels Olson works with the world’s largest organizations to place CEO’s and Board Members. Select placements include:
CEO
Board Directors
Education
Olson received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York in 1989. He then attended George Washington University where he obtained his Masters in Business Administration in 2000. Not to be confused with Dr. Nels A. Olson.
Charity and board involvement
Nels Olson is a board member of the Wolf Trap Foundation, which takes "a valuable leadership role in both the local and national performing arts communities." He is also on the board of the Starlight-Starbright Foundation, which brings together experts from pediatric health care, technology and entertainment to create programs that educate, entertain and inspire seriously ill children.