Jens-Thomas Pietralla

Jens-Thomas serves as the co-lead of Russell Reynolds Associates’ Global Board & CEO Advisory Practice (BCAP) and chairs BCAP in Europe and Asia Pacific. Previously, he led Russell Reynolds Associates’ Industrial Practice for 10 years.

Jens-Thomas helps companies build superior boards and advises his clients on leadership matters, succession planning, and corporate governance. With a wealth of experience, he is well-positioned to advise chairs and boards on the critical task of planning and executing CEO succession assignments. Jens-Thomas has completed more than 30 enterprise CEO succession assignments for global market leaders in Europe and the US, with revenues ranging from USD $500 million to USD $150 billion. An expert in German corporate governance, he has also conducted numerous chairperson searches and board reviews for DAX-listed corporations.

Jens-Thomas joined Russell Reynolds after serving as President & CEO of private equity-owned Navico, a global market leader in marine electronics with 2,500 employees across three continents. He was responsible for establishing the company through multiple acquisitions, defining strategy, and creating a family of brands under the Navico umbrella. This resulted in enhanced management, operations, and product offerings, ultimately developing Navico into the most profitable, globally integrated player in the industry, which was later sold for USD $1.1 billion to a strategic buyer. Earlier in his career, Jens-Thomas was Chief Marketing Officer at Siemens, where he significantly increased global unaided brand awareness. He began his career at McKinsey & Company, spending six years as a management consultant in New York and Munich.