AESC Recognizes DEI Champions in the Executive Search and Leadership Consulting Profession with IDEA Awards

Awards were presented to Nick Chambers of Boyden, Anna Luiza M. Osser of Osser&Osser and Stuart H. Sadick of Heidrick & Struggles at AESC’s annual global conference in New York

Today at their annual AESC Global Conference in New York, the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) honored recipients with the AESC IDEA Award for outstanding contribution to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA).   

The AESC IDEA Award was established in 2020 to support the goals of the AESC Diversity Pledge, signed by more than 100 CEOs of leading executive search and leadership consulting firms. The award recognizes initiatives within the executive search and leadership consulting profession that demonstrate an exemplary commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access. These initiatives must be of sufficient significance and external impact to be recognized as excellent by the profession. This year’s AESC IDEA Award is presented to the following: 

• Nick Chambers, Partner, Boyden – Toronto 

• Anna Luiza M. Osser, Partner, Osser&Osser – São Paulo 

• Stuart H. Sadick, Partner, Heidrick & Struggles – Boston 

Nick Chambers, Partner in Boyden’s Toronto office, brings a fresh approach to executive recruitment, combining his expertise in leadership development, organization performance consulting, board governance and client service. He is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its forms. A sought-after authority on the topic of DEI, Nick leads professional development sessions, workshops and serves on many panels, helping advance DEI in the C-suite and across organizations.

Nick has led high-profile and prominent searches for positions focused on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, including the inaugural Board for the Black Opportunity Fund. He has also consulted on and led numerous CEO and Board assignments for clients looking to diversify their leadership and governance, resulting in numerous successful executive hires.  

Colleagues within Boyden share, that he has helped to "articulate our philosophy and approach to embedding DEI within our organization and throughout our process, taking our firm to the next level as trusted advisors."  

A leader and contributor in the evolution of our profession in relation to DEI, Nick serves as a member of AESC’s Diversity Leadership Council for North America and is a lead Partner Instructor with McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program. At the community level, Nick is closely connected with the work of CivicAction, an organization that is a catalyst for positive change, turning collaboration into action to build better, more inclusive cities.

Anna Luiza M. Osser, Partner at Osser&Osser in São Paulo, brings 25 years of experience in the executive search profession, in which she has conducted searches for CEOs, other C-level executives and board directors across a range of industries for national and multinational companies in Brazil and abroad. 

Anna Luiza has consistently leveraged her influence with senior leaders to advance diversity and inclusion in the C-Suite and in the board room. In addition to her push for diversity through executive and board search projects, Anna Luiza has recently completed a coaching certification program to improve her ability to influence and drive diversity and inclusion through coaching. 

A member of AESC's Diversity Leadership Council for Latin America, Anna Luiza is a tireless advocate for elevating women to C-suite and Board positions. She's a member of the 30% Club of Brazil and partners with Valor Economico to raise the visibility of executive women in C-suite and Board roles in Brazil and across Latin America. 

Stuart Sadick, Partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Boston office and a member of the firm's Professional Services Practice, has been a champion of DEI-related initiatives since joining the firm in 1999. Among Heidrick’s first out and proud Partners, he set an example that enabled others to follow, including colleagues from all levels of the organization. 

Since 2020, Stuart has served as a co-lead for the Pride@Heidrick employee resource group, a network of LGBTQ+ employees and allies focused on advancing and transforming inclusion, visibility, education and leadership for LGBTQ+ people and issues. The employee resource group (ERG) provides mentorship, allyship and support for LGBTQ+ individuals to ensure their voices are represented, as well as impact positive change within the firm by ensuring that all have equal opportunity to advance their careers at Heidrick & Struggles.  

As co-lead, Stuart has provided global leadership across the firm and led the development of the ERG’s agenda and programming, bringing DEI topics to the forefront for all employees of Heidrick & Struggles through inclusive and open dialogues, events and other forums. Stuart routinely demonstrates the firm’s unwavering commitment to proudly working with diverse candidates and clients and regularly promotes inclusiveness across the business. In his work with clients, he is a model for the behavior and conversations that include all DEI pools.  

Karen Greenbaum, AESC President & CEO, commented: “We are proud to recognize these AESC members as exemplars of excellence in our profession. The AESC IDEA Award brings critical recognition to those who are bringing our commitment as a profession to DEI to life through their tangible, measurable impact.”   

About the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants  

Since 1959, AESC has set the quality standard for the executive search and leadership consulting profession. AESC Members represent 16,000+ trusted professionals in 1,200+ offices, spanning 70+ countries. AESC Members are recognized experts providing consulting services in the areas of leaders, teams and culture to the world’s leading organizations. They leverage their access and expertise to place more than 100,000 executives each year in board of directors and C-level positions across industry sectors. Dedicated to strengthening leadership worldwide, AESC and its members share a deep commitment to the highest quality standards in executive search and leadership consulting—for the benefit of clients and the profession. We Shape. Connect. Educate. Learn more about us at aesc.org. For AESC’s career service connecting executive-level candidates to the world’s leading executive search firms, visit bluesteps.com.