Chairman of Spencer Stuart U.S., Tom Neff has been with the firm since 1976. He focuses on CEO and board of director consulting and searches. A founder of the firm’s Board Practice, Tom has conducted more than 300 CEO searches and more than 600 board searches.
Tom is the co-author of two acclaimed books about leadership skills: Lessons from the Top — The Search for America’s Best Business Leaders and You’re in Charge — Now What?
Expertise in the boardroom and executive suite
- Tom managed the worldwide firm from 1979 to 1987. He served as leader of the firm's professional practices committee for 10 years and founded and chairs the firm's U.S. advisory board of prominent CEOs.
- He serves on the boards of directors of ACE Limited (chair of governance committee), a $15 billion Zurich-based insurance company, and the Lord Abbett mutual funds with assets in excess of $100 billion. He previously served on the boards of Hewitt Associates, Macmillan and Exult.
- Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Tom was a principal with Booz Allen & Hamilton in executive search. Previously, he was the CEO of an information systems company and held a senior marketing position with TWA. Earlier, he was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company in New York and Australia.
Tom has an M.B.A. from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Lafayette College. He served as an officer and aide de camp in the U.S. Army. Tom is a trustee emeritus of Lafayette College and previously served as chairman of the board of the Brunswick School.