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Spencer Stuart Welcomes New Chief Financial Officer Clare Kennedy

January 2026
Clare Kennedy
Clare Kennedy

NEW YORK, NY, January 12, 2026 — Spencer Stuart, a leading global advisory firm, announced the appointment of Clare Kennedy as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective today. Kennedy succeeds Christine Laurens as part of a planned succession and in support of Laurens’ retirement from full-time executive work. Laurens will remain with the firm for several months to ensure a smooth transition.

Kennedy, who is based in London, joins Spencer Stuart from Maples Group, an international advisory firm that provides legal, fiduciary and fund administration services, where she served as global Chief Operating Officer. She joined Maples Group from Freshfields, an international law firm, where she served as its global Chief Financial Officer and held a seat on the global executive board. Kennedy previously spent 18 years at Linklaters, an international law firm, where she held a variety of senior finance and commercial leadership roles during a period of significant expansion and growth. She began her career at Arthur Andersen and EY as a chartered accountant, specializing in tax. Kennedy’s experience has been global, not only in leading international operations but also in having lived and worked in Amsterdam, London, New York and Toronto. She graduated from the University of Stirling with a B.A. with Honors in Business Studies and Economics.

“We are grateful to Christine for her many significant contributions, which have strengthened our finance function and advanced our firm, and wish her the very best in her retirement,” said Jordan Brugg, Chief Executive Officer of Spencer Stuart. “We are delighted to welcome Clare to Spencer Stuart to further build on that strength. She is an accomplished finance leader and will be an exceptional addition to our global leadership team, with her deep experience and strong track record in strengthening operations, driving profitable growth and developing impactful teams.”

“I am thrilled to join Spencer Stuart to lead its outstanding finance organization,” said Kennedy. “I am excited to be part of a client-focused and values-driven firm that works with organizations to navigate their most significant talent and leadership challenges.”

About Spencer Stuart

Privately held since 1956, Spencer Stuart is a leading global advisory firm specializing in people, team and organizational performance — spanning more than 60 offices, over 30 countries and more than 50 practice specialties. Boards and executive leaders consistently turn to Spencer Stuart for senior-level executive search, board recruitment, board effectiveness, succession planning, executive assessment and development, culture change and performance acceleration for senior leadership teams. For more information on Spencer Stuart, please visit www.spencerstuart.com.