Managing Director & Chairman, Board & CEO Advisory Partners, Russell Reynolds Associates
Jens-Thomas leads Russell Reynolds Associates’ Board & CEO Advisory Partners in Europe and serves as Global Head of the Industrial & Natural Resources Sector. In this capacity, he leads the firm’s business with clients in Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Capital & Electrical Goods, Chemicals, Energy and Industrial Services. Jens-Thomas has personally led numerous chairman succession assignments and non-executive searches for companies listed on the DAX 40, the CAC 40, the S&P 100, the FTSE 100, the OMXN 40 and other main indices as well as for privately held and PE-backed companies. He also specializes in board advisory, most notably comprehensive board effectiveness reviews. Over the course of his career, Jens-Thomas conducted more than 30 CEO succession projects for global market leaders in Europe and the U.S., ranging from USD 500m to USD 150bn revenues.
Jens-Thomas joined Russell Reynolds Associates after four years as President and CEO of private equity-owned Navico Holding, a global market leader in marine electronics with 2,500 staff on three continents. He was responsible for establishing the company through multiple acquisitions, defining strategy and creating a family of brands under the Navico umbrella, resulting in enhanced management, operations, and product offerings to develop the most profitable, globally-integrated player in the industry. Earlier in his career, Jens-Thomas was Chief Marketing Officer at Siemens, where he significantly increased the global unaided brand awareness. He began his career at McKinsey & Company, spending six years as a management consultant in New York and Munich.
Jens-Thomas holds a BSc in physics and mathematics and an MSc in semiconductor physics from the University of Ulm in Germany. Jens-Thomas held Chairman roles at Torqeedo GmbH (electromobility) and Ocivan Invest AS as well as the Vice-Chairman role at Reimann Investors KGaA. He served as a non-executive Director on the Navico Holding AS board, and as an advisory board member of NYSE-listed Pontem Corp.
