Kati Najipoor-Smith

Kati Najipoor-Smith is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Frankfurt office and the regional co-managing partner of the CEO & Board of Directors Practice in Europe and Africa. She advises clients across all sectors on how to build effective and diverse boards and senior executive teams through search and succession planning for CEOs and directors, including the chair role.

Kati has decades of global executive search and consulting experience with boards and CEO clients, assisting them in navigating their complex leadership challenges.

She began her executive search career with another global search firm, where she led the global automotive and later the global CEO practice. With a worldwide network and extensive experience in CEO transitions, including many high-profile placements, Kati collaborates closely with boards to ensure robust, objective, and confidential succession processes, which include chairperson coaching and developing future CEOs.

Passionate about advancing female leadership, Kati co-founded a senior female executive network a decade ago, focusing on mentoring and coaching next-gen female leaders.

Kati Najipoor-Smith

v0726

Kati Najipoor-Smith

Will Farrell

Federated Hermes
Assistant Manager, EOS
London

Will co-leads the climate change theme at EOS, the stewardship arm of Federated Hermes Limited, where his coverage includes companies in Europe and Australia, primarily financial services, energy, chemicals, and materials. Prior to joining EOS, Will worked in the energy and infrastructure investment banking team at Macquarie Capital, where he specialised in renewable energy. Before that, Will held a number of roles across the UK climate policy space, including as a parliamentary researcher for Rt. Hon. Chris Skidmore MP on climate and energy issues, and as a climate and economic policy analyst at a diplomatic institute. He was appointed as a voluntary adviser to Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26, on preparations for COP26 after co-founding a Westminster climate policy group in 2019, which engaged MPs and Members of the House of Lords to advocate for more ambition on climate action in public policy. Will has a Bachelor’s degree (1st Class Honours) in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.