Claudius Hildebrand is a core member of the firm’s CEO Practice and Leadership Advisory Services. A student of leadership Claudius closely studied the CEO performance of over 10,000 CEOs over time and interviewed 100 CEOs and directors to identify the underlying success factors. He specializes in the support of executives to accelerate their performance and purposefully build toward long-term success.

Combining data insights with self-discovery to accelerate CEO performance

  • Claudius advises CEOs, CHROs and boards on how to accelerate CEO performance and unlock potential at any stage of their life cycle. He is also engaged in CEO succession planning in assessing leadership potential and capabilities to provide dedicated support and carefully curated content tailored to CEOs’ specific needs, situations and aspirations.
  • Claudius is an award-winning author who has published and presented his research to academic and business audiences. His research on the CEO Life Cycle explores CEO performance over time and has been prominently featured on the cover of Harvard Business Review and cited in McKinsey’s book on CEO Excellence. His work on CEO transitions was named “Best of Bain 2020.” His work on mindsets and social networks won “Best Article” by the Academy of Management. Claudius is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and his work frequently cited in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes and Financial Times among many others. He has repeatedly presented to the G100 CEOs and at several human resources, CEO and industry events.
  • Claudius has partnered with numerous clients globally across consumer products, industrial services, financial services, insurance, retail and medtech, among others. He has worked with CEOs and boards of Fortune 500, mid-cap and privately held companies to ensure successful transitions and leadership development.
  • Prior to joining Spencer Stuart Claudius was a member of Boston Consulting Group’s CEO Advisory and served clients across industries on leadership, strategy and organizational culture. Earlier in his career, Claudius served as Founder and Strategic Advisor to several early stage businesses in Germany, China and the U.K.

Claudius earned his Ph.D. and M.Phil. in leadership from Columbia Business School. He also holds a coaching certificate from the Neuroleadership Institute. A global citizen he speaks six languages and is fluent in German, English and Mandarin. Claudius is the proud parent of three budding artists and explorers (ages 5 and 2).

Practice Areas