Gauri Padmanabhan is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ New Delhi office and leads the CEO & Board and Consumer Markets practices in India, and the Social Impact in South Asia. Before assuming her current role, Gauri built the firm’s Life Sciences Practice in India. Since joining the firm in 2000, Gauri has played a key role in building Heidrick & Struggles’ business in India. Working closely at the top with leadership teams in India and the region, Gauri assists clients in building their business and functional leadership teams in South Asia. With digital transformation high on her clients’ agendas since 2017, she supports a number of them in building their digital leadership teams. Her clients include large global and Indian corporations in the consumer, retail, luxury, hospitality & leisure, education, life sciences, and OTC sectors. Gauri works closely with boards to address boardroom effectiveness and to fulfil their diversity and inclusion agenda. She has built an extensive network across consumer and life sciences that gives her access to leadership across these sectors in India and overseas. Gauri specializes in leadership searches at the board and C-suite level. She has been successful not only tapping into Indian leadership talent both in market and overseas, but bringing expatriate talent into the country to meet the leadership needs of her clients. She also helps her clients drive their digital and diversity agendas. Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Gauri held a leadership role in a major direct-selling multinational with overall responsibility for customer services and delivery. As part of the senior management team, she was also a member on their strategic planning group. Her career also includes stints in general management, consulting, and teaching.