Heidrick & Struggles Expands Operations in Central and Eastern Europe


CHICAGO, Feb. 3, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII), the world's premier executive search and leadership advisory firm, today announced it has completed the acquisition of the Warsaw office of Ray & Berndtson, a leading retained executive search operation. It has also welcomed staff from Ray & Berndtson's operations in Austria and individuals from Ray & Berndtson teams based throughout Central & Eastern Europe. In total, the company increases the number of consultants in this region by seven.

"We are pleased to welcome these consultants, their associates and support staff, to the Heidrick & Struggles team. These talented individuals significantly enhance our scale and competitive positioning in Central & Eastern Europe, as well as in many of our industry practice groups," said Kevin Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of Heidrick & Struggles. "This investment better positions our company in a fast-growing region, and benefits our clients by enabling us to expand the service offerings and scope of our combined businesses. We are confident that our new consultants will be able to quickly realize revenue and productivity increases from capitalizing on our brand, by working closely with our practice groups, and by utilizing our support capabilities, such as our Knowledge Management Center in India."

Joachim R. Zyla, Managing Partner of Ray & Berndtson's activities in Central & Eastern Europe, who will be joining Heidrick & Struggles, said: "Heidrick & Struggles is the premier global brand in the executive search industry. And it is the firm which will change the face of the industry over the next three years as it develops into a leadership advisory firm, not only focusing on the acquisition of talent at the senior level, but also on helping clients develop and retain their employees. We are looking forward to starting work."

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. is the world's premier provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including talent management, board building, executive on-boarding and M&A effectiveness. For more than 50 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com.

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