Nels Olson is Managing Director and Partner of the CEO and Board Services practice at Korn/Ferry

Korn/Ferry

Korn/Ferry International, headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest executive search firm, and the largest publicly-traded search firm in the United States, with 76 offices in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa. Since the firm's...

. He has been appointed to the 2009 Directorship 100 and participated in more than 350 placements. Recent CEO and Board placements include the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell

Roger S. Goodell is the Commissioner of the National Football League , having been chosen to succeed the retiring Paul Tagliabue on August 8, 2006. He was chosen over four finalists for the position, winning a close vote on the fifth ballot before being unanimously approved by acclamation of the...

; Boston Federal Reserve, NFIB, PhRMA, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, NewsCorp and Pepco Holdings.

Background

Olson received his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the State University of New York in 1989. He then attended The George Washington University where he obtained his Masters in Business Administration in 2000.

Career

Olson served on the staff of the White House under George HW Bush from 1989-1992 in the Office of Presidential Personnel. His primary position was to identify and recommend candidates for senior political positions in cabinet agencies. He was also responsible for the political clearance for all presidential appointees. He then joined Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., a DC based public relations firm and eventually joined Korn/Ferry

Korn/Ferry

Korn/Ferry International, headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest executive search firm, and the largest publicly-traded search firm in the United States, with 76 offices in North America, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa. Since the firm's...

. While there, he was tasked with helping former government officials find placement in the private sector: "Olson helped link one of the hottest legislative talents, ex-House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.), with Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and helped get Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s (R-Tenn.) former chief of staff, Mitch Bainwol, to the Recording Industry Association of America."

Charity and Board Involvement

Nels Olson is a board member of the Wolf Trap Foundation, which takes "a valuable leadership role in both the local and national performing arts communities." He is also on the board of the Starlight-Starbright Foundation, which brings together experts from pediatric health care, technology and entertainment to create programs that educate, entertain and inspire seriously ill children.

External links

• "Our Consultants" from Korn/Ferry