People Shape

Laura McPhail

About Laura

Laura co-founded Hedley May in the US with a vision for a compelling client proposition: a global executive search boutique capable of matching powerful advisory relationships with excellent delivery. Today that vision is a reality.

Contact Laura on tel: +1 646 666 9392 or laura.mcphail@hedleymay.com

Background

Laura is a recognized expert in the recruitment of functional leaders and teams, including global General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officers, Chief Audit Officers and Chief Communications Officers, as well as other senior Legal, Regulatory, Risk and Communications talent to a range of corporates and financial institutions.

She is often invited to speak to leadership teams, at industry forums and at conferences on the characteristics of great functional leaders.

Previously, Laura led the global internal executive search team at Merrill Lynch, advising executive leadership on how to attract and retain critical talent and with a relentless focus on diversity.

Hedley May’s sustained track record of over 55% diverse placements each year is very important to Laura, a leader of a team of nine women. However, she believes the path to a diverse future starts early and is committed to building a pipeline for future talent through mentoring, boot camps and workshops. Laura works closely with the students, teachers and administrators at the Urban Assembly School for Law & Justice on the mission to prepare students from underserved communities for success in college and career.

Laura has a BS in Marketing and International Business from Indiana University.

Our People

Hedley May is the power of its people. We work hard to create a culture in which everyone feels valued, are supported to thrive, and can live the values we believe in. We know the search for great people is driven by great people.

The Belonging Project

We launched the Belonging Project, conducting over 100 interviews globally with a diverse range of people. Our research reaffirmed our core belief: organizations that create a strong sense of Belonging are more successful – in business, employee satisfaction and longevity. Belonging is the proven cornerstone of success.

Community

When we founded Hedley May, we made a commitment to make a positive impact on our broader communities. We focus on providing opportunity to the underserved through mentorship, internships, workshops and other career development initiatives. We are also dedicated advocates and supporters of numerous social mobility programs.