Dr. Janina Johannsen is a Managing Director and Partner at Russell Reynolds Associates, where she advises boards and CEOs on the evolution of global leadership. Based in Germany, Janina is a leading voice in the shift toward human-centric leadership, operating under the conviction that sustainable high performance begins with self-leadership. She specializes in the high-stakes domain of long-term CEO and C-suite succession planning, helping global organizations identify and cultivate the next generation of executive talent. A key pillar of her practice is ensuring successful leadership transitions, where she partners with new CEOs to maximize their early impact and long-term organizational stability. Janina’s advisory expertise is built on a foundation of senior leadership roles within the executive search industry. Prior to joining Russell Reynolds in early 2026, she spent over six years at Heidrick & Struggles, rising to the rank of Partner. Her earlier career includes serving as a Senior Partner at The Huehn Initiative (THI) and as Managing Director of GS Consult GmbH. These roles allowed her to develop and lead large-scale global assessment and leadership programs that are now benchmarks for identifying high-potential talent. Her academic background provides a unique lens for organizational dynamics; she studied Peace & Conflict Studies and International Relations at the University of California, Berkeley, and conducted research at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. This specialized knowledge in civil-military coordination and crisis management translates into a sophisticated ability to help organizations navigate complex, dynamic security and business environments. Dr. Johannsen combines this strategic rigor with a modern, people-focused approach to ensure the world's leading organizations are "better led."