Melissa Sumner is a senior client principal in Heidrick & Struggles' London office and a member of the Leadership Assessment Practice. She supports clients in identifying and building future-ready leadership, teams, and organizations. Experience Melissa is a chartered occupational psychologist with over 20 years of experience delivering senior-level executive assessments, succession planning programs, team effectiveness, leadership development, and coaching in the UK and overseas. She is a trusted executive advisor to global organizations navigating turbulence and change. Melissa combines strong technical expertise with a pragmatic understanding of how work is carried out in practice and how to drive results within complex organizations and across geographies. Throughout her career, Melissa has developed a strong reputation for building data-centric, scalable, and innovative solutions. Prior to joining Heidrick & Struggles, Melissa was the chief people officer for a fast-growing international security consulting business. Before that, she led global talent teams in aviation, manufacturing, and cybersecurity, with responsibility for the entire talent lifecycle. Education Warwick Business School, Executive MBA, with Distinction Manchester Business School, MSc, Organizational Psychology University of Manchester, Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, 2.1