Partners in Presidential Search

Recruiting a president or chancellor is about more than filling a role. No other hiring decision promises (or threatens) to shape so profoundly the trajectory as well as the intellectual, financial and structural integrity of an institution. Moreover, the compounded results of search after presidential search stand to shape the future of higher education itself.

We believe a presidential search is much more than a means to an end; it is the prologue to a period of institutional change that requires leadership and care. The quality of a search — and the experience of search committee members charged with steering the process — can have an outsized impact on an incoming president’s introduction to the community and on the new leader’s platform for early success. We treat each search with the respect, professionalism and integrity it deserves.

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Decades of experience have honed our craft. WittKieffer’s president search team comprises the firm’s senior partners and most experienced consultants, many of whom have served as higher education leaders themselves. We have conducted more than 130 president searches for colleges and universities in the last decade alone. The average tenure of the chief executives we place is nine years, well above the national average.

As executive search consultants, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of excellence in providing a presidential search experience distinct from all others. We tailor our approach to each client’s needs. We provide counsel and decision support and help mitigate reputational risk by adhering to WittKieffer’s best practices in candidate due diligence.

Our client institutions have our complete commitment at every stage. For us, the search for an institution’s next president is a partnership, a passion and a privilege.

Success Story

Dr. Kim Schatzel, Ph.D. – President, Towson University

Towson Grows, Thrives under Schatzel's Leadership

Since becoming President of Towson University in 2016, Dr. Kim Schatzel has reinvigorated Towson University’s impact on Greater Baltimore. As an anchor institution, TU is now a top-100 national public institution providing leadership for the public good. President Schatzel established TU’s first Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity, providing support for the institution-wide priority of an inclusive campus community. TU’s profile as a center for inclusive STEM excellence has also grown as evidence in its role as a workforce provider in key areas for the State of Maryland. Those efforts are enhanced by more than $750M in investment in TU’s physical plant, with a new facility for science open in Spring 2021, and TU’s first building dedicated health professions now under construction. Dr. Schatzel became Towson University’s 14th President following a nationwide search conducted in partnership with WittKieffer.

Academic Presidents Resources

Lawyers in the Lead as College Presidents

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On Recruiting a Diverse Leadership Team

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College Presidents Must Get the Conversation Started

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Best Practices in Higher Education Presidential Search

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6 Qualities to Look for in a College President

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Education Candidates

Learn more about leadership opportunities at the institutions we serve.

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Connect with a Practice Leader

We partner with leading education institutions every day. Let us know how we can help yours. Practice Leader Zach Smith, Ph.D. can answer your questions or tell you more.

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Education Leadership Resources

Explore our resources to discover the impact of leadership in academic president roles.

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