Russell Reynolds Associates expands leadership team in Dubai with trio of hires

Global leadership advisory firm Russell Reynolds Associates has expanded its leadership team in Dubai with the hire of three new members: Natalie Sleiman, Vanessa Monasterio, and Mari Farah.

Natalie Sleiman joins the firm’s Technology sector practice, focused on services including executive search, board placements and workplace culture transformation.

She previously was Managing Director at ZRG Partners, a US talent advisory firm with an office in Dubai, and spent three years at Stanton Chase, where she helped setup and led the technology and professional services practice in the Middle East.

Vanessa Monasterio is a member of the Leadership Performance practice, bringing extensive expertise in strategy, business performance, organizational effectiveness and leadership assessment. She previously spent over a decade in the management consulting sector, working for Korn Ferry, Capita and Deloitte, and most recently for strategy giant McKinsey & Company.

Monasterio joined Russell Reynolds Associates in the UK last year, and now transfers to the Dubai office.

Mari Farah joins as a key member of the Industrial practice with specialized expertise in global retained executive searches for C-suite and board-level positions. She has over 20 years of experience in executive search and leadership assessment, having placed executives with multinational companies across Europe, the Middle East, the US and Asia Pacific.

Farah spent most of her career at Korn Ferry, and also worked for counterpart Spencer Stuart.

Commenting on the three senior hires, Nicolas Manset, Head of the Middle East for Russell Reynolds Associates, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Natalie, Vanessa, and Mari to our team in Dubai, deepening our expertise in technology, leadership performance and industrial sectors.”

“The vibrant business landscape across the Middle East presents exceptional growth opportunities, with leadership excellence serving as the critical catalyst for success. I'm confident that our expanded team's diverse expertise and nuanced understanding of regional markets will prove essential in equipping our clients with the leadership capabilities necessary to excel in this dynamic environment.”

Last year, the advisory side of Russell Reynolds Associates was named among the region’s leading human capital consulting firms.