The Association of Executive Search Consultants announced Monday that Paul Benson will serve as board chair this year while Morten Nielsen will serve as vice chair and Ineke Arts will serve as secretary and treasurer.

Benson is regional market leader, Europe Middle East & Africa, Global Industrial Market, at Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY). Nielsen is senior partner and global managing partner, life sciences practice at Witt/Kieffer. Arts is a partner, technology, EU Association and Consulting Practices, at Hoffman & Associates/IIC Partners.

In addition, the association also named five new board members:

• Sonal Agrawal, managing partner, financial services and professional services practices, Accord Group/AltoPartners
• Emanuela Aureli, consultant, technology, media & telecommunications and data & analytics practices, Spencer Stuart
• Julian Ha, partner, government affairs and trade association practices, Heidrick and Struggles (NASD: HSII)
• Alicia Hasell, managing partner, industrial and CEO & board services practices, Boyden
• Cathy Logue, managing director, CFO & financial executives practice, Stanton Chase

The AESC’s global board of directors consists of elected officers from each of the organization’s three regional councils: Americas; Asia Pacific and Middle East; and Europe and Africa.

Other members of the 2018 AESC global board of directors include:

• Krista Walochik, Talengo/The Global Community for Leaders, chair emeritus
• Karen Greenbaum, AESC, ex-officio
• Richard Boggis Rolfe, Odgers Berndtson
• Kate Bullis, SEBA International
• Dorota Czarnota, Russell Reynolds Associates
• Nobi Kaneko, Kaneko & Associates
• Alan Kaplan, Kaplan Partners
• Stefan Spang, McKinsey & Company

“Our board helps AESC align our strategic direction with that of our members around the world,” said AESC President and CEO Karen Greenbaum. “We are proud to represent the very best firms in the profession — whether large and global, regional or local — as we focus on new challenges facing top leaders, from global expansion and artificial intelligence to cyber risk, mass generational shift and increasing regulation.”