Shawn Cooper

Managing Director, Board and CEO Advisory Partners, Russell Reynolds Associates

Shawn Cooper is a founding member of the firm’s global Board and CEO Advisory Partners and serves Canadian, US and international clients. Based in Toronto, he leverages more than 25 years of experience advising corporate, governance and investment leaders on strategic leadership decisions, including CEO succession and transition, C-suite assessment and development, and board effectiveness, composition, diversity and culture. He serves clients across a wide spectrum of industries as well as family-owned enterprises and NGOs. As a member of the global Operating Committee, he led one of the firm’s four worldwide geographic regions. He was elected to the Executive Committee and served on several other committees overseeing governance and nomination, compensation, promotion and advancement, quality standards, pricing policy, and learning and development.

Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Shawn served in various corporate strategy and crisis management roles for 10 years in the banking industry. Reporting to the CEO, Canadian Bankers Association, he spearheaded the industry’s international competitiveness policy agenda and served as the NAFTA and WTO negotiations representative. At Scotiabank, Shawn specialized in corporate development, growth strategies for emerging businesses, and Canadian and international regulatory policy. Later based in New York, he worked in the financial institutions rating group at S&P Global.