Ellen Pennow is a consultant in Spencer Stuart’s Education & Social Impact Practice. With over a decade of experience in strategic consulting, Ellen is a trusted advisor to organizations committed to influencing public policy to create scaled impact. She specializes in leadership transitions, focusing on CEOs, presidents and top leaders in associations, philanthropy, education and public policy. She is based in Washington, D.C.

Recent Experience
Leading searches for Chief Executive Officers, Presidents, and Chief Operating Officers across the domestic and global nonprofit arenas
Advising influential foundations on searches for senior programmatic leaders with priority focus areas including education, climate, human rights, agricultural development, and nutrition
Recruiting and assessing candidates for prominent roles with public policy and advocacy organizations in an increasingly complex political environment
Working with non-profit boards to evaluate their composition and recruit additional governance talent to fill priority needs

Previous Experience
Previously, Ellen worked as an associate at McKinsey & Co., where she focused on marketing and strategy consulting for a variety of retail, consumer and industrial companies.
Earlier in her career, Ellen spent several years with Huron Consulting Group as a healthcare consultant.

Education
Ellen is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
She also earned an M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina.