Charles Wardell III Senior Advisor to the CEO Stamford
“The link between strategy and execution is people.”
Mr. Wardell has spent the last 15 years in the executive search business. His clientele is highly diversified, including major financial services companies, best-in-class marketing organizations, as well as director and chief executive officer search work. Additionally, Mr. Wardell brings a breadth of experience from his careers in business and government. He was recently named by BusinessWeek as one of the world’s 50 most influential search executives and was awarded the prestigious 2008 Gardner W. Heidrick Award for his contributions to the industry.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Wardell served as the Firm’s Managing Director, Eastern Region. Previously, he was the president of a New York boutique firm, Nordeman Grimm. Earlier, Mr. Wardell joined American Express as a special assistant to the chief executive officer. During his tenure, he held executive positions including regional vice president and general manager of American Express Company Middle East, and senior vice president and chief operating officer of global private banking, American Express International Banking Corporation. Also, his experience in financial services encompasses senior executive roles at Travelers, MasterCard International and Citicorp.
Mr. Wardell spent the early days of his career in government, where his responsibilities included deputy special assistant and staff assistant to former President Nixon and Ford, administrative aide to General Haig and Dick Cheney, deputy assistant to the Secretary of State and assistant inspector general of foreign assistance, United States Department of State. Before joining the government, he was an officer in the U.S. Army and graduated from the Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Mr. Wardell served in the Vietnam War with distinction and was honorably discharged.
Mr. Wardell is a director of the Boy Scouts of America, New York Chapter, and is a member of the executive committee at British American Business Inc., where he has been a board member since 2001. He is also a fellow at the Edward R. Murrow School of Diplomacy at the Fletcher School, Tufts University. Previously, he served as global chairman for the Association of Executive Search Consultants. Mr. Wardell was appointed to the board of directors at Cowen & Co and General Employment Enterprises in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
Mr. Wardell graduated cum laude from Harvard College with an AB degree.
