Kristen Smit recognized for outstanding leadership, steadfast professionalism, and long-standing service to the executive search community.
This press release was originally published by AESC.
The Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC), the global association representing the + billion executive search and leadership consulting profession, presented Kristen Smit, Managing Partner at Boyden, with the AESC Award of Excellence.
“Kristen Smit is an exceptional leader whose influence, integrity, and dedication have elevated our entire profession,” said James Edmund Datri, President and CEO of AESC. “Her decades of service to Boyden, her unwavering commitment to the highest professional standards, and her remarkable contributions to AESC make her deeply deserving of this recognition.”
Throughout her distinguished career, Kristen has embodied excellence in executive search and leadership consulting. With several decades of experience across consulting and industry, she brings a global perspective, strategic insight, and an unshakable commitment to professional ethics. As Managing Partner for France and a long-time global leader within Boyden, she has shaped the firm’s trajectory through multiple governance roles, guided key strategic transitions, and cultivated a culture defined by quality, collaboration, and client impact.
Kristen’s service to the firm spans decades of leadership. She served multiple terms as an At-Large Board Member, bringing thoughtful, strategic guidance to Boyden’s global governance. She contributed significantly as a long-standing member of the Business Operations Committee and Performance Committee, and played an instrumental role on the World Conference Committee, helping shape Boyden’s global convenings and strengthening its collaborative culture. Most recently, Kristen provided extraordinary leadership as Chair of the CEO Succession Committee, steering the organization through a pivotal leadership transition with clarity, judgment, and steady professionalism.
“As Managing Partner and Head of Boyden France up to 2024, she contributed to laying the foundations for Boyden in France, as it is today, placing an emphasis on delivering the highest degree of quality and professionalism in retained executive search to candidates and clients alike, while consistently showing her passion and dedication to the industry,” said Kathleen Dunton, Managing Partner & Board Chair at Boyden. “Under her leadership, Boyden France has become a leading country in our organization… Kristen is a highly dedicated and inspiring leader who demonstrates a firm belief in the industry and working to the highest of standards.”
Kristen’s influence extends well beyond firm leadership. Over the course of her career, she has elevated expectations across the executive search profession, setting the bar for professionalism, client partnership, and ethical conduct. She is known for balancing empathy with candor, and discretion with strategic insight. Candidates consistently describe her as a consummate professional: deeply respectful, supportive, and committed to their long-term success.
“For over a decade, Kristen has had a key leadership role in Boyden France,” said Craig Stevens, Managing Partner at Boyden. “She has been pivotal in developing new partners and the successful transition of the office leadership. At Boyden, she has been key to building and expanding practices across Europe and beyond, always committed to embracing the AESC Code of Professional Conduct.”
Kristen’s contributions to AESC have been equally significant. She served on the AESC EMEA Council from 2018 to 2025, where she brought wisdom, diplomacy, and a commitment to the profession as a whole. She played central roles on both the Membership Committee and the Nominations & Governance Committee, lending her global perspective to key decisions that redefine the future of the profession. She has also been a steadfast ambassador for AESC, hosting regional meetings in Paris, supporting industry convenings, and advising AESC leaders on issues central to the profession’s growth and integrity.
“Kristen has been a constant supporter of AESC and a true ambassador for the profession, both within Boyden and across the broader client community,” said Clare Mahon, AESC Managing Director for EMEA. “[Her] passion for ensuring that everything we do benefits the profession is unwavering.”
Through her decades of service, global leadership, and extraordinary integrity, Kristen Smit exemplifies AESC’s values and stands as a model of excellence for the entire profession.
About the AESC Award of Excellence
The AESC Award of Excellence recognizes an AESC Member who has made an outstanding impact on the profession through innovation, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to the highest professional standards. Recipients of this honor represent the pinnacle of achievement within executive search and leadership consulting, exemplifying the AESC’s Professional Practice Standards and its mission to elevate the profession worldwide.
About AESC
AESC Members place and advise the world’s board directors and C-suite leaders. Founded in 1959, AESC represents the global gold standard in executive search and leadership consulting, bringing together over 16,000 professionals in more than 80 countries. AESC Members are rigorously vetted to meet the highest standards in the profession.
