Hewlett Foundation President

Organization, Position, and Person Profile

Download the Hewlett Foundation President candidate profile

The Opportunity

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is one of the ten largest private Foundations in the world, with current assets of over $7 billion. The Foundation was established by William and Flora Hewlett in 1966 and, over the years, has distinguished itself in its mission of promoting the well-being of humanity as a strategic, philanthropic investor.

Pragmatic and nonideological, the Foundation supports a wide variety of organizations. In striving to maximize the effectiveness of its support, the Foundation collaborates with others; supports independent, nonpartisan policy research, analysis, and policy advocacy within allowable limits; provides long-term and general operating support; and evaluates regularly the effectiveness of its strategies and grants. With a well-defined discipline focused on outcomes from its grantees and partners, it has been active worldwide in specific areas of reducing global poverty, limiting the risk of climate change, improving educational results for students, improving reproductive health and rights, and advancing the field of philanthropy. In addition, the Foundation also supports programs focused on the environment of the western United States and funds specific efforts in the San Francisco Bay Area, for the performing arts and for its disadvantaged communities. In 2010, approximately $358 million in grants were disbursed to 526 organizations.

After twelve years of inspirational leadership, the Foundation's current President, Paul Brest, recently announced his intention to retire in 2012. The Foundation’s Board of Directors believes there is enormous opportunity for the next President to build on the current strength and reputation of the Foundation to advance its mission. The Foundation also recognizes the opportunity and the increasing need for effective collaboration among diverse constituencies to bring resources to bear in solving the world’s largest social and environmental problems in the United States and abroad.

The culture of the Foundation reflects the ethos of the founders and includes a low-key approach, respectful leadership, a lean and collegial staff, exceptional quality, long-term partnerships, and responsibility to support the greater Bay Area and the North American West while addressing global issues. The organization’s style is nonhierarchical, collaborative, and informal.

The Position

Position Title: President

Location: Menlo Park, California

Reports to: Board of Directors

Main Focus and Challenges:

As leader of the Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors, the President guides the Board, staff, and other partners in developing and implementing the Foundation’s vision and deploying the Foundation’s significant resources to impact some of the most serious and pressing issues of our time. With the Foundation in a position of strength—in terms of its assets, the quality of its Board and staff, and its reputation among important constituencies—the President can focus on making a powerful difference in broad social and environmental issues in the face of the current complex economic, political, and social realities.

Specific Responsibilities

The President of the Hewlett Foundation:

• Drives the overall development of the Foundation’s strategic direction and the shape of programs and initiatives.
• Leads and manages Foundation programs and operations, including strategic planning and evaluation, grants management, budgeting and finance, legal, communications, human resources, and information technology. Encourages efficiency, creativity, and cross-functional alignment that add value to the work of the Foundation.
• Shares oversight of endowment investments with the Board and Investment Committee.
• Serves as the key representative and spokesperson for the Foundation externally.
• Works with and supports the Board to accomplish the Foundation’s goals.

The Person

Qualifications and Experience:

• The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success as a strong inspirational and organizational leader with a broad, rigorous intellect and a track record of envisioning, developing, and implementing sound and creative strategies to take full advantage of opportunities and overcome difficulties.
• The candidate will likely have had diverse experiences, including in various sectors such as business, government, academia, foundations, and non-governmental organizations. More important than the size or reputation of these organizations is the positive impact that the candidate has had on their achievements.
• This person will have a reputation for recognizing and recruiting top talent and will have inspired, mentored, and developed others at all levels.
• This individual will have experience working effectively with boards.
• This individual will understand the requirements for foundations and other nonprofit organizations to comply with the law, and, ideally, will have experience in developing and applying policies that assure legal compliance.
• Global perspective is essential; global experience is highly valuable.
• An advanced degree is highly desirable.
• Willingness to live in the Bay Area as a full-time resident.

Leadership and Personal Characteristics:

• Passionate about advancing the Foundation’s goals, which include global, national, and local ambitions.
• Strong intellectual drive, with the curiosity, creativity, and courage to challenge the Board, staff, and community.
• Proven ability to identify and solve complex problems.
• Insightful; ability to quickly grasp and align with the organizational culture.
• Practical, flexible, and pragmatic as an administrator, delegator, and collaborator; neither bureaucratic nor an empire builder, but an effective leader who operates with respect for partners and staff at all levels.
• Good communicator who demonstrates clear thinking, articulate expression, and the ability to craft a compelling argument and to make a persuasive presentation; one who is comfortable engaging in lively dialogue and discussion.
• Good listener; a learner as much as a teacher.

Heidrick & Struggles

The search for the Foundation President is being coordinated through the search firm Heidrick & Struggles, who should be contacted directly using the information below.

Lauren Doliva
Managing Partner, Chief Advisor Network
Direct line +1 (415) 291-5291
Email ldoliva@heidrick.com

Joseph Haberman
Global Practice Managing Partner,
Education & Social Enterprise
Direct line +1 (202) 331 4906
Email jhaberman@heidrick.com

Heidrick & Struggles
1 California Street, Suite 2400
San Francisco, CA 94111
www.heidrick.com