TRACY R. Wolstencroft

Former President & CEO of National Geographic Society

Tracy R. Wolstencroft’s career spans a wide range of international business and nonprofit leadership positions: Partner at Goldman Sachs; President and CEO of the executive leadership consultancy firm Heidrick & Struggles; and President and CEO of the National Geographic Society.

Most recently, Wolstencroft completed a tenure as President and CEO of the National Geographic Society, advancing the organization through a pivotal time in its 131-year history. He led the Society’s relationship with its media arm, National Geographic Partners, including the transition to a new joint venture partner in The Walt Disney Company. He broadened and strengthened the leadership team, and catalyzed a refresh of the Society’s mission. He continues to serve on the board of trustees.

Wolstencroft was a longtime Partner at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for almost three decades, (1985-2013). He led a broad array of the firm’s investment banking business around the world, including in the United States, Latin America and Asia (where he lived and had primary responsibility in China, Japan and Singapore). He was a member of the firm-wide partnership committee, the investment banking operating committee, and was Chairman of global relationship management. He subsequently served as an adviser to the firm and as Chairman of Goldman’s global clean technology practice.

Wolstencroft went on to lead Heidrick & Struggles as President and CEO, and subsequently as Chairman, (2014-2019). He stabilized and grew the firm’s revenue base, market share, and public market capitalization by leveraging its strong brand in executive search and the access it afforded in the C-suite and boardroom. What followed was a transformation of the firm and the integration of executive search with broader leadership and culture shaping solutions.

Wolstencroft has served as co-Chairman of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), whose mission is to help refugees around the world, and continues to serve on the board. He is a trustee of the Brookings Institution, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Wolstencroft graduated with a B.A. from Bowdoin College. He began his business career in the management training program at JPMorgan.

Tracy R. Wolstencroft

Board of Directors