Donald Chae

Partner

Heidrick & Struggles

Donald Chae is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ Chicago office and a member of the CEO & Board of Directors and Financial Services practices. He advises clients on CEO succession planning, C-suite executive searches, and board director searches, with a focus on purpose-driven financial institutions like regional banks and credit unions. He also leads the firm's Professionals of Color Employee Resource Group.

Previously, Donald worked with Egon Zehnder. Before that, he was a Senior Vice President at Northern Trust in finance and enterprise transformation, where he managed IT capital expenditures, orchestrated middle and back-office transformation, and managed a $290 million profit improvement program. He also served as a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group and Vice President of Strategic Planning at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Originally trained as a classical musician playing the oboe and piano, Donald holds a Ph.D. and MA in Music History and Theory from the University of Chicago. He taught as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago and Notre Dame University, and received a Fulbright Fellowship in Paris. He holds a BA from Southern Methodist University and serves on the University of Chicago alumni board of governors.