Kristi LeBlanc serves as Executive Vice President and Leader of the North American Consumer Practice from the firm’s Denver office. She is a member of the Board and CEO, Consumer, Retail, Hospitality, Industrial, and Private Equity practice groups. She has 15 years of experience in the retained executive search profession and has completed over 300 searches for clients ranging in size from leading Fortune 500 multi-national organizations to mid-cap companies and emerging ventures.
In addition to her extensive experience working with industrial/manufacturing, consumer goods and services, retail/grocery, and hospitality/restaurant companies, Ms. LeBlanc’s global search practice includes depth across a broad range of industries, including healthcare, financial services, higher education and not-for-profit, telecommunications, and advanced technology. Her experience encompasses all functional areas in the recruitment of executives at the Board-level, General Management or C-level, and VP/Director-level in the development of world-class leadership teams and Boards.
Prior to joining DHR International, Ms. LeBlanc was Managing Partner of the Denver office of another global retained executive search firm. She also served as Managing Partner of that firm's Global Consumer, Retail & Hospitality Practice and as a member of the Operating Committee.
Previously, Ms. LeBlanc was a Senior Partner with Korn/Ferry International in the Minneapolis office. She began her nine-year tenure at Korn/Ferry as a generalist executing search assignments across industries, eventually receiving the company’s America’s Award for Excellence. Ms. LeBlanc also received Korn/Ferry’s Excellence in Client Satisfaction Award – Global Consumer Market – Americas.
Ms. LeBlanc’s many repeat clients attest to her total commitment to diversity, high-touch client service, industry knowledge, and attention to detail. She has been extensively interviewed and published as an industry thought leader on leadership and human capital. Ms. LeBlanc is an accomplished organizational keynote speaker and award-winning author who also contributed to the college textbook, Integrated Business Communication: In the Marketplace, published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. She is a recipient of the ‘Industry Leader Award’ from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards. In addition, Minnesota Business magazine showcased Ms. LeBlanc as a Minnesota business ‘Power Player.’
Ms. LeBlanc’s earlier experience includes consulting with a management consulting firm specializing in the Hospitality, Travel, & Leisure industries. She began her career in Communications with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES).
Ms. LeBlanc earned her BA degree with Honors from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she resides in Golden, Colorado, with her husband and three small children.