Overview
Dean Fechner is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles' San Francisco office and a member of the global Technology & Services Practice. He advises boards and CEOs across Silicon Valley, consumer electronics, and digital media, specializing in recruiting elite leadership in AI, hardware, software, and streaming to drive digital transformation and global scale.
Experience
With more than 30 years of experience, Dean acts as a strategic talent bridge between Silicon Valley, digital media and entertainment, sports tech, and connected smart ecosystems.
Before joining Heidrick & Struggles, he led global talent acquisition for Amazon Entertainment and Devices. He scaled a 500+ person organization supporting AI and engineering hiring and applied data-driven forecasting to improve capital efficiency and support M&A integration. He also had talent leadership roles with Google and Nest, strategy recruiting roles with McKinsey & Company and Booz & Company, and investment banking talent acquisition roles at Lehman Brothers, informing his ability to assess leaders and identify executives who drive enterprise-scale impact.
He is the founder of the Entertainment Talent Acquisition Leader Consortium, a forum for global heads of recruiting across media, streaming, and entertainment companies to discuss shared industry challenges, including AI. Dean also serves on the board of Infinity Festival Hollywood and chaired its inaugural Sports Tech Day, part of the festival’s programming across film and television, music, gaming, sports, and Silicon Valley technology.
Education
Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, AI Strategies for Business Transformation Certification
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lubar College of Business, Master of Business Administration
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lubar College of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration