Kelly O. Kay
Kelly Kay image

Kelly O. Kay

Partner

Expertise

Kelly is a co-author of Show Up to Win: How to Land the Leadership Role You Want, a practical playbook for senior leaders to sharpen how they prepare, show up, and follow through when they seek new role.

Show Up to Win book cover

Overview

Kelly O. Kay is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ San Francisco and New York City offices, serving technology clients across key markets, including the greater Seattle area. He is the global managing partner of the Enterprise Software & AI Practice and a member of the global Technology & Services Practice management team. Kelly cofounded the Sales & Commercial Officers Practice and is a go-to-market specialist for leading technology companies worldwide.

Experience

Kelly is co-author with Jeffrey Sanders Show Up to Win: How to Land the Leadership Role You Want, a practical playbook for senior leaders to sharpen how they prepare, show up, and follow through when they seek new roles, so their every move in the executive job market builds trust, accelerates performance, and helps them build the career they really want..

Kelly has authored numerous articles, including “3 Mistakes Executives Make When Telling People that They’re Leaving” and “If You’re About to Take a New Job, Should You Consider Your Boss’s Counteroffer?” in Harvard Business Review. He has been interviewed by major publications, including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and SiriusXM, and was a featured guest on the “Changing Role of the CRO” podcast. Additional articles Kelly has written include the following:

Education

The University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, MBA

The University of San Francisco, Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing

Philanthropy and Service

Kelly serves and has served on the advisory boards of Eightfold.ai, Vyntelligence, BioLucid (acquired by Sharecare), Bunchball (acquired by Parallax Capital Partners), and Symphony (formerly known as Perzo and acquired by Goldman Sachs).

Related content

Chief Executive Officer

3 Mistakes Executives Make When Telling People That They’re Leaving

When it comes to resigning, otherwise astute executives often make fundamental mistakes that cast a cloud over their leaving and damage their reputations. In a national survey we recently conducted of more than 700 senior executives, only 16% reported that they would have done nothing differently the last time they voluntarily resigned.
Human Resources Officers

How to leave a job gracefully

A Heidrick & Struggles survey collects the advice of more than 700 human resources officers and transitioning executives on how best to move into a new role.
Leadership Development

Leave smart, land well: A proven process for exiting gracefully and entering your next role confidently

Leaving a company is as critical as joining; applying clarity, connection, and commitment helps executives exit gracefully and strengthen their long-term reputation.