Sandra Pinnavaia

Overview

Sandra Pinnavaia is the chief innovation and knowledge officer of Business Talent Group (BTG), a Heidrick & Struggles on-demand talent company. She also leads strategy and innovation for Heidrick & Struggles’ on-demand talent division.

Experience

Sandra led the highly successful strategic partnership between BTG and Heidrick & Struggles for two years, from its inception through Heidrick & Struggles’ acquisition of BTG in 2021. She continues to work with senior clients, helping them unlock business potential, seize opportunities, and solve problems using on-demand talent. 

With a laser focus on growth and innovation, Sandra closely monitors the marketplace to identify opportunities to expand the impact of on-demand talent as a category and to evolve BTG’s business model for the mutual benefit of independent talent and clients alike.

Sandra has more than 25 years of experience as a business leader, management consultant, and trusted advisor. She began her consulting career at McKinsey & Company, helping build the life sciences practice and paving the way for non-traditional (non-MBA) hires. She subsequently built and ran a successful freelance consulting practice, pioneering work as independent talent herself before the “gig” economy was so named.

Education

University of Cambridge, Trinity College, M.Phil, Biochemistry, Marshall Scholar

Michigan State University, BS, Biochemistry and Political Philosophy

Philanthropy and Service

Sandra is a trustee of the Bank Street College of Education, is on the Rome Chamber Music Festival board, and is co-chair of the Marshall Scholarship Selection Committee for the New York region.