Elena is a senior partner at ghSMART. She has supported first time CEOs and CEO transitions for over 15 years, ranging from Fortune 50 to middle market companies across a wide range of industry sectors, including services, technology, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, consumer products. She supports major corporate and alternative investment clients globally, including: Pfizer, IBM, CHOP, Carlyle Group, Centerbridge, Berkshire, Tiger Global and many others. Her effectiveness is powered by her consummate dedication to clients, courage, pragmatism, relentless mindset of possibility, and penetrating insights connecting business context with individual behaviors and organizational dynamics.

She leads extensive ghSMART research on first time CEOs globally in partnership with leading academics at the University of Chicago, NYU, and SAS Inc. CEO Genome® project explores paths and behaviors that lead to the top, typical setbacks first time CEOs encounter and ways to prevent them. Elena is a published author and frequent speaker at leading industry events on leadership, talent management, and M&A. She is a member of the McKinsey M&A Integration council – an invitation-only working group of M&A integration leaders from major corporations.

Prior to joining ghSMART, Elena was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company. Prior to McKinsey Elena was a Corporate Finance Associate at Andersen Worldwide in New York and an Investment Officer with a private equity fund in Moscow, Russia. Elena is active in supporting non-profit institutions including Success Academy, Washington National Cathedral Schools, Partnership for New York City, and others. Elena holds an MBA in finance from Wharton. She received a CPA license and a BS in Accounting with Magna Cum Laude from SUNY Binghamton. Elena completed Leadership Coaching certification at Georgetown University. She also completed three years at the Moscow State Pedagogical University majoring in education, with coursework in psychology. Elena lives in Washington DC with her husband and family.

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