Stephan Schonwalder is a Managing Director and Area Manager Middle East at Russell Reynolds Associates. With a Ph.D. in economics and a master's degree in Computer Science, he has extensive experience across various industries like finance, technology, consumer goods, and family-owned organizations, especially in the Middle East. Before joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Stephan was leading the Financial Services Practices in the Middle East at a reputed international search firm. He has also served as a Partner with McKinsey & Co., managing clients in Europe and the Middle East for over 13 years, focusing on corporate strategy, change management, cost optimization, and organizational topics. Additionally, he has worked at Microsoft Corporation in Germany and the USA as Product Trainer and Localization Associate