-- Furthering its sustainability commitment, Heidrick & Struggles has joined 
with Indigo Ag to offset emissions through agricultural carbon credits and to 
catalyze change through its partnership

Today, Heidrick & Struggles ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=1519186593&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heidrick.com%2F&a=Heidrick+%26+Struggles 
) (Nasdaq: HSII), a premier provider of global leadership advisory and 
on-demand talent solutions, launched its inaugural 2020 ESG Report ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=700032205&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heidrick.com%2F%7E%2Fmedia%2FPublications-and-Reports%2FHeidrickStruggles2020ESGReportFINAL&a=2020+ESG+Report 
) to outline its efforts and disclose progress across environmental, social and 
governance initiatives. In tandem, Heidrick & Struggles announced its 
partnership with Indigo Ag ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=819905002&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indigoag.com%2F&a=Indigo+Ag 
), an agtech company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers feed the 
planet sustainably, to work closely together to begin addressing the firm's 
carbon emissions, further strengthening its commitment to developing a 
sustainable business model and setting a plan for its carbon removal efforts.

"Today, Heidrick & Struggles is the first in our industry to issue a 
comprehensive ESG report, providing an in-depth look into our sustainability 
efforts, while also outlining a firm commitment to offset our carbon impact," 
said Krishnan Rajagopalan, President and CEO, Heidrick & Struggles. "We are 
proud to share the progress we have been making on our ESG initiatives through 
the work and investments we have undertaken to reduce our environmental 
footprint, advance diversity and inclusion and innovate across our business to 
drive an increasingly sustainable business model for the future."

As part of the collaboration with Indigo Ag, Heidrick & Struggles will work to 
produce fundamental change in the industry and raise the profile of 
environmental sustainability and consumer health with both employees and 
clients. Indigo Ag's model is unique among carbon offset projects. Through its 
Indigo Carbon program, the company offers technical and agronomic support for 
farmers adopting cultivation methods proven to improve soil health, reduce 
emissions and sequester carbon dioxide. Indigo Carbon quantifies and monitors 
the impact of these practices at scale to generate nature-based offsets that 
adhere to the highest industry standards for measurement, reporting and 
verification. As part of its ongoing partnership, Heidrick & Struggles will 
begin purchasing verified carbon offset credits, which will increase through 
the coming years, offsetting at least 45% of its 2019 carbon emissions by 2023.

"We're excited to partner with Heidrick & Struggles, whose demonstrated 
leadership spans various industries and has wide-reaching ability to impact 
decision-makers invested in combatting climate change and to help realize 
agriculture's potential as a part of the solution," said Ron Hovsepian, CEO of 
Indigo Ag. "Through this partnership, Heidrick & Struggles is setting a new 
standard for sustainable business by directly financing farmers' efforts to 
make beneficial farming practices the norm, not the exception."

Referencing both Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability 
Accounting Standards Board (SASB) frameworks, the newly-released report delves, 
in-depth, into Heidrick & Struggles' commitment to serving client needs, 
leading on diversity and inclusion, supporting its employees and communities 
and prioritizing environmental sustainability.

Key highlights from the report include:

Diversity & Inclusion

-- 37.5% of the firm's Board of Directors are women, and 25% are people of 
color 

-- 50% of the CEO's direct reports are diverse 

-- In 2020, launched global Diversity & Inclusion Practice  ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=1041892821&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heidrick.com%2FWhat-We-Do%2FExecutive-Search%2FIndustry%2FDiversity-and-Inclusion&a=Diversity+%26+Inclusion+Practice 
), integrating its executive search and leadership consulting capabilities to 
deliver comprehensive D&I strategies designed to increase diverse 
representation and build and develop inclusive organizations 

-- Also in 2020, at the Board of Director level, 61% of the firm's U.S. 
placements were diverse; globally, more than 60% of the firm's initial proposed 
Board candidates were diverse, exceeding its Board Diversity Pledge ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=74608755&u=https%3A%2F%2Fheidrick.mediaroom.com%2F2018-11-05-Heidrick-Struggles-Takes-Action-with-Board-Diversity-Pledge-Globally&a=Board+Diversity+Pledge 
)

Philanthropy and Charitable Giving in 2020

-- Donated more than $57,000 to COVID-19 relief efforts 

-- Donated roughly $340,000 to charities worldwide 

-- Completed over 1,000 hours of pro-bono work

Environmental Sustainability

-- Committed to begin offsetting the firm's carbon through the purchase of 
carbon offset credits through Indigo Ag, starting in 2021 

-- Instituted a new Supplier Code of Conduct, which address expectations around 
protecting the environment, including: complying with all environmental laws 
and regulations where the firm operates, minimizing environmental impact of 
operations where possible and establishing targets and measuring progress 
toward established environmental goals 

-- In 2019, established a Global Sustainability Office, a centralized hub for 
gathering best practices and providing search services for Chief Sustainability 
Officers

"Our ESG Report reflects Heidrick & Struggles' commitment to measurement, 
transparency and accountability on issues impacting our people, our communities 
and the environment," said Kamau Coar, Chief Legal Officer and Chief Inclusion 
Officer, Heidrick & Struggles. "As we advance on our sustainability journey, we 
look forward to a long-term partnership with Indigo Ag where we not only 
address our environmental impact, but also contribute to the availability of 
offset options more broadly."  

Going forward, Heidrick & Struggles intends to continue publishing its ESG 
achievements annually, providing stakeholders with transparency around how the 
firm is heeding its own advice to build credibility and trust. In the coming 
months, the firm anticipates completing and releasing its 2020 carbon 
footprint. 

About Heidrick & Struggles
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3128925-1&h=2951876129&u=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2F8K7fC68j9KFrPVorHpTtAd&a=HSII 
)) is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent 
solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's 
top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with 
our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing 
together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and 
inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team 
acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. 
Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 65 
years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital 
solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a 
time.(R) www.heidrick.com

About Indigo Ag
Indigo Ag improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and 
consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital 
technologies. The company's scientific discoveries and digital platforms 
benefit stakeholders across the agricultural ecosystem, including tens of 
thousands of growers across millions of acres. Working across the supply chain, 
Indigo Ag is furthering its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers 
sustainably feed the planet. In 2019, the company launched Indigo Carbon – a 
scientifically backed program that provides growers with a new revenue stream 
in the form of verified agricultural carbon credits. Indigo Ag is headquartered 
in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, 
NC; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Basel, Switzerland.

Media Contacts:

Heidrick & Struggles
Nina Chang
nchang@heidrick.com

Indigo Ag
Paula Sokolska
psokolska@indigoag.com
 
SOURCE: Heidrick & Struggles