Justus O'Brien leads the global family enterprise practice and is a founding member of the board and CEO advisory partners at Russell Reynolds Associates. He is a trusted leadership advisor to the FTSE, Fortune 100 companies, and family enterprises across all major industry sectors and geographies. His areas of expertise include CEO succession and board advisory, with a focus on long-term succession planning and executive development; CEO transition; and board formation, effectiveness, recruitment, and development. O'Brien brings decades of leadership advisory experience to his role at Russell Reynolds and has written and spoken widely on the subject.

Prior to joining the firm, O'Brien held various senior leadership roles, working with global companies in the consumer, healthcare, industrial, financial services, and technology sectors, among others. He brings a global view to his work, having lived and worked in Brazil, Spain, Venezuela, and the United Kingdom and being fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

Justus earned his BA in English literature from Cornell University and received his MA in philosophy and politics from Oxford University.