Dominique Dickson
LOADING PORTFOLIO
CHIEF OF STAFF · PEOPLE STRATEGY & INCLUSION · CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
◦ NEW YORK CITY METRO AREA

Turning executive priorities into
measurable outcomes.

More than 15 years partnering with C-suite leaders at a global professional-services firm, owning a $400K budget and the strategy, governance, and scorecards behind firm-wide programs for more than 2,000 employees.

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Dominique Dickson, professional headshot
DD · NEW YORK
MBA · DREXEL
$0K
BUDGET OWNED
0+
EMPLOYEES REACHED
0+
EXECUTIVE SEARCHES
0+
YEARS
MBA · DREXEL UNIVERSITY
JURIS DOCTOR COURSEWORK · ST. JOHN'S LAW
ONCON TOP 100 DEI PROFESSIONAL · FINALIST 2025
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD
POINT OF VIEW

Priorities do not move on intention.
They move on operating discipline.

Whether the work is a people strategy, an executive's operating cadence, or a firm-wide message, the same discipline carries it: clear priorities, real governance, and a scorecard leadership actually reviews. That operating model sits behind every result on this page.

GOVERNANCE OVER GESTURES
THE WORK, MEASURED

The scorecard behind the culture work.

Every program below ran against defined priorities, governance, and a progress scorecard across a 2,000+ employee, multi-office population. These are the numbers that scorecard tracked.

ERG MEMBERSHIP
15% to nearly one third of employees
15%FROM 15%
INCLUSIVE JOB-DESCRIPTION SCREENING
0 to 100% of job descriptions screened
0%FROM NONE
STANDARDIZED INCLUSIVE HIRING
50% of requisitions within six months
0%IN 6 MONTHS
+11%
RETENTION, PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR
Advancing Professionals of Color leadership program for 80+ high-potential employees.
30 to 75
PEER-LEARNING PARTICIPATION
A 150% increase, using themes drawn from 2,000+ employee surveys.
3
NEW GLOBAL ERGs LAUNCHED
Communities for disability, veterans, and interfaith employees.
$400K budget owned
About 955 employees integrated post-acquisition
Global onboarding platform launched in the HRIS
ABOUT

The operator behind the executive decisions.

Fifteen-plus years at a global professional-services firm shaped how the work gets done. Partnering with C-suite leaders, serving as a Chief of Staff-style operator to a Co-President, and building the people programs that reach an entire firm. Every role has sat where executive strategy meets execution.

As a people leader at Heidrick & Struggles, ownership ran from a $400K budget and the global ERG strategy to the succession, onboarding, and equity work behind a 2,000+ employee population. The Advancing Professionals of Color program raised retention of professionals of color by 11%, and ERG membership grew from 15% to nearly one third of the firm.

Before the people work came search operations. Project-managing more than 100 CEO and board-director searches, coordinating up to 30 concurrent teams for a top-billing partner, and holding a 100% fill rate. Across all of it ran the communications, from the firm's sustainability report and public-company disclosures to all-hands, newsletters, and messaging for the CEO and board. Chief of Staff, People Strategy and Inclusion, and Corporate and Internal Communications are the roles this record points toward next.

Dominique Dickson
Dominique Dickson
MBA · NEW YORK CITY METRO
HOW I OPERATE

Three lanes, one operating discipline.

The capabilities behind Chief of Staff, People Strategy and Inclusion, and Corporate and Internal Communications work.

01
CHIEF OF STAFF & EXECUTIVE BUSINESS PARTNER

The partner who turns executive priorities into decisions.

Chief of Staff functions, C-suite and board partnership, governance and operating-model design, board and executive reporting, and the strategy-to-execution and change management that carry a decision through the whole firm. Sole executive partner to a Co-President, and project lead on more than 100 CEO and board-director searches with up to 30 concurrent teams.

WHAT I OWN
Leadership-team cadence, executive briefs, governance design, board and executive reporting, multi-team program delivery.
WHAT IT MOVES
Consolidated reporting across 7 product lines into one source for faster decisions, and a 100% fill rate across searches coordinated with about 75% repeat clients.
02
PEOPLE STRATEGY & INCLUSION

The systems that raise retention, participation, and belonging.

Talent and leadership development, succession planning, onboarding and HRIS, employee experience and engagement, and inclusion and belonging strategy, all run on priorities, governance, and a scorecard. Built the firm's multi-year people and inclusion strategy and launched a global onboarding platform in the HRIS across a 2,000+ employee population.

WHAT I OWN
Global ERG strategy, onboarding platforms, succession practices, equity audits of promotion policy, employee-listening programs.
WHAT IT MOVES
Retention of professionals of color up 11%. Peer-learning participation up 150%, from 30 to 75. ERG membership from 15% to nearly a third.
03
CORPORATE & INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

Complex priorities, turned into clear messages.

Executive, employee, and change communications, from the firm's sustainability report and public-company disclosures to all-hands, newsletters, intranet, and social media. Writes for CEOs, boards, and managing partners, including board presentations, thought leadership, and conference speaking points, and led change-management communications for the integration of about 955 employees following an acquisition.

WHAT I OWN
Executive and board messaging, employee and change communications, editorial planning, brand and media strategy.
WHAT IT MOVES
One firm-wide voice across the sustainability report, disclosures, all-hands, and newsletters, reaching a 2,000+ employee population.
CAREER

More than 15 years across people strategy and executive operations.

2020 to 2026
Senior Manager, Inclusion and Belonging
HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES · GLOBAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH & LEADERSHIP ADVISORY
Built the firm's multi-year people and inclusion strategy: priorities, governance, workstreams, executive accountability, and a scorecard across a 2,000+ employee, multi-office population. Owned a $400K budget and the global ERG strategy, launching 3 ERGs and growing membership from 15% to nearly one third. Designed the Advancing Professionals of Color program for 80+ leaders, raising retention of professionals of color by 11%, launched a global onboarding platform in the HRIS, and led the inclusion workstream for the integration of about 955 employees following an acquisition. Owned internal and external communications for the agenda, from the sustainability report and public-company disclosures to all-hands, newsletters, and executive messaging for the CEO and board.
$400K BUDGET
ERG 15% TO 33%
+11% RETENTION
EXEC & BOARD COMMS
2016 to 2020
Project Manager, Executive Search
HEIDRICK & STRUGGLES · GLOBAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH & LEADERSHIP ADVISORY
Project-managed 100+ CEO and board-director searches, coordinating up to 30 concurrent multidisciplinary teams as the project lead for a top-billing partner. Delivered a 100% fill rate across the searches coordinated, about a three-month average time to fill, and about 75% repeat clients. Operationalized a Stanford Rock Center diversity pledge into a board-slate standard that held search slates above 50% diverse.
100+ SEARCHES
30+ TEAMS
100% FILL RATE
2015 to 2016
Senior Executive Administrator
NET@WORK · TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS & MANAGED SERVICES
Served as the sole Chief of Staff-style partner to the Co-President, running his leadership-team cadence and turning department-head reporting into executive briefs that drove cross-functional follow-through across Operations, Professional Services, and People and Learning. Built a consolidated monthly report across 7 product lines that had reported separately in inconsistent formats, giving leadership one source of performance and forecast detail.
CHIEF OF STAFF
7 PRODUCT LINES
2014 to 2015
Director, Communications and Marketing
ABRAMS FENSTERMAN LLP · LAW FIRM
Rebuilt internal and external communications and brand strategy to lift cross-department engagement and market presence. Ran targeted media campaigns and secured speaking engagements that increased client acquisition.
BRAND STRATEGY
2009 to 2014
Knowledge Management Coordinator
BROOKFIELD ASSET MANAGEMENT · GLOBAL ALTERNATIVE ASSET MANAGER
Built the firm's first global knowledge-management function, moving 50+ training materials onto a centralized SharePoint platform as a single reference of record. Authored the Managing Partner's internal blog, reaching 300+ employees, contractors, and consultants. Standardized job descriptions for 125 employees and set performance-management standards for 5 corporate-operations executive assistants, supporting talent acquisition and succession planning.
50+ MATERIALS
300+ BLOG REACH
125 EMPLOYEES
2006 to 2009
Earlier Career
UBS AG · NASSAU COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Provided executive and legal support for senior executives and board members within UBS Legal and Compliance. Earlier, served as a legal intern and assistant across family, criminal, and special-victims matters at the Nassau County District Attorney's Office and with solo practitioners.
LEGAL & COMPLIANCE
CREDENTIALS

Education and certifications.

GRADUATE
Master of Business Administration
Drexel University
PHILADELPHIA, PA · 2013 · ENTREPRENEURSHIP
UNDERGRADUATE
B.A. Criminal Justice, magna cum laude
Long Island University
GREENVALE, NY · 2007
LAW SCHOOL
Juris Doctor Coursework
Saint John's University School of Law
QUEENS, NY · 2007 TO 2008 · DEGREE NOT CONFERRED
TOOLSET
Systems and platforms
Workday Salesforce SharePoint HRIS MS Office G-Suite Box Slack
CERTIFICATIONS & HONORS
HEIDRICK BUSINESS ACADEMY CERTIFICATE ONCON TOP 100 DEI PROFESSIONAL · FINALIST 2025 ELEANOR ROOSEVELT WOMEN OF DISTINCTION AWARD · 2009
Heidrick & Struggles
Net@Work
Abrams Fensterman
Brookfield Asset Management
UBS
Drexel University
GET IN TOUCH

Let's build the next operating model.

Open to Chief of Staff, People Strategy and Inclusion, and Corporate and Internal Communications roles. Based in the New York City Metro Area, open to relocation.

Email Dominique → LinkedIn