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Ryan Whitacre
In-house, Head of US
Ryan B. Whitacre leads Marsden’s U.S. corporate in-house executive search practice from our Chicago office. He is a trusted advisor to hiring managers, boards, and search committees at Fortune enterprises, privately held companies, and leading nonprofit organizations, with a focus on legal and C-suite leadership roles.
Ryan brings 25 years of experience split evenly between practicing attorney and executive recruiter. His background includes AmLaw private practice and in-house legal roles at a public REIT and a $22 billion privately held company, giving him an operator’s perspective when advising clients seeking corporate in-house counsel, general counsel, and senior executives.
While best known as an expert legal executive recruiter, Ryan’s search experience spans the broader C-suite, including CEO, CFO, and CHRO, as well as senior leaders across functions such as marketing, communications, risk management, and trade compliance. Previously, he led the Chicago office of a boutique executive search firm and began his search career at an international legal search firm focused on in-house attorney recruitment through Chief Legal Officer.
Ryan earned his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with honor, from James Madison College at Michigan State University. He resides in Chicago’s Roscoe Village neighborhood, serves as board chair of a family services nonprofit, and maintains professional affiliations including the Economic Club of Chicago.
