Cleo Kirkland

Managing Partner, Toronto, Head, North American Legal Center of Expertise

Korn Ferry

Ms. Kirkland has led hundreds of general counsel, chief compliance officer and corporate secretary searches. Much of her time is spent advising leading law firms on succession planning, expansion and targeted lateral partner recruitment. She also has deep experience identifying functional leaders in operations, marketing, finance, information technology, and talent for law and other professional services firms.

As part of her broader financial services practice, Ms. Kirkland brings diverse experience in Insurance working with a broad range of clients, including diversified financial services companies, multiline and multinational carriers, small monoline writers and mutuals in Property Casualty (Personal Commercial, Specialty, E&S), Life, and Group insurance, Brokerage, Retirement and Annuities. Her recruiting experience spans an array of functional areas and titles, e.g., CEO, President, CFO, COO, CMO, CRO and GM, as well as leaders in Finance, Underwriting, Product, Actuarial, Sales, Marketing, Distribution, Claims, Operations, etc.

Ms. Kirkland is actively involved in broader firm-building initiatives. She chairs the firm's North American Promotions Committee (Senior Associate to Principal), has acted as faculty for new partner training and leads development sessions for consultants across lines of business. Externally, she serves as faculty for the Women General Counsel Canada GC University and advisor to the selection committee of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

Ms. Kirkland is a lawyer and before starting her career in search, she practiced commercial litigation. She was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2004.



Ms. Kirkland holds a bachelor of arts in philosophy and music (with First Class Honours) from Queen’s University and both civil and common law degrees (with Distinction) from McGill University.