-- Responding to the threat: Chief Information Security Officers protect
financial institutions from potential data breaches by cyber-criminals,
pirates and terrorists.
-- Heidrick & Struggles expands Financial Services practice with
particular expertise in identifying cyber-security executives. London
office is at the epi-center of the trend.

LONDON, 2014-04-14 09:00 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Recent, high-visibility data
breaches underscore the need for advanced cyber-security defenses, particularly
in the financial services sector. Corporate boards and senior risk executives
have taken notice. The result has been a surge in demand for qualified
candidates to take on a new role in an expanding C-Suite: the Chief Information
Security Officer (CISO).

Cyber vulnerabilities range from systemic credit card fraud and customer
identity theft to potential terror attacks aimed at disrupting large swaths of
the financial services sector. Recently, cyber-pirates have launched
"distributed denial of service" attacks to cripple websites and networks in
brazen attempts at extortion and blackmail.

"Five years ago, data security barely cracked the top 10 concerns among
corporate boards," says David Boehmer, Heidrick & Struggles' Financial Services
managing partner – Europe. "Today, it's the biggest concern. Throughout the
financial services sector, we are seeing unprecedented demand for Chief
Information Security Officers. We see this trend continuing to escalate,
particularly as data security risk is directly linked to operational risk."

Three criteria distinguish successful candidates in CISO searches, Boehmer
says. "Leadership presence, technical and regulatory savviness, and an
overarching vision of the risk framework—these are the must-haves our clients
expect to see in CISO candidates."

Responding to this need for CISO talent and other critical leadership roles,
Heidrick & Struggles has expanded its Financial Services practice in London, a
global banking hub.

"We've grown our Financial Services practice in London by 30% while further
enhancing cross-industry groups to provide access to top candidates regardless
of industry," Boehmer says. "Heidrick & Struggles has the advantage of global
scale—we are able to identify trends and connect qualified candidates all over
the world with opportunities here and throughout Europe."

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc. (Nasdaq:HSII) is the premier provider
of senior-level Executive Search, Culture Shaping and Leadership Consulting
services. For 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong
leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals
worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles' leadership experts operate from
principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia
Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit
www.heidrick.com.

CONTACT: Media Contact: Lia L. Randazzo
312.496.1788, [email protected]