Joel von Ranson helps leading companies find and assess world-class CFOs who drive enterprise value and support sustained growth and performance. An expert in governance, he also works with boards on director recruitment, board effectiveness and CFO succession planning.

In over two decades at Spencer Stuart, Joel has held several leadership roles. He served as leader of the Financial Officer Practice in North America and headed the firm’s functional practices globally. Most recently, he served as the firm’s Americas people chair, leading a team responsible for shaping human capital strategy and operations and nurturing a performance and development culture.

Joel is a frequent speaker on CFO and governance topics and has co-authored several articles, including “The CFO’s Last Mile: Building Toward Success as a CEO,” “Perspectives of Leading Audit Committee Chairs” and “LGBTQ+ Directors on Corporate Boards: Making Their Perspectives Heard.” He serves on the board of directors of Manhattan Theatre Club and is a former member of the Museum of Modern Art’s Contemporary Arts Council. He is also executive sponsor of Spencer Stuart’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group and has been recognized with Spencer Stuart’s Lou Rieger Quality Award and the industry’s AESC Award of Excellence.

Expertise

Joel works across industries and specializes in:
  • CFO search
  • CFO succession
  • Boards of directors
  • COOs and presidents

Practice areas

  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Boards

Previous experience

  • Joel joined Spencer Stuart in 2000 after working in senior finance roles at Time Warner and Condé Nast.
  • During that time, he also served as business manager and finance executive at The New Yorker magazine.

Education

  • Master of Business Administration in finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University
  • Bachelor’s degree with honors from George Washington University

Practice Areas