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Cecilia Nelson-Hurt is the Chief Inclusion & Belonging Officer at Heidrick & Struggles, the world's foremost advisor on executive leadership, driving superior client performance through premier human capital leadership advisory services.
Cecilia is responsible for leading the firm’s global inclusion and belonging strategies. She plays an integral role in shaping the organization’s culture, engagement, and talent management initiatives related to inclusion and belonging.
Prior to joining the firm, Cecilia served as Vice President, DE&I, for L’Oréal USA, where she led transformative diversity and inclusion initiatives that reinforced the company’s commitment to building an equal-opportunity workplace and an inclusive beauty brand. She spearheaded the development and facilitation of the company’s DE&I curriculum, empowering employees with the knowledge and tools to drive meaningful change. She partnered with the company’s employee-led Think Tanks to design and implement strategies that elevated employee engagement, deepened consumer insights, and expanded community outreach—ensuring that inclusivity remained at the heart of L’Oréal’s mission.
Cecilia recently served as Co-President of the NYC chapter of Ellevate Network, the largest community of women at work and a powerful coalition of ambitious and supportive women who believe there is strength in numbers. She has extensive Board service across various non-profit organizations, including The Dinner Table, YouthBridge NY, Knit the Rainbow and the Vogue Knitting Magazine Diversity Advisory Council. In her board roles, she helps create strategies to advance diversity, inclusion, and belonging for the populations they serve.
Cecilia has been recognized as: a 2023 Black Star, a member of Diversity Woman Media’s Elite Class of 2023; a recipient of the Bottomless Closet 2023 Impact Award; a Moves Magazine “Moves Mentor” in 2022; and a recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Inclusion and Equity Award from the Dominican Women’s Development Center.
Cecilia is an avid global traveler and knitter. She often merges her passions with her work to advance inclusion and belonging by leading global knitting workshops at conferences and festivals. Her goal is to cultivate more inclusive creative spaces worldwide.
Cecilia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in International Marketing from Pace University, a certificate of Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University, and is in the process of completing her International Coaching Federation (ICF) Certificate.
Honoring Leadership
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