JamesDruryPartners: Reshaping Corporate Board Search & Director Selection
September 25, 2025 | By James Drury III and Adam Zajac
In the world of corporate governance, few firms have reshaped the landscape as dramatically as JamesDruryPartners (JDP). Founded in Chicago in 2001 by James “Jim” Drury III, the firm rose to prominence by doing something no executive search firm dared to: turn the traditional board recruitment process on its head.
To date, the firm has advised nearly 250 of America’s largest corporations – including one-third of the Fortune 100 – and optimized board appointments for hundreds of highly accomplished executives. The companies whose boards have benefited from JDP’s innovative model include many of today’s largest, most iconic, and most influential global corporations.
Upending the Traditional “Wait for the Phone to Ring” Model:
The idea behind JDP’s breakthrough business model emerged in 2006, when one of Jim’s clients – the CEO of one of America’s largest consumer goods companies – asked to be “kept in mind” for board opportunities. Until that time, the industry norm was strikingly passive; executives waited for a call from a search firm. If the phone rang at all, the opportunity rarely aligned with the executive’s best interests. In a bolt of inspiration, Jim suddenly recognized the absurdity of it all: why should America’s most valuable executives leave something as consequential as a board appointment to chance?
From that realization came BoardSelect®, JDP’s flagship innovation. Rather than being retained by corporations to recruit directors, JDP would be retained by these same corporations to optimize board selection for their top leaders. Representing the executives directly, the firm endeavored to proactively identify and pursue board roles that aligned with their experience, objectives, and values, as well as the interests of the companies they helped lead. In doing so, the firm became, in essence, America’s first board director talent agency.
Adapting the Talent Agency Approach:
To appreciate JDP’s innovation, it helps to view it in the broader context of talent representation. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, agencies like William Morris disrupted the entertainment industry by representing actors, musicians, and writers. Later, IMG did the same for professional athletes, forever changing the wide world of sports.
In the 1950s, “talent scouts” emerged for business executives. Compensated by the hiring corporation, these search firms specialized in finding highly talented executives for specific business leadership roles. They subsequently repurposed the model for corporate boards, thereby considering the best interests of the boards that hired them, not necessarily the best interests of the directors themselves. This “traditional” search model reigned unchallenged for nearly half a century, until a modest, Chicago-based board advisory firm envisioned a better way.
Jim and his colleagues saw what others missed: a win-win model of board recruitment where executives and the boards that elect them both come out on top. Boards gain world-class directors, while executives and their companies benefit from the strategic perspectives and professional development that board service provides. By importing the logic of talent agencies into the board space, JDP not only filled a void – it reshaped the future of corporate governance.
“David” in a World of Goliaths:
Though modest in size, the firm’s influence is anything but. As Jim himself notes, JDP may appear more like David than Goliath – but its reputation, relationship network, and impact on America’s boardrooms never cease to astound outside observers. To date, JDP has proactively optimized board appointments for nearly 550 world-class executives, helping place leaders on the boards of the country’s largest and most respected corporations, including scores of Fortune 500 companies. Assessing the annual revenues of these companies, along with their respective market caps, the combined financial footprint of the corporations benefiting from JDP’s BoardSelect® service reaches tens of trillions of dollars.
Beyond BoardSelect®, JDP has become well-known and widely respected in corporate governance circles. A proponent of boardroom excellence, the firm’s proprietary diagnostics, director assessments, and highly regarded annual study – The Weight of America’s Boards – have cemented the firm’s reputation as both an industry innovator and thought leader. In many ways, JDP today stands as a catalyst for professionalizing and modernizing an entire field.
Looking Ahead:
At a moment when corporate boards face unprecedented scrutiny, complexity, and opportunity, JDP’s distinctive model remains a powerful differentiator. The story of JamesDruryPartners is one of courage to challenge convention, vision to develop a better way, and execution that has transformed corporate governance at the highest levels. Just as the William Morris Agency reshaped the entertainment industry and IMG transformed the world of professional sports, JDP has redefined how board directors across America are identified, empowered, and selected.
JDP remains committed to ensuring accomplished leaders find the right seats at the table. For those interested in the future of governance, JDP welcomes continued dialogue on how board service can elevate both executives and corporations alike.
To learn more about JamesDruryPartners and its range of board advisory services, including BoardSelect®, Click Here.
About the Authors:
Click to view the bio of James Drury III – Founder, CEO, and Chairman of JamesDruryPartners
Click to view the bio of Adam Zajac – Vice President of Communications for JamesDruryPartners
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