John Wasley
John Wasley is the Managing Partner of Wasley Associates, an advisory firm serving family-owned and privately held businesses. He works closely with owners and leadership teams on leadership, succession, and governance during periods of growth, transition, and generational change. When new leadership is required, he conducts focused executive searches that are fully integrated with his advisory work. John brings over three decades of experience advising organizations on senior leadership decisions and executive transitions.
John’s executive search career began at Russell Reynolds Associates, where he joined in 2000 as an Executive Director and developed deep expertise in leadership assessment and executive recruitment. In 2001, he moved to Heidrick & Struggles, where he rose to Senior Managing Partner and led high-profile search engagements for global and national organizations. He later held senior leadership roles at Spencer Stuart and Caldwell Partners, further strengthening his experience placing CEOs, senior executives, and board members. Most recently, as Managing Partner at Ferguson Partners, John advised clients across multiple industries on leadership strategy, executive hiring, and succession planning.
Before entering executive search, John built a strong operating foundation in banking and real estate. He began his career in 1983 as a Vice President at Wedgewood Investment Corporation and became CFO in 1985. In 1988, he founded Wedgewood Development Company, serving as its President and leading real estate development projects. In 1992, he joined People’s Bank of California as Vice President of Real Estate, where he oversaw loan servicing, corporate real estate, and commercial lending. These early operating and leadership roles continue to shape his practical, business-grounded approach to advisory work and executive coaching.
John holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from UCLA and completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School. He also attended Pembroke College at Cambridge University, broadening his academic and global perspective. He served for over 20 years on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, where he chaired the Affordable Housing Program, Governance Committee, and HR and Compensation Committees. He is a certified executive coach through the Hudson Institute and holds credentials from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Outside of work, John enjoys woodworking, reading, and spending time with his family at his homes in Chatham, Massachusetts, and Pasadena, California. He serves on the boards of Para Los Niños, the John Tracy Center and the American Red Cross. He is deeply committed to mentoring emerging leaders and helping individuals and organizations grow with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
jwasley@wasleyassociates.com
Alex Hanover
Alex Hanover serves as Head of Research at Wasley Associates, where she leads the firm’s research strategy, market intelligence, candidate identification, and AI-enabled search support. In this role, Alex helps develop target company lists, map executive talent markets, organize candidate pipelines, and support the firm’s work across executive recruitment, succession planning, governance advisory, and leadership consulting.
Alex works closely with Wasley Associates’ search and advisory teams to bring structure, speed, and discipline to the research process. Her responsibilities include identifying relevant companies and executives, tracking market trends, preparing background research, supporting candidate assessments, and helping translate complex information into clear, client-ready insights.
In addition to her research leadership role, Alex is responsible for AI implementation at Wasley Associates. She helps evaluate and apply AI tools to improve research quality, workflow efficiency, candidate tracking, document preparation, and client deliverables, while maintaining the firm’s standards for judgment, confidentiality, and professionalism.
Alex is based in Los Angeles and is affiliated with Wasley Associates’ executive search and advisory practice. She received her bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College.
ahanover@wasleyasociates.com
Matt Schneider
Matt Schneider is a Consultant at Wasley Associates, where he advises clients on executive search, leadership assessment, succession planning, and senior-level talent strategy. In this role, Matt works closely with clients to understand their business priorities, define leadership requirements, develop candidate strategies, assess executive talent, and manage searches from initial market mapping through finalist selection.
Matt brings a strong finance and advisory background to his work with privately held companies, family-owned businesses, real estate organizations, and investment-oriented clients. Prior to joining Wasley Associates, he worked at Goldman Sachs in New York, where he gained experience in financial analysis, client service, transaction support, and institutional relationship management. His background allows him to bring a disciplined, analytical, and commercially grounded perspective to executive recruiting and advisory assignments.
At Wasley Associates, Matt plays an active role in developing position specifications, identifying and evaluating candidates, conducting interviews, preparing candidate assessments, and advising clients on organizational fit, leadership capability, and compensation considerations. He is particularly effective at helping clients translate business needs into clear leadership profiles and practical search strategies.
Matt received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 2011 and his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 2016.
mschneider@wasleyassociates.com
William Wasley
William Wasley is an Associate at Wasley Associates, where he supports executive search, market research, candidate development, and client advisory assignments. He brings a multidisciplinary background that combines research, project management, design, urban systems, and international experience. Prior to joining Wasley Associates, William was selected as a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Young Professionals Fellow with the U.S. Department of State, spending a year in Berlin, Germany. He previously worked as a 3D Solutions Specialist at BluEdge in New York, where he developed experience in design technology, production, and client-facing project work. Earlier in his career, he held roles in urban planning and the arts, including an internship with Life After Life and a position at MOCA | The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. William is fluent in English and German and brings a thoughtful, analytical, and design-oriented perspective to his work with clients and candidates. He received his degree in Urban Systems and Geography from McGill University and studied architecture at the Technical University of Munich. He also completed Harvard University Graduate School of Design’s Design Discovery program.
wwasley@wasleyassociates.com