Gemma Burgess

Gemma Burgess co-leads the global real estate practice with a particular focus on global capital flows and cross-border work. With over 20 years of executive and non-executive search experience globally, Gemma primarily works on global real estate team build outs within Private Equity, Private Credit, Investment Management, Sovereign Wealth Funds and Limited Partner clients. In addition, Gemma places C-suite and Board professionals within the real estate public markets (Real Estate Investment Trusts) across the globe. Functionally, Gemma has placed Global Heads of Real Estate, Global Chief Investment Officers, Global Heads of Capital Formation and Global Heads of Asset Management and has also built out those teams regional across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.

A huge advocate for inclusive leadership across the industry, Gemma is passionate about bringing best in class talent to the clients she serves and assisting those clients to work through their strategic growth plans and their succession projects. Gemma moved to the US in 2014 from the UK, bringing experience that spans geographies. She possesses a deep understanding of the international markets and the global flow of both institutional and non-institutional capital in the real estate industry.

Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates’, Gemma was at Ferguson Partners from 2007 to 2023 and had many roles including Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman. Previously, Gemma spent two years at Hanson Green working on non-executive appointments and two years at Ramsey Hall working as a generalist within executive search.