The former chairman and chief executive of headhunter Heidrich & Struggles, John Viney, has died. Viney, who went on to found board level search firm The Zygos Partnership in 2002, was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in May 2009.

Viney, who also worked for Whitehead Mann, wrote five books, including So you dream of being a chief executive, and Drive – leadership in business and beyondand had recently begun work on a biography of Einstein.

Julia Budd, who along with Viney was one of the founders of Zygos, said: “In the increasingly standardised world of professional services, John was a one-off, a renaissance man.

“He was brilliant, a lateral thinker, sometimes maddening, but always capable of seeing a problem in a different light. We will miss his insights and his infectious enthusiasm.”