"As the year draws to a close and the holiday season invites us to pause and reflect, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to Friisberg throughout the year. It has been a year marked by commitment, collaboration and meaningful progress.
"Our Executive Committee has devoted significant time and energy to addressing the topics that matter most for Friisberg and to shaping initiatives that will carry us forward. This collective focus continues to strengthen our organisation and our shared direction.
"I would also like to extend a special thank you to our UK and Finnish teams for organising two outstanding and truly memorable conferences. These events not only brought our community together but also introduced us to new colleagues who have already added great value to Friisberg. We are delighted to welcome Dorota Cagiel and Kıvanç Ersöz, whose experience, insights and engagement have already enriched our conversations, and we look forward to building the future together.
"As we look ahead, we are encouraged by the many exciting conversations currently under way and hope to continue welcoming new Partners in the year to come. We are especially looking forward to reconnecting and continuing these discussions at our spring conference in Istanbul.
"This year has also seen important progress in how we communicate and share our story. With renewed focus and energy behind our communications, we are seeing tangible results, and we encourage everyone to continue sharing news, ideas and achievements as we strengthen the Friisberg brand together.
"For now, however, it is time to slow down, switch off and enjoy the holiday season. Time with family and friends, good food, festive moments and well-earned rest. Thank you once again for a remarkable year. I wish you a restful holiday season and look forward to what we will achieve together in the year ahead".
Zoltán Pethõ - President
Sabine Pirkner recently attended The ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading energy conferences, bringing together over 2,250 companies from across the global energy ecosystem.
Despite the physical challenge of attending with a herniated disc Sabine found the experience energising and highly motivating. A major takeaway was the strong emphasis on real, practical AI applications, particularly at the AI Pavilion, where companies showcased how AI is already being used to drive technology advancement and market development.
One standout example was a smart helmet concept (Sabine is modelling fantastically!) that enables instant access to company data through a display and voice control, demonstrating how innovation is becoming increasingly practical and user-focused.
Drawing on her background in international consulting, Sabine highlighted a familiar lesson: innovation does not need to be perfect to begin. Progress comes from starting early and learning along the way.
From a Friisberg perspective, Sabine noted how critical it is to combine future-oriented innovators with pragmatic builders who can turn ideas into scalable tools. Encouragingly, our diagnostics already help identify individuals with strong innovation traits that organisations can build upon.
Seeing how companies such as ADNOC Group and Borouge continue to invest not only in technology but also in talent development was a powerful reminder that sustainable innovation depends on people as much as solutions. Sometimes pushing physical limits expands your mindset, and ADIPEC was a strong example of that in action!
Irena Petrova, Managing Partner at our Sofia office was recently interviewed by ECONOMY.bg as part of a feature with representatives of the Bulgarian Executive Search Association (BESA).
At the end of the year, Economy.bg gathered insights from leading executive search firms to highlight the key changes and trends of the past 12 months. We appreciate the opportunity to share our perspective alongside our BESA colleagues.
The article explores whether executive remuneration increased in Bulgaria and how 2025 unfolded for the executive search market. Irena shares her key insights below:
The year 2025 has brought significant changes in the landscape of artificial intelligence, leading to a re-evaluation of what it means to be human. The year has been marked by a shift from the notion of AI as a mere tool to a transformative technology that reshapes our understanding of human capabilities and societal interactions.
AI's Role in Society: AI has become a defining texture of waking experience, challenging our perceptions of reality and human interaction. It has crossed the point of no return, impacting various aspects of life, including; how we work, our creativity and privacy.
Human-Centric AI: The year has emphasized the importance of human collaboration and curation in the AI landscape. It has revealed that AI-generated content, while innovative, can also lead to misinformation and that human creativity comes out on top.
Human Intelligence and AI: The Mensa Foundation's exploration of human intelligence in the age of AI has led to the recognition of human and AI as complementary rather than competitive. This understanding highlights the unique qualities that humans bring to the table, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, and ethical reasoning.
AI's Impact on Mental Health: AI therapy chatbots have been tested and found to stigmatize certain conditions and suggest harmful responses, raising concerns about their reliability in mental health support. This has sparked discussions about the ethical use of AI in therapeutic contexts.
In conclusion, 2025 has been a year of profound change, where AI has not only advanced but also challenged our understanding of what it means to be human. It has brought to light the need for a balance between AI's capabilities and the human touch that cannot be replicated by machines.
