Last month, Friisberg welcomed members of its Executive Committee to our London office for a strategic leadership meeting focused on the future direction of the firm and the opportunities emerging across global markets.
The discussions reflected both the strength of our international partnership and the ambition that continues to shape our growth strategy. With increasing client demand for cross-border leadership advisory and executive search support, the meeting centred on how we continue to scale as one integrated global firm while preserving the entrepreneurial agility and local market expertise that define Friisberg.
A key focus of the meeting was the continued expansion of our international footprint, including plans to strengthen our presence in the United States and the Nordics. As leadership challenges become increasingly global in nature, clients are seeking partners who can combine international reach with deep sector expertise and trusted local relationships. Expanding our presence in strategically important markets is therefore a natural evolution of our long-term growth strategy.
The Executive Committee also discussed investment priorities across leadership advisory, digital visibility, cross-border collaboration and operational integration. In an environment where organisations are navigating geopolitical uncertainty, technological disruption and changing workforce expectations, leadership has become one of the defining differentiators of business performance. Firms advising at board and executive level must therefore evolve with equal pace and clarity.
What continues to distinguish Friisberg is our collective strength. Our growth is not driven by scale for its own sake, but by a shared commitment to quality, long-term relationships and trusted advisory work at the highest levels of leadership. Across our international offices, we continue to see increasing collaboration between teams, deeper sector specialisation and growing momentum in multinational assignments.
This latest London meeting reinforced a clear strategic direction: to continue building a truly integrated international firm with the capability, credibility and cultural alignment required to support clients across complex leadership challenges worldwide.
As global markets continue to shift, we remain focused on what matters most: helping organisations identify, attract and develop exceptional leadership capable of driving sustainable growth and transformation.
Our conversations in London reflected confidence, ambition and alignment across the partnership. More importantly, they reflected a firm that continues to invest in the future with purpose and clarity.
Excitement is building as the Friisberg spring conference approaches, and this year, it promises to be an exceptional gathering in the historic and vibrant city of Edinburgh.
As one of the leading Executive Search firms, Friisberg has built a reputation for excellence through our deep industry expertise, commitment to delivering exceptional talent solutions, and a vast number of highly experienced consultants. With decades of experience, we have successfully placed senior executives across multiple sectors, helping businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive global landscape. Our collaborative approach, innovative search methodologies, and dedication to long-term partnerships set us apart as a trusted advisor in Executive Search.
Lorri Lowe, Managing Partner UK, expressed her enthusiasm for the event, "I am really looking forward to welcoming colleagues from around the world to our 122nd Spring conference. With offices spanning multiple countries, my colleagues work closely together throughout the year, and these biannual conferences are invaluable for fostering trust, collaboration, and truly great working relationships."
Beyond the professional insights and discussions, Edinburgh provides the perfect backdrop for this prestigious gathering. With its rich history, stunning architecture, and renowned hospitality, the city offers countless opportunities for colleagues to connect and enjoy their time together outside of formal meetings.
As the event draws near, anticipation is high for an inspiring and productive conference. From engaging discussions to memorable moments in one of the UK's most beautiful cities, this promises to be a truly special occasion for all involved.
Last week, Vienna, a city known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and world-class venues, played host to one of our most memorable conferences . The event brought together professionals, thought leaders, and innovators from various industries, showcasing our capability as a global advisory firm in leadership.
This, our 121st, conference attracted many of our Senior Partners and Senior Consultants from more than 20 countries, making it a truly global event. With a focus on 'Innovation and Growth in Challenging Times', the program was packed with insightful presentations, interactive workshops, and lively panel discussions.
Some of the key highlights included:
Keynote Speakers: Thought leaders contributed to a truly inspiriting debate on Innovation and Growth in Challenging Times:
We are hugely grateful for their participation.
Sabine Pirkner, who heads up our office in the heart of Vienna, ensured there were numerous opportunities for networking, with dedicated sessions for attendees to exchange ideas and make meaningful connections. These included informal meet-and-greet sessions, lunchtime roundtables, and a gala dinner offering a fantastic setting to wrap up the event.
Vienna’s well-known coffeehouse culture played a subtle role, with several breaks offering traditional Viennese coffee and pastries. This created a relaxed and social environment that fostered deeper conversations among participants.
No visit to Vienna is complete without experiencing its rich cultural heritage. Sabine curated a cultural program that allowed all our attendees to immerse themselves in the city’s artistic traditions. We all enjoyed an exclusive teambuilding afternoon at Kunsthistorisches Museum Kunstkammer with the unbelievably competitive and focused team of Zoltan Petho, Lorri Lowe, Alexander Matties, Leila Othieno, Thorsten Marquadt and Anna Pommersbach declared the clear winners!
Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Many praised the seamless organization and the mix of high-level strategic and thought leadership content together with practical advice. The venue, the quality of speakers, and the opportunities for collaboration were all cited as standout features of the event.
"Vienna provided the perfect setting for our conference. The city’s charm, combined with the high quality of the sessions and the diversity of attendees, made this a truly exceptional experience," said Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg.
This conference was a resounding success and the attendees returned to their respective countries with fresh insights and new connections. They also had a renewed confidence in Friisberg as a leading Management Consultancy firm with a world class specialism in Executive Search.
Friisberg is excited to announce its highly anticipated conference on 9th-11th October in Vienna, Austria. This year’s conference promises to be bigger and more impactful than ever, bringing together industry leaders, innovators and professionals from across the globe to share insights.
With an agenda packed with inspiring keynote speakers, and interactive workshops we aim to foster collaboration and spark meaningful conversations. We will have the opportunity to connect with peers, gain valuable knowledge, and be the first to experience Friisberg’s newest innovations. Attendees can expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere where relationships take centre stage. From casual networking events to in-depth collaborative sessions, this conference is about strengthening bonds and creating a sense of belonging.
“We are thrilled to bring together such a dynamic group of professionals and thought leaders for this year’s conference” said Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg. “This conference is all about sharing ideas, and shaping our future, together. We look forward to creating an unforgettable experience for all and cementing our deep connections and shared values that make our company truly special.
“For Friisberg, people are the foundation of everything we do, and this event is a way for us to come together like family." said Sabine Pirkner, from our office in Vienna, "The success we’ve built is rooted in trust, support, and mutual growth, and our conference reflects that spirit of collaboration. Our team in Vienna can’t wait to welcome everyone and celebrate the next chapter in our already long history.”
We are looking forward to our Friisberg Spring Conference in The Hague and what will be an incredibly busy few days.
Maarten van de Sande and his team, from our office in The Netherlands, are hosting this conference with Partners from our local offices are travelling from all over the world to participate in the event.
Our Conference is not only about learning and development, but also about reflecting on what we have all, individually and collectively, achieved over the past 6 months, and taking some time to enjoy the experience, socialise with friends and meet new ones.
At the Handelsblatt EnergySummit 2024, it once again became clear that although the energy transition in Germany has made progress and the share of renewable energies was 50% in 2023, it still poses many challenges.
In order to ensure security of supply, even on days with little wind and sunshine, gas power plants are to step in, initially powered by natural gas and in the future by hydrogen. The plan is to build 20 to 30 of these gas-fired power plants. The nationwide hydrogen core network will connect hydrogen locations such as power plants, storage facilities and import corridors. MAN Energy Solutions, for example, is providing hope as to how CO2-free local heating supplies can function in the future with large heat pumps. These are expected to supply around 25,000 households. The use of synthetic methane could also be interesting as it would have the advantage that the existing gas networks could be used for distribution.
Friisberg & Partners is pleased to be shaping this transformation in utilities and the decarbonization of the industry in Germany and Europe by filling key positions.
We have repeatedly been recognized by @WirtschaftsWoche as one of the best Executive Search consultancies in the German Energy sector because we succeed in finding executives with strong implementation skills.
The first summit was held in 2021 to bring the world’s first ladies and gentlemen together to promote dialogue and find effective solutions to global humanitarian challenges through soft power, partnership, public diplomacy, exchange of experience, and implementation of joint initiatives.
The 3rd Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, founded by Olena Zelenska, the wife of the President of Ukraine, took place in Kyiv on the 6th September 2023.
It was hosted by British actor, director, and writer Stephen Fry and Ukrainian journalist Hanna Homonai.
The theme of the 3rd Summit was 'Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future' and opening the conference Olena Zelenska noted that it has long been an axiom for all conscious people, at least in the free world, that human life is important and mental health is the basis of this quality. She said that a life of constant anxiety, fear, and uncertainty cannot be called of high quality.
Elena Maysyura, from our office in Kyiv, was an invited guest and the participants discussed how wars and conflicts affect mental health and whether it is possible to adapt to it. She said,
"I was happy to attend as a guest and benefited greatly from the panel discussions. Sarah Brown and Stephen Fry are both incredible experts whose participation made this Summit unforgettable."
The summit consisted of three panels: 'Mental Health: The Balance of Resilience and Fragility', 'The Impact of War on Mental Health', and 'The Generation That Will Lead the World in 15 Years'.
President Zelenskyy noted that people's resilience has its limits. He said he was grateful that this Summit and such a representative discussion was dedicated to the topic of mental health.
Ukraine today demonstrates to the world a people united by common values - a people who value human life.
Last week Friisberg & Partners International was privileged to be invited to participate in the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 (URC23) in London from 21st – 23rd June. It is an annual global conference and was this year organized and hosted by the governments of the United Kingdom and, of course, Ukraine. URC23 brought together a coalition of thousands of representatives from civil society, businesses and governments from 59 countries to discuss and commit to support for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
Elena Maysyura, who leads our office in Kyiv, was joined by Lorri Lowe and Andrew Guy from our office in London. Speakers at the conference included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, his Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, as well as President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen (who confirmed that Ukraine’s accession to the EU is imminent), US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, foreign ministers of EU countries, and others.
We know that Ukraine has significant economic potential. The international community came together at the conference to unlock the potential of the private sector to help Ukraine’s economic recovery. This, in turn, will support the country to come back stronger, as a modern, stable and resilient democracy.
"By building Ukraine, we are building much more than one country, we are building the world.
"Will it be peaceful? Will it be stable? Will it be democratic? It depends on each and every one of us."
President Zelenskyy (video remarks)
The focus of day three of this year’s conference was to advance private sector participation in the Ukrainian recovery and for this URC23 was hailed a great success, with one of the largest international financial commitments for reconstruction since the Second World War. By the end of the event, a total of some US$60 billion in international commitments had been made.
It was noteworthy that a recurring theme at URC2023 was the strength of human capital already in Ukraine and the willingness of the Ukrainian diaspora to rebuild the economy back home - not just after the war, but now.
With our office in Kyiv and many more in other cities in Europe and around the world, Friisberg & Partners International is ideally placed to identify and secure the right leadership for Ukraine's revived businesses and FDI projects.
Friisberg stands with Elena, her team in Kyiv, and her country - we remain united in our support for Ukraine.
Mary Keane and Andrea Chladkova, from our office in Prague, had the pleasure to be invited to this inspiring event:
As a main speaker, Niamh Donnelly, Co-founder & CRO of Akara Robotics shared her story of a female entrepreneurship and was leading the discussion on technology trends and necessity of innovations and adaptability.
It was an evening full of insightful discussions with exceptional women, special thanks to those leading the roundtable discussions:
Andrea Olejarova, Mondelēz International, Lenka Axlerová, Microsoft, Eva Prokesova, JTI (Japan Tobacco International), Aneta Martišková, Edenred Česká republika, Marta Siruckova, Katarína Krajčovičová, Tereza Zavadilova, Monika Mašková, Radka Ondráčková, Senta Čermáková, Erin Swan, Eva Čerešňáková, Lenka Šťastná LION.
The event was organised by the Embassy of Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and Newstream at the residence of the Irish ambassador to the Czech Republic H.E. Cliona Manahan.
Video credit: Newstream.cz
We were genuinely delighted to open an office in Ukraine at the end of 2022 and two new offices in the UAE this month, We know that we are fortunate to have strong, compassionate, innovative leaders who genuinely care about our people, our clients and the overall wellbeing of Friisberg.
We practise what we preach.
We understand that good leaders promote a sense of trust and confidence and when it comes to being happy at work – and enjoying work is very important. We strive to maintain Friisberg as a close family of exceptional people who work hard, play hard and are at the very top of their professions.
We understand that good leaders promote a safe and collaborative environment for joint problem solving; they generate innovation, a sense of achievement, and ultimately higher levels of satisfaction.
We understand that our clients will continue to battle the War for Talent – and there is an increasing demand for the right kind of talent. For leaders, this means not only targeting, nurturing, and advancing top talent within their own organisation, but partnering with firms like Friisberg to find the right people from elsewhere.
Being a global firm, we appreciate that having an inherently diverse workforce can be an excellent source of innovation. All of our people cherish difference, embrace disruption, and foster a speak-up culture so we know we are far more likely both to retain a broader spectrum of top talent. We can therefore better understand the needs of our clients who, like us, consistently look to drive growth and innovation.
2023 will be a great year for Friisberg, and a great year for our clients, because we will continue focusing on our key value: our People.
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