Natalia Kadia is a distinguished expert in neuromanagement, certified by the NeuroLeadership Institute in New York. She is a seasoned consultant specializing in organizational development, leadership, and human resources management, and she serves as a board member at the Centre for Social Change and Behavioural Economics.
With over a decade of experience, Natalia has successfully applied behavioural change strategies to enhance performance in both business and public organizations. Her work empowers leaders to unlock their leadership potential through evidence-based Neuromanagement methodologies. In her role as a lecturer at the Lviv Business School of UCU (LVBS), mentor, and certified coach from Erickson University International (ICF), Natalia guides leaders to improve their decision-making and build emotional intelligence using cutting-edge educational tools and coaching practices.
Beyond her consulting and teaching commitments, Natalia is a frequent media expert for the national 1+1 television channel, sharing her insights on leadership and organizational behavior.
We are delighted that Natalia is joining Friisberg in our Kyiv office. Her arrival marks an exciting chapter for our team, as her extensive expertise and innovative approach will further strengthen our consulting services and provide invaluable insights to our clients.
Natalia’s experience in driving behavioural change and developing leadership excellence aligns seamlessly with Friisberg’s commitment to empowering organizations and leaders.
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg said,
“We are thrilled to welcome Natalia Kadia to Friisberg. Her proven track record in neuromanagement and leadership development makes her an outstanding addition to our Kyiv team. Natalia’s deep understanding of organizational dynamics and her innovative methodologies will undoubtedly inspire growth and success for both our clients and our consultants. We look forward to the positive impact she will bring as we continue to support leaders and organizations in achieving their full potential.”
Friisberg is confident that her contributions will elevate our capabilities and reinforce our presence in the region.
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sabine Pirkner to our Executive Board. In her new role, Sabine will be responsible for leading and shaping our Business Development strategy, furthering our growth and market expansion goals.
Sabine brings a wealth of experience to the role. With a proven track record of driving innovation, strategic partnerships, and sustainable growth, Sabine is poised to strengthen our position in the marketplace.
“We are delighted to have Sabine on our executive team,” said Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg, “Her deep expertise in business development and her visionary leadership will be instrumental in helping us navigate new growth opportunities and achieve our long-term strategic goals.”
Sabine’s appointment comes as Friisberg continues to build on its legacy of success, which has been driven by the guidance and vision of its accomplished Executive Board. Under this leadership Friisberg has achieved sustained growth, solidifying its reputation as a leader in the Management Consultancy & Executive Search industry. Their strategic approach has seen the company expand its global footprint, deliver unparalleled client service, and attract top-tier talent for clients across multiple sectors.
“I am excited to join the talented Executive Board and take on this new role," said Sabine. "I look forward to contributing to Friisberg's continued success and helping to shape its future by building strong partnerships and driving innovative growth strategies.
"In my role, my focus is on bringing together the deep expertise we have in certain countries and, based on that, formulating an overarching strategy that better reflects our years of experience across various industries. Together, it's about defining strategic initiatives and directions that will strengthen and expand our growth and presence.
"The aim is to reassess the strategic directions for individual markets, while also taking into account industry trends and developments. I believe that by combining all our experiences, we can become even stronger together and gradually build up our presence step by step."
As one of the oldest Search firms in Europe, Friisberg's innovative approach and dedication to client success continue to set it apart in a competitive marketplace.
Friisberg is proud to announce that Maarten van de Sande has been appointed to our Executive team. In this pivotal role, Maarten will spearhead our global expansion and drive the growth of our firm on an international scale.
Maarten brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record in business development and strategic growth. His expertise will be instrumental as we continue to expand our footprint across new markets and strengthen our presence in existing ones. His appointment aligns perfectly with our vision to enhance our global capabilities and deliver unparalleled value to our clients around the world.
Throughout his career, Maarten has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep understanding of the dynamics of global markets. His strategic insights and innovative approach are exactly what Friisberg needs as we embark on this next phase of growth. We are confident that Maarten will be a driving force in our mission to build and nurture strong, long-term relationships with clients and partners across the globe.
As we welcome Maarten to our executive team, we look forward to the exciting opportunities and achievements that lie ahead. His leadership will be crucial in navigating the complexities of international markets and ensuring that Friisberg continues to lead with excellence and integrity.
We are excited about the future and confident that, with Maarten's energy behind our global expansion efforts, Friisberg will continue its remarkable success.
We are delighted to announce that V.E.R.A. Consulting will become part of Friisberg & Partners in Milan, offering Executive Search, Assessment, Executive Coaching and Organisational Development Consultancy.
As part of our dynamic and forward-thinking approach, we are thrilled to announce the opening of our new office in the vibrant city of Milan, Italy. This strategic move is a testament to our commitment to global expansion, fostering innovation, and cultivating strong relationships with clients and partners worldwide.
This reaffirms our successful global strategy to develop solid partnerships based on shared values and mutual esteem, integrating diversified skills and experience to offer our clients bespoke, forward-looking and extremely effective solutions.
From our central offices located in Sant'Ambogio, Aureliana De Sanctis and Giovanni Mantica will be the Partners dedicated to Executive Search. Thanks to their extensive experience within specific sectors, we know that they will strengthen and expand the presence of Friisberg & Partners throughout national and cross-border territories.
Milan, often regarded as the financial and fashion capital of Italy, serves as an ideal location for our new office. The city boasts a rich cultural heritage, a thriving business environment, and a strategic geographical position within Europe. Renowned for its historical landmarks, world-class cuisine, and influential fashion and design industries, Milan provides a unique backdrop that aligns perfectly with our values of excellence and creativity.
Our strengthened team in Milan brings several benefits to our valued clients and partners:
Enhanced Service Delivery: Proximity to European markets allows us to provide faster and more responsive services, addressing the unique needs of clients in the region.
Cultural Understanding: A local presence ensures a deeper understanding of our clients' cultures and business landscapes, enabling us to tailor solutions that resonate with their specific requirements.
Innovative Collaboration: By engaging with Milan's innovation ecosystem, we open up opportunities for collaborative projects that drive mutual growth and foster innovation.
Our strategically important office in Milan reflects our commitment to providing exceptional services, fostering innovation, and building lasting relationships on a global scale. We look forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, confident in our ability to thrive in Milan's dynamic business landscape.
We are ready to work together as one close-knit Team!
The sun shone in Warsaw for our Autumn 2023 Friisberg & Partners International Conference.
Partners and Consultants from 25 offices attended and the two day conference was packed with learning, networking, panel discussions, and roundtables.
It provided a superb forum to listen and learn from each other, seek out new innovations, explore emerging markets and economic trends while looking at ways to tackle barriers to growth, to ensure future success and our continued place as global leaders.
Our conference finished with a Gala Dinner and networking with old friends and new colleagues.
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg said, “I believe that standing still is going backwards, so we must all continue to innovate. It’s the very process of creation and innovation that keeps us at the forefront of our profession."
Our lively debates and the active participation of all proved instrumental in shaping the conference and making it an overwhelming success.
The Friisberg team looks forward to seeing everyone next Spring in Amsterdam!
This week our October conference is being held in Warsaw and our Polish colleagues are looking forward to welcoming us to their beautiful city.
As ever, the agenda comprises a rich programme of keynotes, presentations, workshops and panel discussions which will provide critical content to help our consultants, and the clients they serve, thrive.
Friisberg has a special and constant focus on helping our clients tangibly improve the outcome of their decisions. This could mean an increase in profit or revenues, but should also include growth by other measures, not least DE&I and ESG.
We have years of experience in the field of commercial negotiation across multiple sectors and around the globe. We have extensive experience in enhancing negotiation skills for leaders in the Retail, FMCG, Sport, Media, Technology, Professional Services and Pharmaceutical sectors, amongst others. Dominic Wilford, our international lead in Negotiation Consulting, will be delivering the keynote address to Partners on the benefits to our clients of honing the negotiation skills of their senior executives.
Organisations must be prepared to adapt and evolve as the world changes. Not only is there urgent action required on the climate crisis, a widespread reset of relationships between employers and employees, multiple and varied effects on economies from societal shifts, but also disruption to markets from heightened levels of conflict around the world. Such constant dislocation demands that we reflect on how we work, what we believe, and what matters most.
Business leaders need to equip themselves to address all of these complex factors and must be ready and able to negotiate successful outcomes. Friisberg can help.
Ovell Barbee is a highly accomplished, visionary Human Resources Executive who has been a client, a subject matter expert, and a friend of our firm for over 20 years.
He has a Masters of Human Resources from Michigan State University and has been recognized as a Top-50 HR Professional, Top-100 Chief Diversity Officer and Most Influential Minority.
We wanted to offer our congratulations on the successful publication of his first book, The Big House: A Human-Centered & Progressive Approach to DEI and Positive Workforce Engagement. It became a #1 Amazon bestseller of new releases.
When we asked Ovell about the impetus behind writing this book, he said, "Most companies invest money, time and energy in diversity equity and inclusion without creating and cultivating a human-centered environment.
"This How To book delivers essential advice to company leaders on how to stop the silence, have difficult conversations addressing race and diversity and learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable to achieve an environment where everyone can flourish."
We know that many companies fail when trying to create and cultivate an environment that truly embraces diversity and its benefits .
As of September 1, 2023, Friisberg & Partners International is also present in the Netherlands. With the opening of an office in Amsterdam, we are taking the next step in our international expansion.
Maarten van de Sande will lead our Dutch office. With almost 20 years of experience in recruitment, headhunting and executive search for both multinationals and local companies, his style of working is characterized by a high degree of involvement with both clients and candidates and an in-depth knowledge of the markets in which he operates. Maarten studied Finance & Business Administration at Nyenrode University, and followed several Master courses on HR and Strategy; he speaks four languages including Danish and German.
Maarten is trained as an accountant and started his career at KPMG in the general audit practice. Afterwards he had a number of management roles, including at the German Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, where he was Managing Director for two small Dutch entities for seven years. At that time he started his own recruitment agency, which he and a partner developed into a medium-sized player on the Dutch market.
After the sale of this agency at the end of 2019, Maarten shifted his focus towards specialist Headhunting and Executive Search assignments, mainly for medium-sized companies, often international and many of them family-owned. Together with his team of experienced researchers, Maarten guaranteed high quality service and the best solution. Joining Friisberg & Partners was therefore a logical step for Maarten to serve both his existing and new clients even better in their ambitions to attract the best local and international candidates.
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg & Partners International, gave a warm welcome to Maarten:
“It has been never easy to expand and find a new Partner in a new geographical location. Especially when it is a mature market, like The Netherlands. Friisberg is not only looking for a professional with proven track record in Executive Search or Management Consulting but also someone who is a great fit for the Friisberg family and shares our values from the very beginning. Maarten is very honest when describing his experience and ambition, and understands the business, which was clear after the very first talk we had - he never hesitates to ask questions showing his ability to be open and learn new things. Maarten has also a sparkling personality and a great sense of humour….and our common Danish background was just the icing on the cake! Welcome to Friisberg, dear Maarten!”
Maarten added:
“When I first met my new colleagues, during the conference in Budapest earlier this year, I became acquainted with the characteristic Friisberg culture: friendly, collaborative, entrepreneurial and ambitious. It fits like a glove!”
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.
Philip provides a breadth of insight and advice in Business Development.
With close to 30 years of experience with international board, C-level and leadership teams, Philip has worked with senior executives as a trusted voice coach and communications' advisor. He has advised national and global organizations of all sizes, including publicly listed corporations, family-owned businesses and the public sector.
As a Consultant with Duchenoy Immobilier and previously with Kretz Family Real Estate, he has worked for leading property companies and has extensive knowledge of Real Estate.
Bilingual in English and French (residing in France for 20 years), and with a working knowledge of Italian and German, he studied Law at Cambridge University, then Voice, Theatre and Opera at the Royal College of Music London.
Based in France, he has performed as soloist at venues such as Tokyo Opera, Kobe Opera, English National Opera, La Scala Milan, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris and Theâtre des Amandiers, Nanterre. He has been involved in the production of hundreds of commercial and film recordings, including two Oscar nominated movies.
Throughout his performing career, he has also been in great demand as singing teacher, voice coach and vocal consultant, helping professionals from the worlds of opera, theatre & film and also business professionals to develop communication, performing and public speaking skills. Individual clients have included management teams, lawyers and consultants from companies such as Freshfields, Latham & Watkins, Ernst & Young, Dassault, BNP Paribas, Euronext and OECD.
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg & Partners International, also extended his welcome, “We are delighted to welcome Philip to our London team and his immense and impressive experience will be a huge asset to Friisberg globally.".
Philip is thrilled to be joining Friisberg & Partners International in these exciting times and is looking forward to becoming part of our global team.
