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All too often we mistake confidence for competence. Whether in business or politics, there’s a tendency to select leaders on the basis of their confidence rather than their competence. When…

What will be important in 2022?   After a challenging but very successful 2021, we look forward to 2022 with confidence. Sure, the pandemic is not yet over, but we…

The Budapest Business Journal confirms us as Number One. For the second year in a row, our office in Budapest has once again been confirmed as the number one Executive…

Friisberg and Partners International has been voted one of the best Executive Recruitment Consultancies in Germany. This is the result of the current study by WirtschaftsWoche – with around one…

Will 2022 end the pandemic? The hope is that 2022 will end the nightmare of Covid and enable us all to re-start our social relationships that have been paused over…

Professionals now have a much lower threshold for leaving behind their employer. Due to remote working, many organisations have hired employees who are only tied to their working community by…

A new year has just begun. It always brings new plans and dreams that we hope to realize – whether they are personal or related to our professional lives. The…

We spoke with our team in Milan about Christmas traditions in Italy. There are Christmas traditions in Italy that are widespread practically everywhere in the country, such as the Christmas…

We spoke with Floriana, from our office in Romania, about her plans for the holidays.   Christmas holidays have always been a reason for joy, for children or adults, even…

We spoke with Andrea, one of the Partners from our office in Prague, to ask her how she spends the holidays. Unlike many other countries, our main Christmas celebration is…

We spoke with Gadea Zumarraga to ask about her holiday plans…   In Spain, we have some interesting holiday traditions! For example, it is customary to wear red underwear on…

Mary Keane and Lorri Lowe, two of our Partners, both grew up in Ireland. We spoke with them about their memories of Nollaig (Christmas).   Lorri grew up speaking Irish…

We spoke with Benedikte and Hild, from our office in Norway, as they prepare to celebrate Christmas. In Norway the Christmas season, Julebord, begins slowly on November 28th,  the first…

We spoke with our team in Germany to ask how they are planning to spend the holidays. St Nicholas Day, 6th December, is a favourite holiday with German children. On…

We spoke with our Chair, Zoltan Petho, about how he celebrates the holiday season in Hungary. Our main day of celebrating Christmas is the evening of the 24th that we…

We spoke with Laurence Pinget about Christmas in her home town of Strasbourg. In the Rhenish Tradition, Christmas is one of the loveliest times of the year The oldest Christmas…

We spoke with our Polish team about their holiday plans. On Christmas Eve in Poland, many families share oplatek (an unleavened religious wafer), each person breaking off a piece as…

Aureliana De Sanctis recently joined our team in Milan. We are delighted to welcome Aureliana to Friisberg & Partners International. Since 2012 Aureliana has worked as an International Luxury Goods…

We spoke with Neil Greco, one of our Partners in the U.S., to ask about his upcoming Thanksgiving holiday plans… I had the good fortune of attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving…

Climate Change is our Global Responsibility Last week, global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss action required to curtail climate change (COP26). Many have differing views on the effectiveness…

We spoke with Paulina Romaniszyn, General Manager at Stada Poland.   The role of medical consultants is evolving, and many organizations focus on and develop digital methods of reaching doctors…

We make gender balance our business – and we want to make it everyone else’s business too. 64% of our consultants are women. 60% of our Managing Partners are women.…

How do our new ways of working impact our business and culture? How will the working environment be in the future – and how will it influence the culture in…

Proactive diversity is necessary. Globalization and other major world events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall (consolidation of East and West Europe), wars in countries such as Iraq,…

The 115th Global Friisberg Conference took place in Milan last week. The Friisberg Conference usually takes place biannually allowing many of our Partners to gather under one roof. It is…

What does it take to be a top leader?   Top management positions, mainly in multinational companies, represent a goal for 83% of the employees within the age group of…

After two years of virtual meetings, the Friisberg team are meeting in Milan! Guglielmo Sallustio, from our office in Milan, is hosting our 115th Partner Conference this week. Accepting that…

Counter-offers are on the rise… As Search consultants, we know all too well the frustration and disappointment that comes in the form a great candidate, with whom our Client has…

Hvordan påvirker ”new ways of working” vores forretning og kultur? Hvordan bliver arbejdsmiljøet i fremtiden – og hvordan vil det påvirke kulturen i virksomhederne? I løbet af de sidste årtier har…

Angelika Kelch recently joined our team in Milan. Angelika Kelch has more than 20 years of experience in the field of Marketing, Sales and Worldwide Distribution when it comes to…

We are delighted to welcome Łukasz Dominiak to our office in Warsaw.   Łukasz has over 12 years of experience in recruiting for pharmaceutical industry most recently as a Talent…

“Intelligent decision-making entails knowing what tool to use for what problem.”  Gerd Gigerenzer   There is no such thing as the best decision-making strategy or approach that can be used…

In CEE, leaders tend to overestimate how well their company is doing in terms of gender issues.   With so many diversity and inclusion activities underway it is easy to…

Hild Kinder, Partner in our Oslo office, chairs the Stockman Committee for The Norwegian Society of Financial Analysts. Their purpose is: To contribute to public understanding of the function and…

September is a fresh start for Milan. After two years of absence in light of the pandemic, September 2021 represents a new beginning for the city: Design, which reopened its…

The pandemic has transformed the process of hiring top executives. Many companies are poorly served by their current hiring practices – especially when competition for top talent remains so keen.…

We are delighted to introduce Ioana Badea. Ioana has joined Friisberg & Partners, Romania as a Digital Technology Partner. With a background in Human Resources Management and an extensive experience…

The path to a ‘New Work’ For most employees, home office means having flexibility and freedom and many are reluctant to give these up. However, if studies by the Leibniz…

We are delighted to welcome Laurence Pinget to our offices in France. Laurence has joined Friisberg from Transearch International as a Senior Consultant and will be based in both Paris…

Jacob Gylling Mahler recently joined our team in Copenhagen.   Jacob is looking forward to being a part of the Friisberg family and working closely with colleagues and our clients…

Growing a family business from the outside The tiptoeing phase is over, and the time to start building is now. An avalanche of stimuli is about to be triggered in…

The phrase “Turnover Tsunami” is becoming slightly overused, but it is accurate – and there is no doubt it is happening. I was speaking with a CEO yesterday about why…

Over the last two years, the Covid crisis has elicited stark changes within multiple business areas and Executive Search is no exception. In my opinion, there have been two noticeable…

How important are sponsors in the careers of women? And are female managers committed supporters of women? In my conversations with female managers, I like to ask the women whether…

Jeff Bezos’ 2 pizza rule is a useful guideline for deciding how many attendees should be invited to a meeting.   In theory, meetings should be small enough so attendees…

We are delighted to welcome Leszek Porembski to our Warsaw office as a Senior Consultant. Leszek  joined Friisberg in July 2021 and focuses on Executive Search and HR executive advisory…

Friisberg will drive your diversity agenda. Before writing this article, I had one of those “Blah” days when I felt low and could not put my finger on why. For…

Meet our next global Chair, Zoltan Petho   Every four years, our senior partners elect one of their peers to serve as our global Chair. The role plays an important…

Friisberg & Partners are delighted to announce their inclusion in the UK Department for International Trade Investment Support Directory. The UK government recently updated the UK Department for International Trade…

A resignation is a strategic career move, so do it right!   Sooner or later most of us face a resignation. Resigning is never easy, especially when you’ve worked at…

Interview with Cristina Mancas, VP HR SEE at Schneider Electric Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centres, Infrastructure, and Industries.…

Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence? At the moment it certainly seems to be! In 25 years our UK Partners have not seen it…

In our line of work, we are privileged to work with brilliant leaders. We aim to get to know you by understanding your leadership style together the philosophy and culture…

The Polish Executive Search Firm, Rudzinska Serwinska Consulting (“RSC”) has been a Partner Firm of Friisberg since 2016.  We are delighted to announce that from today RSC has will be…

Guglielmo Sallustio, who leads our office in Milan, announced today that Apis has now officially rebranded as Friisberg & Partners International, Italy in recognition of its growing traction in both…

We are delighted to welcome Yvonne Erlandsson to our Stockholm office as a Senior Consultant. Yvonne has a truly global background from her career as a Talent Acquisition leader from…

German coalition clears the way for women’s quota and family time off for board members.   In the future, board members with four or more members will have to have…

How do you maintain culture, loyalty, and relationships when communication takes place primarily at a distance and via online meetings – and often with fluctuating technical quality? Several of our…

The most effective way to grow is to hire diverse executive talent. Is it better to hire someone who’s a good match for your culture, or someone who can make…

We spoke with Agata Jach, Group HR Director, who joined InPost in March 2021. InPost is the largest logistics company in Poland operating in the e-commerce industry, offering courier services…

Why would any business engage an Executive Search firm? Surely there is plenty of information just waiting to be looked up on the internet? Finding the ideal person for a…

The advantages For some time now, environmental sustainability has been one of the most important issues globally involving governments, businesses and consumers. Consumers have never been so aware of the…

Perhaps I should say it quietly, but things are starting to look much better for the UK economy. Many larger companies are holding up well anyway, but more upbeat news…

We spoke with Nevena Nikolova, from our office in Bulgaria, to hear her Friisberg story. You have been a Partner in Friisberg since 2009. What was the career path you took…

Can a career while juggling a family ever be ‘strategically’ planned?   In my conversations with successful women, I always ask to what extent they have strategically planned their careers…

A Pineapple? It is what first came to mind, probably because the sun is shining and I am hoping for summer. There is probably an extended metaphor in there somewhere…

When you think about sustainability, you don’t think of the financial sector first. This is a mistake. Meltem Ay spoke with  Reinhard Pfingsten, CIO Bethmann Bank & Global Head Asset…

The big ‘WHY?’   Why do you want to change your job? Many candidates primarily consider what they know against the job description. Having the right expertise is an important…

We spoke with Dorota Serwińska and Anna Rudzinska, our Partners in Poland, to hear their Friisberg story.   You have both been Partners in Friisberg for a few years. What…

We spoke with Nijole Kelpsaite, Managing Partner, Lithuania, to hear her Friisberg story. You have been a Partner in Friisberg since 1994. What was the career path you took to…

We sat down with Magda Porizkova Magda works with companies across various industries, guiding them through transformation and change, to build a culture of innovation and creativity. What are the…

We met with Tanya Kosseva-Boshova, Managing Partner of Park Lane Developments, part of AG Capital. Tanya is also the Chair of the Association of Commercial Building Owners in Bulgaria, a…

The Seven Principles of Public Life. For over 25 years the Nolan Report has provided the underlying ethical basis for public life in the United Kingdom. In theory it is…

We asked more than 500 senior executives what they were most looking forward to when they return to the office, a staggering 28% of them said “Nothing.” Many said that…

Reputation and its importance to company branding   Steve Jobs said that it doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. You should hire…

After a year that has shocked the whole world, we have become aware of how vulnerable we are and it is time for analysis and introspection. The rules of the…

We spoke with some of our researchers who are vital to the success of each and every Search process we undertake at Friisberg. Here’s a few insights from Delyan Grozdev,…

Leadership challenges in a VUCA world   VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity – an acronym used in 1987 to describe the unpredictability after end of the Cold War and…

We caught up with Lorri Lowe, one of our Partners in the UK, over an espresso and asked her how companies can secure diverse talent in the post-pandemic workplace? Progressive…

Over a quick espresso, we asked  Zoltan Petho for his views on effective international business development.   You have been responsible for international business development for years. What do you…

Contrarian Director   With such economic volatility and uncertainty currently, oversight by boards is more important now than ever. A balanced view is critical to the success of a company,…

The constant struggle to find the balance between ‘the talk’ and ‘the walk’. There is often a discrepancy between initial outspoken enthusiastic support for an idea, ‘the talk’ compared with…

Deutschland hinkt in puncto Geschlechtervielfalt anderen europäischen Ländern hinterher. Was meinen Sie, wo liegt unser Problem? Ich glaube, das hat auch viel mit unserer Sozialisierung zu tun. In den 70iger…

Changes in CFO role The future is anything but predictable and having a strong finance leader is crucial for any organisation as the CFO most directly contributes to a company’s…

A (virtual) Lunch with Peter Strandberg. Peter has been President of Friisberg since 2012.   What was the path you took to get to where you are today?  I took…

Norwegian requirement for 40% female directors has yielded better boards Norway currently tops the European statistics for gender-balanced corporate governance, with France and the UK in second and third places.…

What advice can you offer to women starting their careers? We asked two of our female Partners, both very successful management consultants…   Susanne’s answer I have two pieces of…

The Digital Revolution: Many companies are in a process of epochal change. The Italian Experience…   Digital transformation is now a strategic priority for companies in all sectors and the…

How did institutional funds selling change in 2020? What personalities will be in the highest demand in 2021?   The efforts made by the management companies and by the Buy…

What does a digital leader do in the 21st century? An interview with Antti Kleemola, CDO at the Finnish Rail Company, VR Group. Digitalization has transformed the business world, depending…

Number of women on FTSE boards up by 50 per cent in just five years Today, the fifth and final report from the Hampton-Alexander Review was published. The Hampton-Alexander Review…

Jørgen Friisberg, our founder, talks with Lorri Lowe about his career and the foundations upon which Friisberg was built.   Why did you decide to start Friisberg in 1977? To…

As diversity gradually increases in many boardrooms (still too slowly, in my opinion) we are seeing more women take on the role of: Chairman… or should that be Chairwoman… or…

What do women need to make it to the top? Many résumés for women in top positions read like a handbook to business success. They didn’t need a quota, the…

Forging inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and achievements are celebrated   “We need more women in leadership”   The world needs more women leaders – whether that is…

Impact and Recovery The French Market – Out of 2020 & Into 2021.   2020: A  Year of Contrasts The French job market was heavily impacted by Covid-19 in 2020.…

Onboarding Top Management, in a virtual world An interview with Anders Blom Monberg, Country Manager for Protector Insurance Denmark.   Working from home can be a challenge, even when you…

Friisberg & Partners International welcomes Susanna Hübner as their new Executive Search Lead Consultant in Berlin. She has several years of professional experience as an Executive in Financial Markets and…

Thorsten Marquardt has joined Friisberg & Partners International in Germany. Thorsten has extensive knowledge of the international energy industry from more than 20 years in various management and executive functions…

A successful recruitment process enables growth – even in the middle of a prolonged crisis The arrival of COVID-19 in Finland transformed the economy and working life, to say the…

CURRENT TALENT  TRENDS IN SOUTH AFRICA Despite the impact of Covid-19, and a slowing economy, executive search activities are still brisk in South Africa.   Friisberg South Africa has observed:…

EPD Over the last five years we have further developed our Evidence-based Personnel Diagnostics (EPD) capabilities. EPD is based on the latest and long-standing scientific findings in brain research, psychology…

Our Global Financial Services Practice Group held its first – online – meeting of 2021 yesterday with our Partners from USA, UK, Spain, Lithuania, Germany, Hungary, Denmark, Norway, Ireland, Romania and…

WORKING WITH RECRUITERS Richard Lipstein Partner, USA   While the majority of jobs are found directly through networking, developing and maintaining relationships with executive search firms and recruiters remains an…

The challenges of working from home… and how to overcome them!   Throughout the past year our work environment changed dramatically and work from home (WFH), or a home office,…

Friisberg’s Nordic News Picked Up by Global Media Hunt Scanlon Media “Leadership Intelligence” (huntscanlcon.com), one of the most respected publications covering Executive Search markets Globally has run a Page1 article…

“…ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power” – an abused phrase in recent days.   The Trump-Biden transition traumas will be the subject of many a student essay…

The old year has gone… a New Year has arrived.   Little did we know a year ago what the year 2020 would bring, but all too soon we learned……

Friisberg & Partners International is delighted to announce three significant additions to its Partnership in Oslo and Stockholm, further strengthening its already market-leading presence with seven offices in the Nordic…

Cats or dogs? Definitely dogs. I rescue animals so I have a menagerie with 4 horses, 3 big dogs and 2 cats. Dogs are the best pals to have on…

Cats or dogs? Well my kids would have it otherwise but no cats or dogs (at the moment anyway). You see, they make the summer boating habit more challenging… Tea…

Friisberg & Partners International are delighted to annouce its newest member of the Swedish team. Michael Rooslien has over 20 years of Executive Search experience and specialises in C-level and…

Meltem Ay joins Friisberg & Partners International with over thirteen years of experience in various fields of Executive Search. In recent years she has been primarily focused on Financial Services.…

Market analysis by the highly-respected publication Budapest Business Journal names Friisberg & Partners International as the Number One Executive Search firm in Hungary. Árpád Németh, Friisberg’s Managing Partner in Budapest…

Susanne Becker Mikkelsen – Denmark Looking back at 2020, Covid has impacted Friisberg & Partners International Denmark in ways we did not expect. First we saw several assignments being postponed,…

Nevena Nikolova, the Managing Partner of Friisberg & Partners Bulgaria, has been invited to be a Moderator for AGILE HR  – a virtual conference of the Bulgarian Association for People…

CEOs face new and very specific challenges in supporting their organisations through, and then managing the lasting implications of, this current crisis. According to recent work by Gartner, sixty-nine percent…

Christmas is inching ever closer, although we know that this year Christmas and New Year celebrations will not be the same due to the impact of Covid-19. It is during…

Friisberg Network Advisory | FNA study finds COVID-19 is changing our networking habits. Based on recent client consultations on Organizational Development, conducted by our team of experts, including Zoltan Kadar Friisberg…

Atila Yenisen, CEO of Metro Bulgaria. Reducing gender inequalities is one of the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to transform our world and the topic about the role of…

Doing the right thing is seldom easy, but doing the right thing is always the right thing. Political and business leaders face hard decisions and sometimes they will get it…

It can be difficult to maintain, grow, and develop company culture when most of us are working from home – and will probably be doing so for months to come.…

Gartner has identified 5 actions for CHROs in its recent publication “How to Build a Resilient and Responsive Organization”: Take a dynamic approach to reskilling Find talent that generates business…

“Women in the Workplace 2020” is a must-read report from McKinsey & Company. In summary: More than one in four women are contemplating what many would have considered unthinkable just…

Andrea Falleni CEO of Capgemini Italy Talks with: Guglielmo Sallustio, Partner, Friisberg & Partners Italy   “Imagination is the Key”   The risks and opportunities during this phase of radical…

Yellow Eve, a newly-launched magazine for equality-driven career women, featured an article by Friisberg Partner, Lorri Lowe.   ARTICLE    

“Diversity is the result, but inclusion is the action.” Over the past 14 years, the Global Gender Gap Index included in The World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2020…

I am very proud to announce that Friisberg & Partners International has upgraded its website. We have made friisberg.com much faster, easier to navigate, more welcoming and visually vibrant. It…

Well, we had an interesting summer from a business perspective in Hungary. Many of our assignments were stopped, or put on hold and obviously not much new business landed on…

Over the past six months Friisberg & Partners International has interviewed many candidates remotely. With coronavirus infections rising again, working from home looks likely to continue for a while longer…

Friisberg Denmark recently hosted the “Gå-Hjem Møde” at its offices in Copenhagen, in cooperation with Dreams & Details Academy, on the new requirements for boards. Together, we offered interesting insights,…

By Silvano Joly, Sales Country Manager, Centric Software Italia. What do you think could be the combination of success and good functioning of an organization? When one accepts a job…

The Survey “Friisberg Insights – CTO on SPOT” is part of regular in-depth exploration of different C-level roles aiming to identify respective key trends and findings. The Survey represents a…

What are the priorities for business leaders as lockdowns start to lift? Neil Greco Partner Friisberg & Partners US As businesses look to ‘re-open’, there will be no exceptions to…

What have business leaders done to reassure and support their workforce through the Coronavirus crisis? Karen Del Prete, Partner Friisberg & Partners US In the US we have a mandatory…

Sergio Scornavacca, Director Industrial Markets & Northern Italy Lead, Indra Italia Talks with: Guglielmo Sallustio, Partner, Friisberg & Partners Italy   Since the Covid-19 Crisis began, what steps have you…

Burcin Ressamoglu CEO of Sodexo Employee & Consumer Engagement Talks with: Lorri Lowe, Partner, Friisberg & Partners UK   Employee Engagement is now more important than ever. What changes have…

Göran Björkman, CEO Sandvik Materials Technology & Chair Swedish Association of  Industrial Employers Talks with: Peter Strandberg, Partner, Friisberg & Partners Sweden & President Friisberg & Partners International   Since…

Stefano De Capitani, CEO Municipia SpA Talks with: Guglielmo Sallustio, Partner, Friisberg & Partners Italy   Since the Covid-19 Crisis began, what steps have you taken? Our company is part…

Everyone at Friisberg joins in congratulating our German Partners on their latest in a string of awards. GetAhead Executive Search would like to thank all their clients for the positive…