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Do we need laws to tear down the “Glass Ceilings”? A few days ago, on November 25, ‘World day for Violence against Women’, all the media and social networks reported…

The new leadership skill CSR commitment has become an essential pillar of corporate strategy. It involves obtaining a CSR label and the support of all the company’s employees. Why integrate…

Friisberg & Partners International believes Ukraine should remain an independent sovereign nation, and we wanted to offer more than just words in support of the people of Ukraine at this…

Anna Rudzinska from our office in Warsaw spoke with MICHAŁ FIJOŁ, Chief Commercial Officer and Board Member at LOT Polish National Airlines about how to introduce digital transformation and manage…

Does a shorter working week equal being more productive and happier?  Many talk about it, some countries have tested it, some governments have encouraged it and more and more companies…

Our 117th Partner Conference was held in Copenhagen. 64% of our consultants are women. 60% of our Managing Partners are women. 75% of our Executive are women. Our own Diversity…

Successful Transformation in a VUCA World Anyone who looks back wistfully and wishes everything was the way it used to be is unsuitable as a leader. When we fill leadership…

Friisberg’s Autumn 2022 117th International Conference This week our October conference is being held in Copenhagen and our Danish colleagues are looking forward to welcoming us to their beautiful city.…

Leadership communication is one of the most important factors influencing business success.   ‘Effective communication’ is not just a buzz phrase, it is one of the most important leadership traits and has a…

Skills for leadership success Executive hiring has been quite intense in the Bulgarian market over the past few months. Many companies, across different sectors, who wanted to attract best in…

The World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment is the world’s oldest and foremost global event dedicated to cross border investment. With 350 delegates from 50 countries meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland…

In addition to mapping the personal, managerial and professional characteristics of candidates throughout the Search process, we can often be asked: Is Leadership Innate or Learned? Recent scientific studies suggest…

Today’s businesses require bold, visionary leadership. On April 28-30th in Madrid, Partners convened for Friisberg’s 116th Global Conference. This conference had a particular focus on  “Energy and Infrastructure” which involved…

The essential competencies within Boards and their value creation If you decide to recruit Board members on your own instead of turning to a professional executive firm, it will result…

The Challenge of Talent Retention The talent pool in some markets is highly competitive, with candidates receiving multiple offers simultaneously. This is, in part, related to the “Great Resignation”, where…

It seems there is a dangerous cocktail of lying and leadership. Once upon a time there was great pride in telling the truth, but a reality of our current political climate…

We spoke with Marcin Majchrzak, General Manager Haier Group Poland, Baltics & Ukraine. Congratulations on your promotion, please tell us how the company’s business in Poland has been so far…

Nijolė Kelpšaitė, from our office in Vilnius, shares her experience in recruiting CEOs for family-owned businesses. She lists three key insights every business owner should remember when starting a Search:…

Our 116th Spring 2022 international conference: 28th – 30th April. As ever, our conference will feature a rich programme of keynotes, presentations, workshops and panel discussions which will provide critical…

Crises: a time of intense difficulty or danger In times of change much is on the shoulders of leaders. They have to decide with speed and accuracy, adapt boldly, deliver…

More than two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world is slowly, but surely, emerging from its many debilitating impacts. Business organizations are now coming to terms on how…

Talent in the Green Energy Sector The energy transition was born in Germany in the 1980s and is now well known with the word “Energiewende”. It has now become a…

No digital technology can replace managers in driving change or introducing simplification. The digitization of unnecessarily complicated processes / misunderstanding automation with transformation, introduces the risk of radicalising obsolete practices,…

Zoltán Pethõ was one of the key speakers at the recently launched onlyCEO Breakfasts in Budapest. Members are given the opportunity to share an important moment or dilemma in their…

Diversity & Inclusion is at the core of who we are, what we value and how we operate. This International Women’s Day we would like to celebrate the talented and…

We are delighted to welcome Sabine Pirkner leading our new office in Vienna.  With close to 20 years of experience in international board, C-level and leadership team assessment and development,…

An alternative to Reality is the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a virtual world, one to which we will connect using a range of devices to make us think that we…

Integration in a selection process: It represents a practical assignment where differences in experience and personality emerge clearly. The case also provides an objectivised basis for comparing and ranking candidate…

Contingency vs. Retained Recruitment Which is Better? In nearly every conversation we’ve had recently with executives across industries, we keep hearing that great people are harder to find and it’s…

Valentine’s Day is now a major shopping holiday. In the US, retailers will reap $20 billion in sales by the time the holiday is over and in the UK £1.37…

Friisberg & Partners International opens a new office in Romania Since 2016, Friisberg & Partners International has been represented by Qualia Executive Search in Romania, a well-known executive search company…

All leadership deserves development Having strong and quality leadership has proved to be a major asset in recent turbulent times. It is not a secret that companies who invest in…

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…

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…

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…

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…