On September 26^th, this interesting round-table conference organized by the Alumni Association of IE Business School took place with first-class international speakers. The event was organized by the alumni Luis Truchado, EuroGalenus Executive Search (AIMS International Spain), and Ignacio Tuduri, BUM at Abbvie. Ángel Fernández, President MSD-Spain explained that competition to identify new molecules for incurable diseases has increased substantially and reduced the return on investment which is currently negative. The key now is to improve access to market. In his opinion, the future global market lies in emerging markets, while Europe is falling behind. MSD has always been strong on R&D resulting in 17% of sales, a relevant percentage among the companies of the same sector, and even more if compared to other sectors. ‘We must try to be first in class or best in class’. ‘At MSD we focus on innovation, where patient comes first’, Angel Fernández stated. Next, Luigi Antoniazzi, General Manager BAXTER-Spain, offered data about the evolution of business models and structures over time. Baxter is a well-diversified company, with relevant presence in the areas of haemophilia, dialysis, parenteral nutrition, fluid therapy, biosurgery and vaccines. Half of the products researched and developed do not match economic expectations. ‘Besides the innovation, we invest in added-value services to offer personalized services that improve patients’ quality of life and that ease the transfer from hospital to home care’, he added. Finally, Ricardo Brage, VP Sanofi Pasteur MSD-Spain, a joint-venture since 1994. Both mother companies are devoted to R&D and manufacturing, so their portfolio is vast, covering 20 diseases with 25 vaccines and protecting 390 million people in Europe only. Production cycles for vaccines are very long: from tender until supply, timelines are very tight. Ricardo underlined ‘the success of vaccines for diseases such as smallpox, polio or measles’, and commented that ‘in Spain the public market has decreased almost by half’. During this participative round-table conference, questions were about the limitations of public financing, cutbacks and lack of sensitivity to industrial investment and R&D in the sector. Afterwards, guests were served a light cocktail, courtesy of AIMS-Spain Executive Search, as a chance for talking in a more casual way and for in-person networking.

Vienna/ Beirut- August 27th, 2013 – Effective August 20th, 2013 the Head hunting & Executive search firm IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants signed with AIMS International, one of the Top 10 Global Executive search firms worldwide.

AIMS International is proud to present the new Partner as a growth oriented Executive Search Firm, which signs responsible for Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants will register as AIMS International-Lebanon within the next 12 months and wants to deliver its services successfully to international companies in Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as they have done it before for companies like Ericsson, Huawai, LÓreal, MSD, Nestlé, PepsiCo, PMI Philip Morris or Red Bull and different small and medium-sized, family owned European companies in the three markets.

IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants delivers two main preconditions for a partnership with AIMS International. They are a well respected leader in their local market and they focus on retained executive search and HR consulting. Furthermore , the company has an international vision for its business. This combination guarantees a perfect fit for the rest of the AIMS International Partners.

“IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants will immediately start the onboarding process of adapting to the processes of the international organization. This training is to be completed in the next few weeks”, says AIMS International President Rolf Heeb.

About Mr Hassan Sakr, Managing Director of AIMS International Lebanon:

, holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA), Human Resources Management and Services, of the Newport University. He presents IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants as follows:

IRC – International Recruiters and Consultants (AIMS International-Lebanon) is a Recruitment & Consultancy firm which works to transform strategy into reality. We develop talent, help people to be more effective, and motivate them to perform at their best. Established in Beirut in 2000, IRC has served many companies including local, multinational and international, on outsourcing /outplacement basis. We partner with companies to help fulfill their manpower requirements by clearly understanding their organizational culture and the finer nuances of their business. This in-depth knowledge about the client and the project along with our meticulous short-listing and pre-selection process by qualified in-house consultants ensures selection of top quality candidates that strictly conform to the ‘job specification’ and complement the culture of the organization.

Mr Hassan Sakr about the Management Team of AIMS International Lebanon:

We have highly qualified and experienced consultants who have a reflective knowledge of the industries we work with and approach clients from a business consultancy standpoint, studying all aspects of the clients business and organizational culture. Our consultants manage all the sourcing, interviewing and short-listing of suitable personnel that meet client specifications.

Services which are offered by AIMS International-Lebanon

• Executive Search
• Outsourcing & Payroll Services
• Consulting Services
• Career Counseling
• Corporate Training

Armando Cavero, Managing Partner – AIMS International Executive Search Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia has started in April 2013 to present his new column.

The intention of this column is to interview a newly appointed CEO or high profile “C” position, from the line of sight of an Executive Search Consultant and share with the readers insights of the person, his/her style and among other things, the reasons for him/her to get a new job. The column is called “RECIÉN CAZADO”, which means in English to the point “Just Hunted”.

The forth interview was led with Rizal Bragagnini, the CEO of Quimica Suiza

About Rizal Bragagnini:

Current position: CEO, Quimica Suiza (Quicorp)

Previous Position: CEO, San Fernando

Age: 48 years

Marital status: Married, two children

Hobby / Sport: Numismatics. Basketball. Reading novels, business books and books about personal improvement

Education: Catholic University of Peru, Industrial Engineer

Interview:

Rizal Bragagnini: “I see the organigram reversed: the CEO is at the service of the others”

Does your appointment as CEO of Quimica Suiza mark continuity or a change based on your educational background and experience?

It is rather a summary of everything I’ve done so far. Quimica Suiza covers a wide spectrum in the health sector, mass consumption, serves the industrial market and is developing in retail. I see the opportunity to do this all in Quicorp.

And what does “do everything” mean for a CEO, especially for your direct reports and the organization as a whole?

I think the CEO is at the service of the others and not vice versa, I see the organization inverted. The CEO must be at the base and work for his team which finally enables the client, which is who pays our salaries, to be completely satisfied.

So what do you think what would the people respond who have worked with you if I asked them how you are and what did Rizal Bragagnini expect from you when he managed you?

They would say that I let them the freedom to work, I gave them the support they needed to succeed and I worked for them and with them. In return I waited and I always await commitment, loyalty and passion.

Do you have a recipe, a basic principle that you apply in your day-by-day management?

The three basic ingredients in my recipe are:
Strategy, people and operations.
I have to understand the business, have to know where we are going in the short, medium and long term; where we play and how we will win. As for talent, an adequate organizational structure is key, and in operations, we strive for excellence with the best processes, tools and controls.

Do you forgive mistakes? What do you not tolerate?

Yes, but always ask to “fail fast and cheap” and then learn. What I cannot stand is the lie.

You have been trained in a large corporation like Procter & Gamble and then worked in family businesses. This should have taught you new things. What do you especially remember?

I learned that in family businesses culture forces us to be more flexible because entrepreneurship is much appreciated typically at the beginning. We must be near the shareholders to understand the essence of the company and must take care of the “how” as much as the “what”.

In your previous experience, do you remember anything that surprised you, or was there any
operational or management factor that was not on your horizon?

I remember the incredible thrust of the Peruvian women at Unique, expressed among the direct sales directors. I bear witness of that great effort which was something really amazing, something that surprised me pleasantly.

Do you admire someone special, a mentor to inspire you in your role as CEO?

Two. Steve Jobs was an inspiration for his vision of the future, saying that “the best way to predict the future is to create it”.
As a manager, I admire Phil Jackson, the former coach of the L.A. Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, for its ability to handle geniuses and letting them grow, but in a structured way, within a strategy created by him, the “triangle offense”. That is a concept that has allowed me to surround myself with people who are smarter than me and serve them to achieve the expected results.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Corporate Communications

Christian Schulte +49 178 2854744

About AIMS International (www.aims-international.net)

Incorporated in Vienna, Austria in 1992, AIMS International is an international executive search organization of independently owned and managed executive search firms who work collaboratively to execute executive search assignment for global clients around the world. AIMS International is represented by over 350 consultants in more than 90 offices in over 50 countries throughout all continents. It was ranked the largest executive search partnership in the world by Search-Consult Magazine.

For more information, please visit www.aims-international.net.

For more than 50 years The Australian Financial Review has been the authority on business, finance and investment news in Australia. It has a reputation for independent, award-winning journalism and is essential reading for Australia’s business and investor community.

Its audience demands a newspaper that adapts to their changing needs.  The Australian Financial Review meets these needs every day through innovative features and sections. Find the full article here: A hidden pool of executives in unemployment in Australia

Carlos F. Ordás, founder of Stemper in 1979 and a reference in the executive selection arena for the last 30 years, stated, ‘Ever since we started, we’ve followed the guideline that rigour and top professionalism are key when rendering services which imply a high added value, such as executive recruitment’. For this 30+ year period, Stemper has continuously evolved to get adapted to the changing environment of its clients, succeeding in more than 4,500 search processes and helping more than 900 clients.

Alejandro González is a partner at Stemper since 2006, after having worked for over 20 years at PA International and Tea Cegos. He has succeeded in searching a vast amount of executives and highly qualified professionals. Alejandro has underlined that ‘our alliance will make our clients available the services of an experienced team in a wider scope of sectors, with a real global reach.

Similarly, Luis Truchado, founder of EuroGalenus Executive Search in 1992 and a doyen of the headhunters specialized in Health and Science was very excited because ‘the merging of our companies does not overlap our activities, but strengthen them, and will allow a wider range for Spanish corporations working abroad’. Luis is also an active member of the Association of Executive Search Consultants AESC, where a previous audit of methods is required in order to be admitted. In Spain there are 18 members.

AIMS International was founded in 1993 by a group of partners, including Carlos F. Ordás, and it has grown to a dimension of more than 90 offices in +50 countries, resulting in one of the executive search organizations with a large coverage in all continents. Generalist by nature, it has developed an ambitious program of preferred supplier agreements for corporate clients in the practice groups of Automotive, Industry, FMCG, Health, Energy, IT and Financial.

With this merger, AIMS-Spain acquires an accumulated experience of more than 50 years, and enriches its human capital aiming to offer a better and more complete service to clients. Both founders claimed that ‘the enthusiasm we’ve applied to this process encourages us to continue working with the same dedication and professional quality as we always deliver to our clients and also our candidates.

If you are interested in the original article in Spanish follow one of these links:

Europapress.com
Expansion.com
Teinteresa.es
Finance.Yahoo
Lavozibre.com
Labolsa.com
Finanzas.com
Rrhhpress.com

Corporate Communications

Christian Schulte +49 178 2854744

About AIMS International

Incorporated in Vienna, Austria in 1992, AIMS International is an international executive search organization of independently owned and managed executive search firms who work collaboratively to execute executive search assignment for global clients around the world. AIMS International is represented by over 350 consultants in more than 90 offices in over 50 countries throughout all continents. It was ranked the largest executive search partnership in the world by Search-Consult Magazine.

About EuroGalenus

EuroGalenus is an international executive search company with over 20 years’ experience in the successful search and selection of directors, board members, senior managers for large corporations, start-ups, family-owned companies, in cases of succession, turnaround, etc. Member of AESC since 1994.

About Stemper

Stemper was founded in 1979 as a consulting firm focused on executive search and selection and human potential assessment. When the company cofounded AIMS International, it became internationalized and gained the global reach needed by clients together with its deep knowledge of the local market.

For more information, please visit www.aims-international.net.

Armando Cavero, Managing Partner – AIMS International Executive Search Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia has started in April 2013 to present his new column.

The intention of this column is to interview a newly appointed CEO or high profile “C” position, from the line of sight of an Executive Search Consultant and share with the readers insights of the person, his/her style and among other things, the reasons for him/her to get a new job. The column is called “RECIÉN CAZADO”, which means in English to the point “Just Hunted”.

The third interview was led with Mariano Álvarez de la Torre, the General Manager of AFP Habitat

About Mariano Álvarez de la Torre:

Current Position: General Manager AFP Habitat
Previous Position: CFO Ripley Perú
Education: National University of Engineering, Industrial Engineer; Boston University, Master in Economics
Personal Data: Age 50, married, two sons
Hobbies: Cycling and jogging, reading political novels and Peruvian authors

Interview:

Mariano Álvarez de la Torre: “It´s more fun when you become a coach”

Reviewing your resume, appears to have some continuity but if you look in detail, there are changes that I describe also radical. Do you agree?

I think so. My career has what I would call three points of inflection. Along general lines, I went to see the macro economy in the
BCR at the private investment of the AFP, from there I went to be CFO in Ripley and from there to the general management of Habitat, which together mark three major decisive changes.

What did it mean for your career to be almost nine years with the BCR?

It is in difficult times when you learn most, and as an economist, I think in few places you could learn as much as
I could in the BCR of the eighties and nineties. I remember especially having participated in the reform of the private pension system (SPP), that was developed when I was in Economic Studies at BCR. I believed in the reform then as now, I quit and went to the supervisory body at the AFP. Without doubts, the best reform which has been done in Peru has been the reform of the SPP.

Why do you precisely think that this was the best reform in Peru?

Because it’s good for the person to improve the quality of their retirement, for the state because it prevents future expenses and because it generates a giant investment resource, good for the economy in general. It is a virtuous circle from wherever you examine it.

This is your first position as general manager. What’s new and unique about it?

First, the ability to monitor and create multi-functional work teams. I appreciate this difference becauseI think the most entertaining part of the game is when one becomes coach. On the other hand, for the first time I am involved in the commercial and the operative ss the head and thus responsible person and I think I will develop new professional skills.
I am also very happy with the challenge which carries the start of operations, which the Peruvian team is going to comply fully. We are starting operations in the date: June 1, 2013.

How was the transition from Ripley to AFP Habitat?

Formally it was very smooth. I had a great support from Ripley , which I appreciate and for which I am grateful, while there was a great understanding of AFP Habitat to wait and let me leave things in order. Practically, it is a very important challenge for me, that I love and which motivates me greatly.

How is your day by day?

I order, I measure results, delegate and I communicate. I think if my colleagues are happy, my clients will be as well, and my shareholders will be happy, too. I am very punctual and I expect the same from others.

At this season of struggle for talent, how do you tie your staff?

I long to be clear in communicating the business focus to enlight the passion in each employee of AFP Habitat for our goals and maintain as our guides of our daily life honesty and team work. I hold especially the opinion that open and permanent communication is a decisive factor to maintain the interest of each part of the company to achieve success for all.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

Corporate Communications

Christian Schulte +49 178 2854744

About AIMS International (www.aims-international.net)

Incorporated in Vienna, Austria in 1992, AIMS International is an international executive search organization of independently owned and managed executive search firms who work collaboratively to execute executive search assignment for global clients around the world. AIMS International is represented by over 350 consultants in more than 90 offices in over 50 countries throughout all continents. It was ranked the largest executive search partnership in the world by Search-Consult Magazine.

For more information, please visit www.aims-international.net.

Vienna, Sydney – July 5th, 2013, the AIMS International Partners in the Asia Pacific Region have elected Kevin Wallis, AIMS International Executive Search Australia , as Executive VP APAC. He is joining John Poracky and Judit Simonyi as EVP in the Regional Boards. Kevin has over 18 years experience in Executive Search and Talent Development across the APAC region. On joining the Board of AIMS International Kevin commented that “the APAC region represented a significant growth opportunity for AIMS International and there is an immediate focus to select several new Partners in emerging markets where AIMS International has not had a presence”. Currently in the APAC region AIMS International has well established Partners in Japan, Korea, India and Australia. After completing a Business Management Degree in New Zealand Kevin Wallis worked for 13 years in consumer goods and consumer durables – in Sales Marketing & General Manager positions. Kevin Wallis has been an Executive Search & People Consultant since August 1994. In 1997 he completed an MBA at the University of New South Wales. After 10 years with the Swedish based global practice Mercuri Urval he established Mode HR an Executive Search & People Consulting practice working across Australia and New Zealand. He founded AIMS International Executive Search Australia and New Zealand in 2010. AIMS International has been active in Australia since 1998. Over the past 19 years Kevin has worked with a wide range of public and private business entities providing HR related services in the areas of leadership & development, executive search, recruitment and selection, company and & sales team analysis, performance profiling and general HR management. Kevin truly enjoys business – he enjoys seeing business grow, people grow and develop and organizations change in today’s fast paced and demanding world. Kevin is currently the lead Consultant in projects within retail, industrial/trade, media and building products sectors. Over the last 12 years Kevin has worked with a wide variety of FMCG, Luxury Goods, Apparel and Consumer Durable Business’s. Thus he became GLOBAL Practice Team Leader – FMCG/ Retail/ Luxury Goods at AIMS International. He has completed search assignments for all business leader positions and has personally provided Executive Coaching / Talent Development Programs for senior to middle management executives. Also he has recent experience in healthcare/medical, sports apparel, water management and energy. The attraction, retention and development of people is a competitive advantage most companies aspire to. This area of business is of particular interest to Kevin. Kevin is currently a Director of Access Programs Australia and a former Rear Commodore of the Middle Harbour Yacht Club. Find hereafter information about the complete AIMS International Board.

Rolf Heeb

President AIMS International – Germany GmbH, Germany  

Rolf has completed his studies in Business Administration (Dipl.-Betriebswirt). He had been working 2 years with a leading German Audit and Management Consulting Company as Junior Management Consultant (Kontinentale Treuhand-Gesellschaft GmbH, Dusseldorf), 6 years with a leading international Audit and Management Consulting Company as Manager (Arthur Andersen & Co., Düsseldorf and Chicago) and 4 years with a leading German Management Consulting and Headhunting Company as Managing Director (Baumgartner+Partner GmbH, Sindelfingen). Contact / More »

John Poracky

Vice-President Executive VP Americas Member of the Executive Board AIMS International US-Midwest, USA  

John, Vice President of AIMS International and President of AIMS International-US-MIDWEST, has been working as an Executive Search Partner and Consultant for 23 years. He joined AIMS International back in 1999 and became a board member in 2004.

In 2007 he was elected as the Vice President of AIMS International. Poracky is the Head of AIMS International’s Global Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Life Science Practice Team. Poracky entered the search profession after acquiring extensive financial services, operational and IT experience. He has also introduced AIMS International services to global companies, ultimately securing global Preferred Supplier Agreements.Contact / More »

Bernardo Entschev

VP Americas Member of the Executive Board AIMS International Brazil, Brazil  

Bernardo, VP of AIMS International and VP of AIMS International Brazil. He became a board member in 2012.

Bernardo has started his career in the health area, conducting the administration of his private surgery clinic. He has also acted as a science researcher for ACHE (ACHEFLAN) and worked as an auditor within large Health Care and Insurance companies, such as AMIL and UNIMED. During his acting as an HR consultant, he has specifyied himself in the attendance of companies in the Automotive business, such as Harley Davidson, Mercedes-Benz,Volvo, Bosch and Nissan. This acting has allowed to get to know the peculiarities of this sector, understand it’s specific demands and provide the best services to these clients.Contact / More »

Judit Simonyi

Executive VP EMEA Member of the Executive Board AIMS-Magyarorszag Kft., Hungary  

Judit, is the Regional Head of EMEA. Judit is an active member of AIMS Board since 2006 and co-founder and Managing Partner of AIMS International Hungary. Contact / More »

Jean Frey

VP West EMEA Member of the Executive Board AIMS International Switzerland, Switzerland

Jean was born in 1952. He has studied as an Engineer and an Economist and has occupied several positions as CEO (trade), Sales Manager Europe (investment goods) and Director (wholesale). Contact / More »

Mika Hiltunen

VP South EMEA Member of the Executive Board AIMS International Finland, Finland  

Mika (M.Sc. psychology) has experience from international management positions. For several years, he worked as Vice President and the Head of international R&D department in Nordea group focusing in Internet banking.

He has experience from international recruitments from manager’s perspective and integration processes for merging different organizations together. Before that, he has experience from Andersen Consulting/Accenture and Teamware Fujitsu. Contact / More »

Per Kaalby

VP North EMEA Member of the Executive Board AIMS International Denmark, Denmark

Per is the Senior Partner and Head of AIMS International-Denmark. Per Kaalby, born in 1956 offers 14 years of experience in advising and consulting Executive Boards of Directors, Management Teams and Leaders in prominent Danish and International Groups and Companies.

Per Kaalby has performed a large number of executive recruitments, previously during his collaboration with the PA Consulting Group and the Korn Ferry Group. Contact / More »

This analysis of the Executive Search Market surveys past, present and expected business conditions in 7 major business segments. It approaches the last 4 months and forecasts the next 4 months on the basis of interviews with AIMS International partners and consultants in 46 countries. The first ABCA was published in Q2 2011.

“Every issue of the ABCA delivers interesting insights for me, as EVP AMERICAS at AIMS International and as an owner of a company with international business relations” comments AIMS International Vice President John W. Poracky.

The ABCA Q2 2013 shows the following significant results:

1. 36% (Δ +8%) of the AIMS International partners and consultants evaluate the current state of business locally as good, 49% (stable) as middle and 16% (Δ -8%) as bad. These are small new indices for a stabilization of the local economy which had been visible already in the Q2 2012 ABCA, but proven false in the Q4 2012 ABCA. Solely evaluating the situation in the EMEA Region it seems even worse, as only 23% evaluate the situation as good there.How is the present state of local business

   

2. Allowing multiple answers, significant differences in the development of important business segments during the last 12 months have become obvious:  Industrial, Engineering and Logistics has strengthened its position as the core segment of AIMS International Partners, followed by FMCG, Retail and Luxury goods (which had a strong increase (Δ +17%) of the share of business).Whilst the business share of Financial Services is stable the Pharmaceutical, Health Care and Life Science business share shrinks by 5%.Automotive, IT&T and Energy business share increases continuously since the ABCA in 2012 Q3.

3. Following the answers to the questions about the revenue development of the surveyed companies in the last 4 months you can see that stabilization is starting to take place. There is a shift from companies with decreasing revenues to stable revenues. Global markets in the 7 industry segments are in rough waters still. Solely evaluating the situation in the EMEA Region it seems to be even worse, as only 17% evaluate the turnover as increasing in this region.

   

4. The strongest markets for Executive Search seem to be in EMEA Finland and Italy, in the AMERICAS Brazil, Canada and the US, in APAC China and Hong Kong.
5. Only 58% (Δ +2%) of the AIMS partners evaluated the number of current projects as large or sufficient, 42% (Δ -2%) as not enough. Alarming is that still only 9% of the companies evaluate their number of current projects as large. Upcoming free capacities are mainly used for quality enhancement initiatives.
6. As for the forecast for the next 4 months, 89% (Δ -2%) expect the business to be stable or better, 11% (Δ +5%) as worse. The significant decrease of positive business expectation (Δ -10%) is another signal of tendencies towards rougher markets.

   

The overall outlook for Q3, 2013 is not worse than in Q1 2013 and not promising.

Corporate Communications

Christian Schulte +49 178 2854744

About AIMS International (www.aims-international.net)

Incorporated in Vienna, Austria in 1992, AIMS International is an international executive search organization of independently owned and managed executive search firms who work collaboratively to execute executive search assignment for global clients around the world. AIMS International is represented by over 350 consultants in more than 90 offices in over 50 countries throughout all continents. It was ranked the largest executive search partnership in the world by Search-Consult Magazine.

For more information, please visit www.aims-international.net.

AIMS International dedicates Vienna conference to future outlook

Vienna (Austria) – June 14, 2013. Global megatrends and their impact on talent search will be the main subject of a conference hosted by the premier executive search firm AIMS International. The event will be part of AIMS International’s annual general meeting, scheduled for June 20-22 in Vienna. The company has invited the renowned futurologist Matthias Horx as the keynote speaker.

Six megatrends

According to Horx, six megatrends are transforming the world of business as we know it.

• Glocalization: The new wealth created in developing countries will lead to a new, multipolar world order. As firms change ownership, executives increasingly find themselves representing companies in foreign hands. Also, value-added distances will shrink and offshoring will be replaced by intelligent nearshoring.

• Feminization: Women have caught up in terms of qualification and employers cannot ignore these valuable resources. As the male career model is outdated, companies will need to implement “flexicurity” all the way up to the executive suites.

• Individualization: A “culture of choice” will drive a greater variety of lifestyles and concepts in the developed societies; softer, individual skills will gain importance.

• Down-Aging: While public debate focuses on aging societies in Europe, an opposing trend involves the rejuvenation of social behavior. At the same time, linear biographies are making way for “multigraphies” involving a repetition of life phases.

• Fitness/Mindness/Selfness: Health and well-being are taking on new meanings, personal empowerment is a key component. This new understanding will also change employees’ attitudes towards their work lives.

• Cooperative individualism: Traditional forms of work are being deconstructed. Jobs of the future will be performed in networks and in continuously changing mobility settings.

Tomorrow’s executives will have to fill new roles, as Horx points out: “Rather than oversee and monitor staff, they will be required to moderate and facilitate the interaction of strong individuals in multinational networks – and to take an active part in social dialog.” As a result, recruitment profiles will have to change drastically. Horx: “Key skills include intercultural competencies – referring to both regional cultures and generations –, strong personal skills, and universal knowledge and education.”

Aligning executive search with future needs

AIMS International makes a point of integrating forward-looking insights like these in its business approach. “We see ourselves as strategic advisors,” explains the firm’s President Rolf Heeb, “and it is our key concern to help clients address future challenges. So, in order to provide the best possible assistance in talent acquisition and talent management, it is essential that we maintain an active dialog on the social changes affecting companies.”

Just recently, AIMS International has launched the second wave of a study on board-level competences. One key finding is that the gender gap in top management is due to diverging communication styles rather than missing qualifications. AIMS International is driving the discourse on these matters and plans to create a practical guide for organizational leaders.

The Vienna conference will provide yet another forum for debate. “We really look forward to our Megatrends conference on June 21st,” says Günther Salzmann, Manager of AIMS Austria, “which will be attended by corporate representatives from a number of countries worldwide.” Vienna was an obvious choice for this year’s event, Salzmann explains, due to its growing importance as a gateway to Central and Eastern Europe. “There is a large and increasing number of high-potentials in these countries and almost half of them are women.”

Another key agenda item for the firm’s general meeting is a change in leadership: Since Rolf Heeb has completed the maximum of two consecutive 3-year terms in office, AIMS International is going to elect a new President.

—

Background info:

AIMS International is an executive search firm headquartered in Vienna (Austria) and operating from more than 90 offices in some 50 countries. Over 350 consultants provide executive-level talent acquisition and talent management services to major client corporations in a broad range of industries.

Matthias Horx is a leading trend researcher and futurist. He teaches at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and heads the Futurism Institute in Frankfurt/Main. Mr. Horx is the author of several bestselling books on future trends.

Contact:

Christian Schulte

AIMS International (President’s Office)
Gut Vellbrueggen 13

D-41469 Neuss
Germany

Mobile: +49 (0) 178 28 54 744
Phone: +49 (0) 2137 78 70-10
Fax: +49 (0) 2137 78 70-79
e-mail: christian.schulte@aims-international.net

Websites:

www.aims-international.net
www.horx.com

May 16th, 2013 – Vienna, Austria – AIMS International sponsored the 8th Annual PHARMA HR Forum in Amsterdam. See the documentation of the event hereafter.

Stephen Strittmatter, Grégoire Depeursinge and Hendrik Jan Guitink – experts for executive search in the Pharmaceutical, Health Care and Life Science segment – attended the event and organized the panel discussion focusing “Multi-Country Recruitment & Cultural Diversity”.

Find the program here

With over 90 offices and more than 350 consultants, AIMS International has been one of the world’s largest global partnerships of Executive Search firms regarding the coverage of countries. It has been ranked among the Top 10 Executive Search firms worldwide during the last 5 consecutive years in various public rankings and operates in over 50 countries across 5 continents.