Vienna/ Casablanca – May 1st, 2012 – The Head hunting & Executive search firm New Talents Consulting signed with AIMS International, one of  the Top 10 Global Executive search firms worldwide to be effective on May 1st, 2012, for global collaboration for professional talent acquisition.

AIMS International’s President Rolf Heeb was proud to present the new Partner as “a growth oriented Executive Search Firm in some very important – prospect – markets for AIMS International”. Whereas the precondition for a partnership with AIMS International is to be a well respected leader in the local market and to focus solely on retained executive search and consulting.

AIMS International Morocco fulfills these prerequisits. Furthermore they have an international vision for their business. This combination guarantees the perfect fit to the other AIMS International Partners.”

Of course, AIMS International Morocco will first have to adopt to the processes of the international organization before getting successful, but this is planned for the next weeks, says AIMS International Executive VP John Poracky.

About Karim Ahniche, Managing Director:

With extensive experience with the leading international companies in different senior and management-level positions, Karim Ahniche has more than 10 years experience in the broadcast industry around the MENA region. He has worked with companies like Reuters and MBC, as well as Freelance.com, a leading European recruitment company. As a result, he has access to an extensive network of contacts and he remains to be actively involved in the MENA media market at a senior level.

AIMS International sponsors 4th Wind Energy NRW Industry Day to be held in Cologne in June 2012 and forms part of an HR Workshop which focuses “Talent in Wind”. Dutch and Flemish wind industry will be involved.

The central event of the wind industry in the sector’s most important supplier country, the Wind Energy NRW Industry Day, will be held next year at the Köln Congress-Centrum in Cologne on 21 and 22 June 2012. This was announced by the organiser, Lorenz Kommunikation.

Managing Director Klaus Lorenz explained that the next Industry Day would be extended to one and a half days instead of a day, for several reasons. “As suggested by a number of our key exhibitors and on grounds of the close cooperation of North Rhine-Westphalia with the Netherlands and Belgium, we have contacted the appropriate parties in our neighbouring countries to gauge their interest in a joint event for this future technology and have met with a positive response. This will be reflected in the programme and will also meet the urgent request of many visitors for an evening event that will allow more intense networking. Because the Wind Energy NRW Industry Day brings together the whole wind value chain.”

Held once again in close cooperation with the EnergieAgentur.NRW, the 4th Wind Energy NRW Industry Day in 2012 will focus on the Benelux countries but also, according to Lorenz, include topics defined by issues related to NRW’s energy policy, and take a look at the competitive position of locally based companies in the global market and the situation of operators.

The 3rd Wind Energy NRW Industry Day in May 2011 was used as a presentation platform by 87 companies from all over Germany. 460 visitors, who had also come from all over the country, made the day one of the main events in the industry.

The HR Workshop will have the following content:

21st June 2012, 11.30 am to 6 pm

• Lectures, panel discussion and a workshop with the American Management Coach John R. Stoker, DOOR International, on the topic of:
  Collaboration for results – Key to Healthy and Sustainable GrowthOther topics include:
• The expansion scenario for wind energy 2020 – an approach to the question of whether there are enough personnel available for implementation. Arwid Detlefs, TGMC
• “Wind for Talent”
  - The importance of talent in achieving the wind energy targets- “The wind factor”
  - Creating the “Industry of Choice” for talents
  - Successful development of international organisations
  Birger Svendsen, AIMS International
• HR departments between market requirements and employee satisfaction. wind turbine manufacturers surveyed modern service and personnel – An assessment and requirements for the future.
  Bosch Rexroth
• Panel discussion; Will high salaries be the most important decision-making criteria for job selection in the future?

Please register early – the number of participants is limited!

AIMS International is represented in this workshop by:

Birger Svendsen, AIMS International, Norway,
Managing Director

COVER STORY from brian.mcleod@incisivemedia.com in Asian Venture Capital Journal (avcj.com) with interviews with Vanessa Moriel et. al.

The pace of growth in China’s private equity industry hasn’t been matched by the development of a pool of qualified local investment professionals. Firms are busy building from the bottom and poaching at the top.

Chinese financial institutions are on a recruitment drive, aggressively enticing senior personnel from major global firms to abandon their safe sinecures in favor of new positions in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. For some, it’s an easy choice to make. China’s banks and their equally cash-rich domestic clients have a seemingly insatiable appetite for offshore assets. Work for them and access to lucrative deals is all but assured.

Chinese private equity, however, though active, healthy and attracting a lot of attention, still seems woefully understaffed. “Many people have jumped into the market, but we don’t have many qualified investment professionals so some deals are poorly executed and this brings reputational risk for the industry,” John Zhao, CEO of Hony Capital, told AVCJ earlier this year.

Following the banks’ lead and poaching talent from global firms isn’t really an option. If anything, the trend in private equity is completely the reverse.

As the industry matures and becomes increasingly competitive, success depends on getting access to good deals quickly. This is difficult without a familiarity with all the stakeholders involved, from the entrepreneur selling an asset to the regulator responsible for approving the transaction.

According to Steve Mullinjer, head of the Asia Pacific private equity practice at global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, PE executives hired from overseas might have excellent technical skills, but they don’t offer any immediate advantage unless they also understand how China’s deal-making environment operates.

A more appropriate hunting ground for private equity players seeking on-the-ground expertise is among existing local funds or other Chinese enterprises. Available talent, however, is limited.

“There is definitely a shortage of good quality human capital in China,” says David Wei, CEO of Vision Knight Capital, a firm he set up last year after stepping down as head of Alibaba.com, tells AVCJ. “On the supply side, private equity is still a relatively new industry and so does not yet have a solid base of professionals; whereas on the demand side, the country now has over 10,000 firms.”

China private equity fundraising has grown exponentially in recent years, from $13.7 billion in 2007 to $38.8 billion in 2011. In the past four years, a total of 736 new vehicles received commitments from LPs, according to AVCJ Research. If development is to be sustainable, where will they find the people to deploy all this capital?

Drilling deeper

The answers are various, depending on the tier of personnel in question. Derek Sulger, managing director of China-focused Lunar Capital, says these principally fall into three categories leaders, doers and helpers.

The leaders are a handful of senior professionals charged with heading up investment teams. They are imbued with the firm’s vision and culture and set the strategy according to the fund’s focus. Moving down one level, the doers are the 50 or so people who’ve been with the firm for 3-5 years, typically starting as analysts and then rising up through the ranks. They have been around long enough to grasp how the firm operates.

Finally, there are the helpers. Sulger sees these as the most important piece of the puzzle. “For the things we do you need a lot of manual labor,” he explains. “For example, the investors say we want to invest in more babywear companies. The doers say here’s where we’re going to find them, and this is what we’ve got to do. And then the helpers go out and do initial meetings with 50, 100, 200 companies. Through ‘manual labor’, they absorb the culture, processes and strategy.”

At Lunar, the helpers tend to be analysts. They are usually sourced via the firm’s systematic ranking of fresh university graduates through its own test regime. Lunar is linked to a university network on which it advertises vacancies, mostly in China, but stretching out into North America and even Europe. The ratio of people sought and hired is roughly 100-1.

Sulger says the approach is based on advice he received from a senior partner at his former firm, Goldman Sachs: Build a deep bench of people you train and mentor through a strong firm culture, rather than spend too much time making lateral hires.

These networks – plenty of other private equity firms have them, formally or informally – are vital to building the bench strength of China’s PE industry. And it will take time to reach a critical mass, with various sources suggesting 5-10 years.

Earlier this year, Hony closed its fifth US dollar-denominated fund at $2.4 billion, $1 billion larger than its predecessor, and also attracted $1.6 billion for its latest renminbi fund. In the last 12 months, the firm has recruited 50 new people, at least 20 of whom are investment professionals with the rest performing consulting and back office functions. These individuals weren’t hired to work on the new funds, however. Zhao estimates it will take 2-3 years to train them up into investment managers, which means they won’t be ready until Hony Capital Fund VI. By this point, may only just have reached doer level.

Several of the global buyout firms have China recruitment policies that are also slanted towards university graduates or first and second year analysts who can be developed in house. This approach is seen as vital to creating long-term team stability.

Successful appiicants will typically start by joining an initiation program so they can understand the firm and its culture. This is followed by a thorough grounding in analytics and other technical tools used to assess businesses as well as time spent working with seasoned deal-makers on actual transactions. Involvement grows over time to the point where they are devising business development initiatives and dealing directly with entrepreneurs.

KKR, which has seen its China team treble in size in the last four years, endorses cultivating a strong sense of company culture and getting recruits working on deals with experienced executives as soon as possible. But it all starts with hiring people who have local knowledge and a sense for business.

“While we benefit from KKR’s global resources, our team is as local as any of the domestic private equity firms,” says David Liu, CEO of KKR China. “Our core team has been investing in China for 19 years and our team members grew up in China. If our people didn’t truly understand China it would be a disaster. Combining our global resources with team’s local knowledge and operational focus is the key to our investment strategy.”

Mid-level leaders

Even with an array of bright young talent, private equity firms require leaders right now, capable senior professionals who can guide less experienced team members. These individuals started out well before domestic PE players emerged in China.

Classically, the most able professionals won admittance to business schools in the US or Europe and on graduating took positions in prestigious international PE houses where they sharpened their skills. “Joining a foreign firm was like a continuation of their education,” says one global headhunter. “By contrast, joining a local Chinese firm straight from school is unlikely to provide the same sort of career growth.”

The best candidates in China, even today, are still those who have been educated in the US and Europe. This is as much a case of cultural value-add as anything else. A prospective Chinese PE professional at an Ivy League school will become comfortable moving in circles where only English is spoken; develop a wide network of business associates; and imbibe, by osmosis, a cogent understanding of international business and the extent to which Chinese private equity will follow or drift from this model.

The combination of local and international skills, in terms of language and business practices, has in the past lent itself to fast ascension up the ranks of a global firm’s regional operations. PE executives who are equally comfortable dealing with the entrepreneur in China and the investment committee in the US are still highly prized.

The problem is when these professionals, after some years in harness, find themselves contemplating a glass ceiling. This is not strictly speaking a Chinese feature, our headhunter source adds; rather it is typical of all high-growth markets, and was true of Western markets a decade and more ago. With the top-level executives looking to stay put for some years to come, career frustration creeps in among those at the top of the second tier, and they begin to look elsewhere. Emerging local firms that can offer seniority and greater autonomy are an obvious next step.

“Firms don’t tend to lose the big PM guys. Rather they lose the VPs and directors who weren’t too tied in,” the headhunter says.

At the same time, the skills required of these capable senior professionals are evolving in tandem with the industry as a whole. Deal sourcing is increasingly local and PE firms must go further afield to tier-three and tier-four cities, now that the low hanging fruit in the top two tiers has been collected. More time must be spent relationship-building and convincing entrepreneurs that, in an increasingly competitive market, a particular GP offers the most value-add. The arrival of renminbi-denominated funds has accentuated these changes.

“Local knowledge, networks and connections have more currency than a Harvard MBA,” says Mullinjer of Heidrick & Struggles. “This is also true in portfolio company management. The ability to translate and adapt leading-edge turnaround disciplines and management approaches to local family owners’ psyches is a major challenge.”

Five years ago, a Chinese private equity firm might have opted for a sole senior hire, someone who could serve as a figurehead and one-stop relationship connector who provided deal access and links to government stakeholders. A well connected ex-investment banker or ex-SOE CEO often sufficed.

Nowadays, such an approach doesn’t really fit. First, transactions tend to be done with a diverse group of companies, ranging from private to state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Second, investee companies are becoming much more sophisticated in negotiating with PE firms. And third, the competitive nature of the market, and the fact that funds often have more capital to put to work than before, means PE firms require several leaders to share a larger workload.

Operational expertise

This need for a breadth of talent also points to another gaping hole in some local private equity firms’ offering: the operational side. “Not many PE players realize the importance of operations people,” says Vision Knight’s Wei. “It’s also difficult for operations people themselves to understand why PE firms need them.”

Wei is well positioned to comment. When he set up Vision Knight he recruited a hand-picked team from Alibaba.com because of the operational expertise each could offer in his target industries: consumer, internet and e-commerce. Lunar Capital’s Sulger endorses Wei’s view, adding that he is just as focused on running companies as investing in them. This is not only the case for control deals, but equally for growth capital investments where the GP is actively involved in operations.

“Our responsibility to our investors is to make sure we have people from a broad group of backgrounds who not only contribute to our own team, but also contribute to manage our investees effectively,” Sulger says.

This isn’t an isolated perspective. Vanessa Moriel, Asia Pacific managing director with executive search firm AIMS-International, has seen a sharp increase in business from private equity firms looking to place staff into the portfolio companies, arguably a function of international players taking their Asian set-ups more seriously. AIMS has been called upon to find staff ranging from local hires to expatriates brought in from the West – all of them operations people.

The company recently worked with a private equity client that wanted to replace one of its portfolio company’s incumbent arms-length distributors, and ended recruiting new staff for the entire Asia Pacific headquarters.
“We did all that recruiting for them, first line and the whole second line, 10 people in all; merchandising director, HR director, finance director, PR & Communications director and more,” Moriel says. “Their aim going forward is to operate directly.”

This trend broadly covers all stripes of PE players, from the international buyout firms to the smaller overseas niche players to some local Chinese firms. For the latter category, requirements can vary. It is not unusual to see the recruitment of foreign operations staff with no China experience whatsoever but who offer expertise in a specific area such as design.

In companies planning to go public, a perceived management upgrade of this sort is regarded as a value-add; and private equity firms tend to view such personnel acquisitions as an investment against future gains, not merely a cost. Interestingly, the compensation levels for foreign operations professionals, who could once demand 2-3 times what was paid to Chinese, is now broadly comparable to that of locals.

While compensation is important, industry participants claim that retaining quality staff in a competitive environment relies on a broader set of factors. Professionals must feel valued and empowered and offered the opportunity to develop their skills, elements that are underpinned by a strong corporate culture.

In China, you lose good people at your peril: good investment strategies can only be executed by good teams. “It’s difficult to get the right people and having qualified people is everything in private equity,” says KKR’s Liu. “People are our main asset and you are only as good as your team.”

AIMS International is represented in this article by:

Vanessa Moriel, AIMS International, China,
Executive Vice President APAC Region

SIDEBAR: Indonesia – China in waiting?

Until relatively recently, there were only four established GPs in Indonesia: Northstar Pacific Partners, Saratoga Capital, Ancora International and Quvat Management. In the last 12-18 months, at least six new managers have hit the fundraising trail. It places an inevitable strain on human resources.

Fund managers speaking at AVCJ’s Indonesia Forum said they expected the country to mirror China in terms of people movements. There is already anecdotal evidence of start-up PE firms trying to poach professionals from existing outfits and spinouts will no doubt emerge in due course. One Singapore-based headhunter tells AVCJ that he may relocate to Jakarta, such is the demand for his services there.

“GPs need to have a solid investment track record, with quality deals done,” Doug Coulter, head of private equity for Asia Pacific at LGT Capital Partners, said at the forum. “But just as important is the ability of a GP to build a firm that isn’t going to be around for just one fund; but rather for funds two, three, four and five. Continuity is key.”

Domestic private equity firms aren’t the only ones looking for deals so they aren’t alone in scouting for talent. Hedge funds and investment banks are increasingly active while global PE firms, recognizing the attractions of a market that offers true scale, have made some significant hires.

Notably, KKR recruited Ridha Wirakusumah, former CEO of Bank Internasional Indonesia, while Standard Chartered Private Equity hired Benjamin Soemartopo, formerly head of McKinsey & Co. in Jakarta, as head of principal finance for Indonesia.

At the heart of the issue is securing proprietary deal-flow, which is challenging in a market that is governed by local relationships and where many of the prime assets are controlled by a coterie of family-owned conglomerates.

“It is all about knowing who to approach, and certainly not going to the most obvious candidates like investment banks and securities houses, by which times it’s probably too late,” says Patrick Alexander, co-founder of Batavia Investment Management. “If you want to have good deal flow you simply must have people who are in and of this market.”

AIMS International is going to celebrate its 20th anniversary in Stockholm this year, on June 28, 2012.

In the last 20 years the organisation has developed from an international network of 3 executive search consultants to a global partnership with offices in more than 50 countries.

AIMS International is proud of its history. And despite the global economic hesitation AIMS International has recently opened more than 20 new offices (in Canada, China, Japan, Korea and Morocco) and looks positively into the future. To encourage the fulminant start into the next decade AIMS International announces the programme for the celebration.

KEY-NOTE SPEAKER will be Mr Anders Dahlvig, former CEO of IKEA International. He is current chairman of the board of New Wave Group and member of the boards of H&M, Oriflame, Kingfisher Plc, Axel Johnsson, Axstores and Resursbank. He will be talking about “THE IKEA EDGE”: Building Global Growth and Social Good at the World’s Most Iconic Home Store

The Managing Directors of AIMS International Sweden

   
Ronny Andersson and Daniel Ekberg proudly present the following PROGRAMME:

15.45: Registration of participants
16.15: Welcome remarks and presentation of AIMS INTERNATIONAL by president Mr Rolf Heeb
16.45: “BOARD MEMBER COMPETENCIES”; by Mr Richard Joly- A presentation of AIMS INTERNATIONAL exclusive study
17.30: “THE IKEA EDGE”; by Mr Anders Dahlvig – Building Global Growth and Social Good at the World’s Most Iconic Home Store
18.30: Social event with food and drinks; meet the representatives of AIMS INTERNATIONAL worldwide
21.00: Ending

Please apply no later than 1st June 2012. As the event space is limited we apply a “first come – first served” policy.

AIMS INTERNATIONAL
Ms Louise Heegaard

louise.heegaard@aimsinternational.se
+46-8-505 575 09

Jungfrugatan 35
114 44 STOCKHOLM

MONTREAL, April 10, 2012

Mr. Richard Joly, President of Leaders & Co., the Canadian Partner of AIMS International, is pleased to announce the opening of two new offices in Ottawa and Winnipeg. This announcement comes less than one year after the opening of the Toronto office. “The opening of these new offices strengthens the solid reputation that Leaders & Co. has been able to build through its distinctive and innovative approach in the executive recruitment field,” announced Richard Joly. “This is an important step in our strategic growth plan. Our company may be growing, but it will remain steadfast in its commitment to provide the customized methodology that has made its reputation,” said Yanouk Poirier, a partner at Leaders & Co.

Ms. Brenda LaRose, the partner in charge of the Winnipeg office, has more than 25 years of experience in recruiting executives for a wide range of industries and sectors in most regions across Canada and abroad. Before joining Leaders & Co., Ms. LaRose founded Higgins Executive Search, the Canadian leader in recruiting culturally diverse senior executives and board members. Higgins Executive Search recently received recognition from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses and was awarded Gold status in Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR).

Mr. Brock Higgins, the partner in charge of the Ottawa office, has worked in executive recruitment throughout his career. He brings solid knowledge and skills in business strategies and governance. Before joining Leaders & Co., Mr. Higgins was a partner at Higgins Executive Search. He led numerous mandates to recruit senior executives and board members for both small and large companies in the public and private sectors.

Leaders & Co. has five offices in Canada and is a member of an international network that brings together more than 350 partners in more than 50 countries across all five continents.

About Leaders & Co.

Since its founding in 2008, Leaders & Co. has gained the trust of numerous national and international companies, in particular due to its unique and rigorous methodology and the Leaders Report©, which reflects in every respect its willingness to act with full transparency to obtain credible results. The Leaders & Co. team is made up of senior professionals who have acquired in-depth knowledge in major economic fields as well as in the main issues that companies must face.  Backed up by the customized service that has made its reputation, its network of partners and associates allows it to carry out national and international mandates. Leaders & Co. is the Canadian Partner of AIMS International since 2010.

For information:

Richard Joly, President
+1 514-864-5459, extension 302
richard@leadersinternational.com
www.leadersinternational.com

AIMS International Germany launches a series of certified workshops for doctors and officers in the healthcare industry:

THE HUMAN FACTOR -
RISK MANAGEMENT AND
AVOIDING ERRORS IN
PATIENTS OPERATION

Many of the over 9,000 annual malpractice convictions in Germany have recurrent causes: Interdisciplinary medical pathways, building of central units, interfaces, delegation, workload, just to name a few.
Additional reasons are also within one’s own skills or prerequisite skills of colleagues. The identification of error sources should be associated with an effective fault management. Frequently, however, you find only an organizational and process-oriented quality management.

This workshop will show you how to improve this.

Medical Director / Speakers

• Dr. Walter Merkle (Medical Director)
  Member of the Advisory Committee of the National Medical Association Hessen
  Urologist / Urological Surgery Special
  Head of Department Urology II, DKD Wiesbaden
  Hospital Business Administration
• Accompanied by
  the provincial medical association,
  medical colleagues,
  lawyers specializing in medical law,
  experienced aircraft captains and
  hospital authority representatives

AIMS International is represented by:

AIMS International – Germany GmbH
Mr Wolf U. Moenner
Director of Business Unit Healthcare
Gut Vellbrüggen 13, D-41469 Neuss
Tel. +49 2137 78 70-10
Fax +49 2137 78 70-78
welcome@aims-germany.com
www.aims-international.net

Please, contact him for details.

AIMS International will be one of the collaborative partners at this years Talent Forward Event in Barcelona, Spain. This is the 7th edition of this successful Pharma HR series.

By joining us at this event you will learn about…

• Innovative Pharma HR Talent Acquisition
• Finding Talents for Special Positions in the Pharma Sector
• Latest Developments in Talent Mapping – Distinguishing TOP-PERFORMERS from average talents
• Most Effective Talent Development Programs – Bridging the gap between generations and successfully refreshing the mindsets
• Real-life Benchmarkings of Talent Management Techniques: Pharma vs. other industries
• Top Talent Retention and ReEngagement in a Competitive Environment – a 100% case study approach

And you will meet a lot of prominent speakers.

Prominent speakers will be:

Grant Weinberg, GILEAD SCIENCES, UK
Director of International Talent Acquisition

Ash Butt, Aspirion Pharma, UK,
Managing Director

Lisa Bevill, Psicosoft International, Spain
Director of Business Development

David Nolan, Talentmark, UK,
Chief Executive Officer

Dr Paul Turner, Birmingham City University, UK
Honorary Research Fellow

Karen Anderson, PFIZER, USA,
VP HR

Grainne Higgins, SHIRE Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland
Global Vice President, Human Resources

Sandor Janosi, GE Healthcare, France
Executive & Talent Development Leader Europe

Alice Punch, ZENTIVA, Czech Republic,
HR Director

Dr. Peter Gasteiger, SANDOZ, Austria
Global Head of HR – Anti-Infectives Business Unit

Nikolaj Knudtzon, TAKEDA, Switzerland
Head of HR Europe & Canada

Daniela Hanova, ABBOTT, Switzerland,
Global HR Director

Sari Ek-Petroff, SANOFI-AVENTIS, Finland and Sweden,
HR Director

Lee Heubner, UCB, Belgium
Vice President HR R&D, Support Functions & Innovation

AIMS International will be represented by:

Stephen J. Strittmatter, AIMS International, Germany,
EMEA Practice Team Leader Pharma, Healthcare and Life Science

Gregoíre Depeursinge, AIMS International, Switzerland,
EMEA Practice Team Pharma, Healthcare and Life Science

AIMS International will conduct its EMEA Spring Meeting 2012 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

During the course of the meeting you are invited to the Executive Talk at Hotel Sofitel Marrakech (Rue Haroun Errachid): “How an emerging economy is facing the HR needs”

Never before being innovative and cross-border thinking was so important for today’s forward-looking, sustainable relationships in the competition for “high potential” and talents of tomorrow. This topic will be made transparent for you on EMEA level by AIMS International. On 23rd of March from 19.30 to 22.00 o’clock new dimensions of thought will be presented to you in an exclusive Executive Talk.

Together with you we will discuss the following topics.

I.)   The Moroccan economy in the world. Perspectives and trends for companies.
II.) How to develop a successful strategy to face the HR needs in an emerging economy

The Managing Director of AIMS International Belgium

 
Houria Grana who has set up this event to present AIMS Internationals new partner in Morocco proudly presents the following PROGRAMME:

19.30 – 19.45
Mrs. Houria Grana, CEO of AIMS International-Belgium and Rachid Mallouk, President of (LMBN) will lead you through the evening and deliver best practice experience to you.
Enjoy notable speakers who deliver insights to their problem solving.

19.45 – 20.15Mr. Mamoun Tahri Joutei, Economic Intelligence Responsible, BMCE Bank, and Mr. Takis Kakayannis, Business Representative of the General Consulate of Belgium in Morocco
“The Moroccan Economy in the world”

20.15 – 20.45
Mr.  Said Abu Sheleih, HR Director OCP Group and Mr. Amine Bennis, Talent Manager, OCP Group : “ Talents acquisition & Retention Strategy”

20.45 – 21.00
Mrs.Judit Simonyi, the EVP EMEA and Mr.Rolf Heeb, the President of AIMS International will Present AIMS International and will close the speaker‘s session.

21.00
Enjoy the Cocktail Party to get in contact with top-level HR Specialists and Executive Search Professionals all over the World.

AIMS INTERNATIONAL Belgium
Ms Houria Grana
h.grana@aims-belgium.com

AIMS INTERNATIONAL Morocco
Mr Karim Ahniche
ka@aims.ma

Please apply no later than 15th of March, 2012. As the event space is limited we apply a “first come – first served” policy.

2012 Inno-luxury Summit has opened a new luxury chapter by means of highlighting series of brainstorming luxury innovation in luxury market. In the wake of ten-year rapid and mature development, high-end Chinese luxury customers become more and more rational and start to focus on their real needs.

Different from that in the past, luxury innovation in the form of creative material utilization, digital marketing, experimental luxury, cross-boundary cooperation, brand extension, on-line luxury retailing have be inevitable trend and issue to be emphasized.Thus, 2012 Inno-luxury Summit was held in Shanghai in the Gran Mélia Hotel to show a whole picture of luxury innovation with the official supports from ESSEC MBA business school, and associations of Walpole and Fondazione Altagamma.

The summit was presented as an interactive platform designed for our industrial friends to share their critical insights, discuss the common interests and form effective networks.

AIMS International industry specialists have years of experience which allows AIMS International to understand the dynamics and trends providing clients with clear insights into this competitive market. AIMS International sponsored this summit to get new first hand information.

Our consultants are active in the following sector segments:

• Fashion/Luxury
• Jewelery/watches
• Lifestyle
• Multichannel Retail
• Specialty Retail
• Private equity

The English Version of the interview with Richard Joly, President, Leaders&Co, Partner of AIMS International in Canada

For Richard Joly it is necessary for public enterprises to change their culture and they have to trust in leaders who go out and compete in the stock market

From Claudia Paan

This is not a trend unique to a country. There is always a government that thinks it’s time to make some of their companies compete in the stock market.

This time it was Petro-Perú in Perú. How can they become a successful traded company without trying? Richard Joly explains.

One of the major challenges for public enterprises is to attract top executives – but how?
It is not easy to attract them. And while private enterprises have to make money, companies in the public sector are serving the people. Your values ​​must be aligned with it. You need people with a social agenda. There are those people with much experience in the private sector who are attracted by the public sector.

Is it difficult to find people with this attitude?
Not all have it. Many people think of themselves first before thinking of others. But there are some. And more of them should be brought into these public companies. If organizations are competitive, efficient and stable, you are really attractive to executives.

But governments change and the opportunity to learn is limited.
It is a challenge. Because the government has an agenda and seeks leaders representing the governments strategy in the companies. Many times these companies are economic instruments for the government and why would you need an executive if you only want him to do what you want.

Does this not be an obstacle for business?
There is not much independence between organizations and the government, this should change. Public enterprises should have a board of directors and its own objectives. But this never happens.

What do you think is the most important point that the company should do before going to market?
Hiring the right CEO. This person must have high ethics, communication skills and the ability to make administrative changes. Should be a good leader also.

In view of this, are most public enterprises ready to go public?
When a company goes public the pressure from investors is huge. They expect the same returns as from other companies and that influences decisions. So an important question before you go public is: why are we doing this? In 10 years this company will not be the same. It will look like a private and may fail. That happened to Petro-Canada twenty years after going public. It was finally acquired by another company.

Is it common for public companies fail at the stock market?
Not always. It depends on whether it is easy or not to take the cultural challenges of the company. You need executives who take risks to make necessary changes happen and to become a more competitive company. This was what made the general manager of Canadian National. And today this is one of the most important companies in the U.S.

Changing the culture is the first step to succeed at the stock market, what would be next?
You must bring in executives who have worked in the private sector. It can be difficult to integrate them and people can take it as a challenge. You need smart leaders who understand how to influence. If they are only focused on results, people will not follow.

How long can this process take?
Changing the culture is a very difficult thing. Until you begin to notice differences it may take three to five years. After 10 years you can see the today´s culture as “history”. And 20 years later, it is another company.

What common mistakes are made during this process?
Companies may underestimate the difficulty of changing culture. They think people understand these changes before they really do. They assume that changing processes is enough to change peoples thinking. This is not so. You need to repeat the communication, and the culture.

How to communicate?
In an organization like this, you must have your first line managers working with their team members. They are the agents of change. They’re going to challenge, influence and educate others to achieve the change. But it is important to project the performance which you want to be achieved. Then, you need to “change agents” at all levels and areas of the company.

What´s next?
The next step is ‘freezing’ the organization. That means, find reasons for people to change. Because if they don´´t have these, they will not. The employees may not care if the company is at the stock market or not, as long as they have their work.