Voices of Female Leaders- Book Launch
This series transcends traditional boundaries, offering a comprehensive compilation of insightful interviews, contextual analysis, and valuable learnings from exceptional women who have made a profound impact in their respective fields.
“Voices of Female Leaders” is not just a collection of interviews; it’s a meticulously curated exploration of leadership in its most diverse and inspiring forms. Each conversation is accompanied by in-depth analysis, providing readers with valuable insights and lessons drawn from the experiences of these extraordinary women.
In “Voices of Female Leaders”, readers will delve into the stories of nine remarkable individuals, spanning sports, politics, art, academia, and business. Beyond the interviews themselves, this book series offers rich contextualization, analysis, and summaries, allowing readers to glean actionable wisdom and inspiration from each woman’s journey.
Hedwige Nuyens, Chair of European Women on Boards, commends the initiative, stating, “In the face of a world grappling with traditional values and gender biases, these women inspire us to redefine leadership.” The book series prompts readers to reconsider their understanding of leadership, emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusivity in driving progress.
“Voices of Female Leaders” invites readers to embark on a transformative journey of empowerment and inspiration. Join us in celebrating the extraordinary women who are shaping the future of leadership. Let their voices be heard.
Interviews conducted by our colleagues: Steffen Ehrke, Astrid Jakubass, Raoul Nacke, Irina Raps, Hagen Schweinitz, Loudie Sylvain, and Lutz Tilker.
In this article recently published by ESTE ITALIA on ” Sviluppo & Organizzazione”, our colleagues: Monika Stoiber, Simonetta Cavasin and Paola Valassina, analysed what it means today to ‘put people at the centre’: a well-known principle that has gained traction since the pandemic, driven by the increasing recognition that people are genuine stakeholders, essential for ensuring an organization’s long-term sustainability.
They addressed this topic with some Chief People Officers, engaging through both a structured survey and ongoing dialogue. Their reflections revolve around three fundamental pillars of human resource management: knowledge, listening, and participation. Chief People Officers face complex challenges such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, organizational fluidity, and the evolution of leadership models. Technology and sustainability profoundly influence people’s management. The ability to manage change requires strategic vision, implementation skills, and inclusivity.
The original article in Italian is available via online subscription to Rivista-sviluppo-organizzazione
Eric Salmon & Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean-Etienne Boisseau as Chief Executive Officer.
Eric Salmon & Partners is proud to announce the launch of its comprehensive Leadership Development Services, designed to accelerate executive and team performance at critical business junctures. This new service line reinforces our commitment to fostering transformational leadership and sustainable corporate change.
SDA Bocconi and Eric Salmon & Partners proudly announce the signing of a strategic partnership agreement aimed at establishing the “Osservatorio Donne Executive Corporate Governance Lab di SDA Bocconi “. Spearheaded by Professor Alessandro Minichilli of SDA Bocconi and bolstered by the expertise of Eric Salmon & Partners’ consultants, Laura Fabbro, Simonetta Cavasin, and Honorary Chairman, Massimo Milletti, the initiative is set to monitor the advancement of female representation within the Executive Committees of both listed and a substantial selection of unlisted companies over a comprehensive three-year timeframe.
Read the full Press Release here.
Photo by Marissa Grootes on Unsplash
Eric Salmon & Partners is pleased to announce the appointment of Paola Calderini as Managing Director of Italy, overseeing operations in Milan and Rome.
In a significant milestone in its 33-year history, Eric Salmon & Partners, proudly announces its B Corp certification. This achievement underscores the firm’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, responsible business practices, and ethical leadership.
The conference, organized in collaboration with the Corporate Governance Center foundation (CGC), Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), and Commercial Law Development Program, Office of General Counsel, United States Department of Commerce (CLDP), attracted esteemed participants from the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Europe, and the United States, facilitating a valuable international exchange of ideas.
Distinguished speakers such as Aradhana Khowala (Aptamind Partners, Great Britain), Charlotte Gustavsson (Swedish Academy of Board Directors, Sweden), Ekaterina Lysova (CIPE, United States), Ingrid De Poorter (ING Belgium and imac international, Belgium), Kristen Anderson (European Women on Boards, Italy), and others shared valuable insights on critical aspects of sustainable corporate governance, including corporate sustainability, cyber security, AI, integrity, and anti-corruption compliance.
The conference addressed significant topics like criminal liability of legal entities, anti-corruption issues in the business sector, and declaration of real beneficiaries, fostering a comprehensive understanding of modern challenges and opportunities in sustainable corporate governance.
With over 140 attendees, the event served as an exceptional platform for business leaders, policymakers, academia, civil society organizations, and international experts to engage in fruitful discussions on crucial aspects of sustainable corporate governance.
At Eric Salmon & Partners, we take pride in our global presence and commitment to empowering organizations with cutting-edge knowledge and expertise in corporate governance. Hagen Schweinitz’s workshop exemplified our dedication to fostering robust and sustainable governance practices worldwide.
Our Global Board and Governance Advisory Practice hosted another “Board breakfast” in London, continuing a series of events for Board members and our clients, organised by our UK office
Over 20 guests from different sectors attended the event, representing a breadth of diverse experience across Boards from FTSE main-market and AIM listed companies, Private Equity funds and their portfolio, and family-owned businesses.
We facilitated a lively debate around the theme “Nomination and Remuneration Committees” based on our ESP-INSEAD Board Study.
Many thanks to our guests for joining us, and for their contributions.
For further information contact Hagen or Tim.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
The Hand Project was a team building exercise organized by handproject.org during the firm’s 2023 Spring Conference in Berlin. This is a charity that helps people who have lost a hand due to conflicts of war, or accidents involving machinery and focus on areas of Africa.
Participants were divided into groups of 3-4 to assemble a hand, with some tricky elements such as fitting the fingers. In addition, they had to decorate a canvas bag with coloured pens and a personal note to the recipient of the hand. The winning team was the first to finish assembling.
During the presentation of the exercise our teams found it specially moving watching the reactions of people being fitted with their prosthetic hands.
“It is amazing to see the transformation on each individual. See their joy, sense of freedom and new independence”
“It was an amazing experience”
“What an experience to be part of this charity, helping to transform lives”.
The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and Eric Salmon & Partners conducted a global survey of board directors on Nomination & Remuneration Committees with the overall aim to examine the emerging trends and understand how Committees’ practices are changing in a context of increased pressure and if they are trending towards convergence or divergence.
Click to read the report
Jose Luis Álvarez, Senior Affiliate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD and Visiting Professor at Harvard Business School.
Sonia Tatar, Executive Director, INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and INSEAD Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise.
Hagen Schweinitz, Eric Salmon & Partner’s Global Board and Governance Advisory Practice and member of the board of INSEAD International Directors Network.
“For many people in governance positions there’s something scary about curiosity because the consequences aren’t predictable.”
Raoul Nacke, CEO of Eric Salmon & Partners
Find out more in this article by Nicole Rütti (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), Zürich.
Photo by Chase Clark on Unsplash
Sustainability is becoming many companies´ guiding principle. This development has to make itself felt in the corporate culture and leadership style as well.
Translation of an interview with Raoul Nacke, entitled “Das Wir dominiert das Ich” published in Handelsblatt on 02.12.21
Read English translation of the interview
Read original interview in German
Photo by Casey Horner from unsplash
Executives are not prepared for radical change but they have to deal with it.
Read and download the Article: “In unklarer Lage Führung zeigen” by Raoul Nacke, published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 14.06.2021.
Raoul Nacke, CEO Eric Salmon & Partners
Photo by Shane Rounce (@shanerounce) | Unsplash Photo Community
During the pandemic, Germany’s Mittelstand caught up on its digital deficits. Now experts are warning against complacency.
Read and download the article: “Den Kurs Richtung Technologie halten” featuring Raoul Nacke, published in Handelsblatt on 27.05.2021
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
The private equity market is experiencing great popularity right now. That’s due to sustained low interest rates and the strong economic recovery. Investors are paying more attention to sustainability
Read and download the Article “Gunst der Stunde” featuring Raoul Nacke, published in Handelsblatt on 26.05.2021. Available in German or English.
By Raoul Nacke, CEO Eric Salmon & Partners
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash
Source: L’Opinion (article in French)
Singapore’s government has identified the tech sector as an engine of growth. Over the years, the government has created a pro-business ecosystem that enhances innovation and supports VCs, PEs and angel investors. Having lived and worked in the Valley, I get asked, very frequently, “What is Silicon Valley’s recipe for success?” As I reflect upon my time spent in the Valley, my network and the reasons behind the success of my family there, I think the biggest differentiator lies in mindset.
When we first moved to Santa Clara, we were invited by my aunt and uncle to join them in their weekly hikes. They have been living there for 45 years. Every Friday, the “hiking gang”, as my children called it, would meet at 5 pm and hike up Mission Peak. As a Singapore born & bred mother, my first thoughts were about the potential risks and failure my sons, aged 5 and 10, would face during the 3.5 hours arduous hike up 2000 ft out in the rough elements. I thought about the harsh dry heat of 35 degrees Celsius, the dry and rocky trail, rattle snakes and the risk of bulls attacking hikers. My thoughts changed, when my uncle talked about the hike positively. He said that the kids will learn to appreciate nature, deal with the challenges of wildlife or weather, build endurance and learn to engage with the other hikers. All of this is hard to teach in a classroom. He also shared what the view would be like close to the top of Mission Peak; a panoramic view of the Bay Area, and on a clear day the view of the Sierra Nevada ranges and an immense sense of accomplishment. Such positivity motivated us to join in the hike. By the end of that summer, we were seasoned hikers and loving it.
My younger son, fearless and not for a second thinking that he was so much younger than the hiking gang, enjoyed every second of the hikes and would be the first one to the top. After every hike, we used to meet at the neighbourhood pizza restaurant. During dinner, we used to be amazed listening to the hiking gang as they talked about their failures and successes. They were the microcosm of success in Silicon Valley. The uncle, who was laid off as part of a restructure, did not waste time being negative. With a loan from a friend, he started manufacturing shampoos and creams and is now one of the largest suppliers in California. The uncle who moved from UK and started his own business of making precision engineered parts for bio-medical clients. The uncle who started a private investment fund focusing on early stage start-ups. Listening to their stories we realized how being in the Valley enabled them to be successful. It was all about risk taking, being open to failure, new ideas, talent from around the world and availability of capital. They gave up the general security and stability of the corporate world and with gumption, positivity and leveraging off their network took the plunge. The three of them have achieved success that they had never dreamed off.
My mindset has evolved. More and more, I think of possibilities and the fact that failure is never a bad thing. If you keep trying and adopting new ways you will succeed. As I spoke with my team and network that worked at start-ups and larger tech firms, I saw the value built by being in an environment that is empowering and lacks the stodginess and formality of hierarchy. In this sort of an environment, the value created by employees comes from higher engagement, nimbleness and minds that work more innovatively and creatively.
So, the recipe for success is in the mindset of:
- Positivity, bravery, boldness
- Risk taking
- Resilience – keep trying until failures become successes
- Creating collaborative networks and leveraging these for help
- Thinking of solutions and not obstacles
As I returned to Singapore, I was amazed by the start-up scene and the framework that has been set in motion. Singapore’s government has an admirable strategy for attracting top tech companies, investment capital and top talent. A change in mindset needs to become part of the Singaporean DNA and most of it begins at home and in our schools.
As Robert Frost wrote:
“Two roads diverged in the wood, and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference.”
by Brindha Bal, partner at Eric Salmon & Partners’ Singapore office.
Source: Linkedin
The leading German business magazine “Die Wirtschaftswoche“ has – in co-operation with the IUBH (International Business School Bad Honnef) – evaluated the performance of Executive Search firms active in the German market.
Eric Salmon & Partners is amongst the top performers in four industry categories – Consumer / Retail, IT / Telecommunications, Medical Technology & Healthcare and has achieved a *****-rating for excellent quality.
Source: Wirtschaftswoche (article in German)