Hightech Partners Expands in Brussels

October 27, 2023 – Digital-focused executive search firm Hightech Partners (HTP) has expanded with the addition of Roberto Zangrandi as a partner in Brussels. Raffaele Jacovelli and Bert Vermeiren, managing directors of HTP, said: “Since many years, our traditional client base in the high tech industry has been complemented by leading international companies seeking digital talent to help them harvest the benefits of new technologies. In the energy and utilities sector we have observed that digital transformation has become the driving force for staying competitive and accelerating growth,” they said. “With Roberto joining we dramatically expand our reach to the major European players and boost our industry knowledge. We are happy to team with him to offer our staffing, training and interim management services to these clients.”

Mr. Zangrandi is the current outgoing secretary general of the European Distribution System Operators Association, E.DSO. He has spent the last two decades working first with Enel Group, the global and leading utility based in Italy and active throughout 30 countries in different public and corporate affairs capacities. Mr. Zangrandi led the Brussels Group EU Affairs office before leading the industrial and entrepreneurial lobbying arm of the most significant European distribution system operators, E.DSO, for another eight years.

“Roberto has witnessed and worked in an environment that determined the pioneering phase of electronic meters and the change they induced in the supply to consumers to see the imperious progress of renewable energy sources,” Hightech Partners said. “He completed the journey tracking the advanced digitalization that permeated the entire sector, transforming it and integrating the most advanced cybersecurity techniques in critical facilities and installations. Roberto also worked with dynamic utilities leveraging not just the mechanics of digitalization but its full integration with artificial intelligence, followed by the applications of generative AI down all the streams of that industry.”

“I accepted Raffaele’s and Bert’s offer with genuine enthusiasm,” said Mr. Zangrandi. “I’m joining an extraordinary partnership made of first-tier multifaceted characters. My equally multifaceted background can quickly integrate and add value to this internationally successful team. I feel lucky, I had the privilege to work with the best among the talents produced by the last two managerial generations of top European energy managers and accompanied the inception of the boldest digitalization processes in the sector, integrating advanced cybersecurity, AI, and generative AI tools.”

Digital Transformation Experts

Hightech Partners specializes in digital transformation. The firm leverages forward-looking methods such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence into the executive search process to help companies embrace new ways of working. HTP has offices in Brussels and Geneva, Switzerland with local partners across the major regions of Europe. The firm also founded ITP Worldwide, an alliance of specialized search and consulting firms in the technology industry in the U.S. and Asia.


Hightech Partners Expands Senior Staff
Hightech Partners has expanded with the addition of Arnaud Ruffat as a partner. He is charged with managing international client relationships and lead assignments out of Paris. Mr. Ruffat will advise existing and new HTP clients on their digital skills needs and help them recruit new digital executive talent.

“Now more than ever digitalization is enabling businesses to cope with the fast changing economic and social landscape and to stabilize and grow their activities in these turbulent times,” said Raffaele Jacovelli and Bert Vermeiren, managing directors of HTP. “Not only our traditional clients, the providers of technology tools, solutions, and services, but also companies in other industries like financial services, manufacturing, utilities, government etc. count on us to help them acquire and develop their digital talent.”


“While the fintech industry has embraced digital transformation since a few years, we now see that also many other large and small companies are investing in digital technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, cloud and mobile applications, cybersecurity etc. and that the need for talent leading those changes is growing exponentially,” said Mr. Jacovelli.

“We are in a very good position to help our clients in these areas as we have been developing and recruiting digital talent for 36 years, and we have been closely observing such technologies since the early stage of their development,” he said. “In fact our clients come to us especially when it becomes more difficult to locate and motivate to change the rare talents that fully understand and master the transformation leveraging such technologies.”

Related: Hightech Partners Adds Technology, Digital Executive

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; and Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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