IIC Partners Names Global Practice Group Leader for Consumer Markets
September 5, 2023 – IIC Partners Executive Search Worldwide has appointed Jouko Pitkänen as global practice group leader for consumer markets. “Jouko’s extensive experience and unique insights make him a valued addition to our practice group leadership,” said Renee Arrington, president and chief operating officer at Pearson Partners International and IIC Partners board liaison for practice groups. “His appointment underscores our commitment to attracting top talent to lead our global communities of industry experts. We look forward to leveraging our expanded capabilities in consumer markets to achieve exceptional results for our clients.”
Mr. Pitkänen is a senior partner at JFP Executive Search, providing a full range of services from executive and board search to talent assessment and career advisory for public and private organizations. With a background in retail, FMCG, and consumer services, he brings expertise and an understanding of disruptive industries to the role. His insights are grounded in over 15 years of experience at an international retail organization where he operated at the C-suite level with expertise in strategic transformation, digitalization, change management, organizational design, turnarounds, and efficiency improvement.
“IIC Partners’ dedication to achieving excellence through collaboration-driven solutions is truly inspiring,” said Mr. Pitkänen. “I am thrilled to leverage my experience and industry expertise to drive the growth of the global consumer markets practice group. The sector’s dynamism calls for innovative approaches, and I am eager to unite our colleagues worldwide to share knowledge and partner on cross-border search assignments.”
Related: IIC Partners Elects Global Chair and Board Members
In addition to Mr. Pitkänen’s executive search and C-suite experience, he is preparing his doctoral thesis concerning business model transformations in the retail sector. “Pursuing higher education at this level is a testament to his continual drive for strategic advancement and provides another layer of value for the global consumer markets practice group,” IIC Partners said.
10 Key Trends to Watch in Talent Acquisition
Managing partners from across New York City-based IIC Partners’ global offices recently came together to discuss the state of talent acquisition in the firm’s markets. The result was the new “Global Talent Acquisition Trends 2023” report, in which the firm identified 10 key shifts to heed in the months ahead. Skilled roles will still be in high demand, and fast-growing regions will continue to face talent shortages. “The number of open positions could reduce if a global recession hits, but the shortage of workers will become more acute for many skilled roles,” said IIC Partners.
“In addition, fast-growing metropolitan areas will continue to experience a shortage of executive talent, showing that geography is still a crucial variable in talent availability,” said the study. “And while these areas are not recession-proof, their growth trajectory leaves them more insulated than other cities and states.”
Prior to joining executive search and consulting industry, Mr. Pitkänen has over 15 years of experience from an internationally listed retail company on C-suite level. He has worked with strategic transformations, digitalization, change management, organizational design, turnarounds and efficiency improvements programs particularly with a focus on strategy development and execution in challenging business environment. His large responsibility area consisted of several countries. Beside his corporate career, Mr. Pitkänen is an experienced board member and member of HENRY – Finnish Association for Human Resource Management.
Facing Major Shifts
Retailers are facing major shifts that call for unprecedented responses by agile leaders who can effectively lead through change, intuitively understand the evolving consumer, and respond to ambiguity, according to IIC Partners. “Changing technologies, the growth of the multi-channel E-commerce and the shift of power to the consumer are challenging organizations and demanding innovative and resilient leadership solutions,” the consultancy said. “At IIC Partners, we understand the competencies and skill-sets required of leaders and how to strategically align them with our client’s business models.” IIC Partners global consumer, E-commerce, and retail teams focus on attracting, assessing, developing, and retaining top talent.
IIC Partners specializes in executive search and leadership consulting services. The group has 39 independently owned and managed member firms with more than 450 consultants in 42 cities across 29 countries. Areas of sector specialization include industrial, financial services, consumer and retail, energy, life sciences, technology, board, higher education, infrastructure, and human resources.
Related: IIC Partners Adds New Member Firm in India
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
