Kennedy Executive Search Adds New Member Firm in Japan
September 29, 2021 – Kennedy Executive Search, a network of independent executive search firms, has added Frank Schulz Human Capital Consulting in Tokyo as its newest member firm. This becomes the 14th partner firm for Kennedy, bringing the total number of offices in Europe, North America, Latin America and now Asia to 23.
Frank Schulz Human Capital Consulting was founded in 2013 by executive search veteran Frank Schulz. The firm offers services in executive search, career counseling, outplacement, and assessment with a focus on European and Japanese companies based in Japan and Europe. The organization serves a diverse range of industries including, but not limited to, industrial, engineering, consumer, life sciences and insurance. Mr. Schulz has lived in Japan for over 20 years. He first entered the executive search sector when he joined Deloitte & Touche in Duesseldorf in 1999. He moved back to Japan in 2003 to work for Transearch International in Tokyo. In 2006 Mr. Schulz co-started the Tokyo office of Kienbaum Japan.
“When clients consult us for recruitment solutions, we strive to offer the highest level of commitment to reach a match of client expectations and candidate qualifications,” said Mr. Schulz. “As a result, clients expect this level of service, and more and more asked if we knew of good fellow recruiters abroad. To deliver qualitative solutions on an international scale and refer clients to the right people, I looked for a network to join. But it had to be a network that aspired to deliver the same high standard of service to their clients without losing sight of the value of a personal approach only a boutique firm can offer.”
“On my first introduction with Kennedy, I was pleasantly surprised,” Mr. Schulz said. “Not only did the network check that box, all partners being private business owners like myself, but the network is also a great example of how camaraderie and business can, and should, go hand in hand. I am confident that joining the network will help us add relevance to current and prospective clients, and in return, to be of added value to the network and its partners”.
Wish List
For the partners of the Kennedy network, presence in Japan was high on the wish list. “Japan is the third-largest economy after the U.S. and China and its companies are synonymous with quality and innovation in many industries,” said Pablo Perella-Berdun, president of Kennedy Executive Search. “We are honored to have Frank Schulz Human Capital Consulting joining us as our new partner in Japan. Frank brings more than 20 years of experience in executive search and organizational consulting to the table and has worked with some of the big multinational names in this key country.”
“With the addition of this new office, we aim to significantly improve not only our level of service to the Japanese companies currently trusting Kennedy, but also to the many international clients, from auto parts to software, to whom Japan has also become the place for the development of new products and concepts,” Mr. Perella-Berdun said. “We look forward to working with Frank and his team and to the value we will generate to our clients.”
Serving Clients Globally
Kennedy Executive Search offers “360 talent management,” as the firm calls it, from executive search to coaching during a placement’s integration period, and a host of other talent and leadership consulting services.
Kennedy Executive Search Appoints New President
Kennedy Executive Search has elected Pablo Perella-Berdun as its new president and Frank Knudsen as vice president. The election is a consequence of the network’s economic interest group (EIG) structure. In an EIG, all partners become equal stakeholders and together elect their leadership each year. “It’s been an exhilarating ride leading Kennedy through 2020,” said Caroline Frisenberg, parting president.
Kennedy recently added Tavernier & Van De Vijver in Belgium as its newest member firm. The firm became Kennedy’s 13th partner firm, bringing the total number of offices in Europe, North America and Latin America to 20. Tavernier & Van De Vijver, with offices in Ghent and Antwerp, was founded 2014 by Veerle Van De Vijver and Luc Tavernier. The firm provides an integrated approach to HR management, ranging from executive search to leadership development for a variety of clients in a wide range of industries.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
