Kestria Names New Consumer & Retail Global Practice Leader
February 12, 2026 – Global search consortium Kestria has appointed Giorgio Veronelli as its new consumer & retail global practice leader. “His leadership will play a key role in strengthening Kestria’s global expertise, supporting practice group members as they navigate emerging challenges and driving the continued evolution of our consumer & retail practice,” the consortium said.
“Giorgio’s appointment reflects both the growing strategic importance of the consumer & retail sector and Kestria’s commitment to strong, practice-led leadership,” said Stepan Motejzik, Kestria’s global alliance director. “His deep international experience and hands-on understanding of complex talent and HR solutions make him exceptionally well-suited to guide our global consumer & retail practice. I’m confident he will foster even stronger collaboration across the alliance and help our partners support clients as they navigate rapid change and build sustainable growth.”
“The consumer and retail landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, driven by rapid digitalization, shifting consumer behavior and intensified global competition,” Kestria said. “As brands work to strengthen customer experience and adapt to emerging retail trends, the sector demands agile, forward-thinking leadership capable of transforming disruption into opportunity and guiding organizations toward sustainable, future-ready growth.”
Mr. Veronelli, managing partner, Kestria Italy (Allen Parker), brings more than 20 years of senior leadership experience across executive search, RPO processes, talent management and complex HR solutions. Before joining Allen Parker, he held executive positions at Manpower, focusing on outsourcing and RPO models as commercial director and later as regional director. At Adecco, Mr. Veronelli was director of permanent placement and business line director and at Michael Page, he served as executive manager overseeing various business units, including finance, banking, tax & legal, HR and executive.
“Thank you for the trust and for the opportunity to lead the consumer & retail practice at Kestria,” said Mr. Veronelli. “I’m excited to contribute to the growth and evolution of the practice. I will give my best to enhance the team’s work and achieve new milestones together.”
Related: Kestria Expands in Mexico
Kestria has partners in over 40 countries and 90 cities across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The consortium has completed more than 40,000 assignments for more than 4,000 clients, from game-changing start-ups to major global players.
Leader of AI Ambassadors Group
Kestria also recently named Thomas Suter as the new leader of the AI Ambassadors Group. Under his leadership, the group will continue to innovate, ensuring technology enhances efficiency without compromising personalized, strategic advisory.
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“At Kestria, we see the thoughtful integration of AI not as a replacement, but as a powerful extension of our expertise,” said Mr. Motejzik. “By empowering our AI ambassadors group under Thomas Suter’s leadership, we’re ensuring that innovation directly supports our consultants in what matters most — building trusted relationships, understanding cultural nuances and guiding clients through their most strategic leadership decisions. This appointment reinforces our positioning as a premium, forward-looking global executive search alliance, fluent not only in finding leaders but also in adapting the tools that define the future of our profession.”
Mr. Suter is managing partner, co-owner and founder of Viavanta, Kestria Switzerland. He has over 15 years of experience in international executive search, focusing on personalities at the management and board level in the retail, consumer goods and digital/ICT sectors. “Together with Thomas Muhmenthaler, he invented and established the Multiple Search Initiative, highlighting Viavanta’s unique selling position as a trendsetter in recruitment in Switzerland,” Kestria said.
Related: Kestria Adds New Member Firm in Portugal
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
