Leathwaite Names Head of Interim Management for Europe, the Middle East and Africa
October 7, 2019 – Reflecting both current client sentiment and broader geo-political factors impacting the EMEA region, London-based executive search firm Leathwaite has expanded with the addition of Thomas Lundsgaard as its head of interim management in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Based in the firm’s EMEA hub in Zürich, Swiss resident and Danish national Mr. Lundsgaard will service the firm’s existing client base in locations such Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and broader EMEA, as well as his own historical relationships across the Nordic region.
“Our clients’ attitude to the workforce is fundamentally shifting and we need to reflect these changes,” said Chris Rowe, partner and EMEA leader for Leathwaite. “Whilst fostering talent with long-term career potential and embedding a culture remains critically important to our clients, the uncertain economic outlook coupled with the advent of new management practices such as agile, mean that increasingly companies want to buy ready-made skills and capabilities from the external marketplace by proven and ‘road tested’ executives.”
“This need to buy and deploy capabilities at short-notice is particularly acute in areas such as digital transformation, regulatory change and cybersecurity,” Mr. Rowe said. “We have carved a reputation as the go-to search firm for specialist leadership hires across corporate functions in EMEA and we believe Thomas will be a fantastic addition to our offering, by replicating this in the executive interim space.”
“Thomas adds an exciting new dimension to our business and will be able to deploy talent for our clients on a three, six, nine or a 12 month basis, or indeed as part of a bespoke fixed-term contract,” said Sam Burt, global head of executive interim practice at Leathwaite. “We are increasingly seeing clients hire non-permanent resources outside of the U.K. as they adapt their business model and entity structure to reflect the political and economic factors currently affecting their businesses.”
Dedicated Outlet
“We now have a dedicated outlet to serve them on the continent and to help other businesses in the EMEA region gain access to top executive interim talent at a senior level,” he said. “Interim solutions are not necessarily a new tool for businesses, but to offer this at an executive-level is less common. We look forward to working with clients, both new and existing, on their European talent challenges.”
Steady Need for Interim Talent Keeps Firms Busy, and Expanding
Across the board, in every industry, today’s market is fueled by growing demand for top talent against a landscape of short supply. This has led to nearly three million people taking temporary jobs, a number that is expected to grow at a healthy pace over the next few years as companies strive to stay agile in the midst of changing market needs.
Mr. Lundsgaard has operated as an HR business partner within firms such as Aros and E.On and most recently he worked for a boutique consulting organization Harris Mayfield specializing in HR consulting, talent management and organizational design. He holds a master’s degree in human resources and an executive MBA from Copenhagen Business School. He has also attended the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University and speaks English, German and Danish, fluently.
Growing Global Firm
Leathwaite has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Zurich. Established in 1999, the firm continues to expand and diversify beyond its core executive search business. Leathwaite now provides an interconnected range of talent, business intelligence and talent management services.
The firm recently expanded its U.S. business with the hire of HR industry expert, Anne Loftus. She came from Spencer Stuart and will work alongside practice director Tom Pemberton to drive HR search in North America across all industry verticals.
Leathwaite also recently added Emily Woodward to its Hong Kong office where she will support clients in all industry sectors with a focus on finance, legal and compliance leadership. Ms. Woodward began her executive search and leadership consulting career over 20 years ago in London before relocating to Asia 12 years ago.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
