Mercuri Urval Appoints Five New Partners
September 25, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden-based executive search firm Mercuri Urval (MU) has appointed five new partners made up of a diverse group of experts, representing three nationalities. The new partners are Dennis Tanke, Isabella Valentini, Irena Schierjott, Florian Knorn, and Anne Zhang.
“Becoming a partner in MU means to be recognized as exceptionally trusted by clients and colleagues, and it also means an important commitment to engage in developing the strength of this fantastic firm,” said Roger Hagafors, chairman of the group board. “The partnership is an important platform for the continued success of MU.”
Mr. Tanke is a senior consultant in the Hamburg office and offers executive and professional recruitment as well as assessment solutions for customers in the field of industrial products, manufacturing and technology & communication. Before joining Mercuri Urval in 2018, he worked for more than 10 years in a medium-sized executive search company and managed variety of recruitment projects in the field of specialists and executives.
With a focus on international business, Ms. Valentini is based in Copenhagen and operates within the MU global reach. She joined MU in 2014 at the China office and works across MU services and solutions, from executive search to assessment and coaching programs, and industries (manufacturing, energy, international public sector) with a horizontal ESG focus. Along with working with clients, Ms. Valentini leads the MU Associate Network, a global, growing team of colleagues enhancing MU business, capabilities, and global reach, and is developing international consultancy capabilities in teams. She is also responsible for inclusion and diversity in MU, operating with colleagues and clients to foster inclusive leadership and working practices, challenging the diversity problem in organizations.
Ms. Schierjott is a group director within MU, part of MU’s Hamburg office since 2013. To date, she has completed over 250 executive mandates, more than 500 executive assessments, and over 300 coaching sessions together with teams up to 10 persons. Prior to MU, Ms. Schierjott worked at the chair of organization and management at the University of Göttingen, within the management diagnostics department for an international automotive group and in the executive search for a consumer goods company.
Mr. Knorn, based in Freiburg, Germany, is a member of Mercuri Urval’s industrial products, manufacturing and healthcare sector. His advisory service focuses on mid-size and big companies and supports them in all HR-related topics. Typical clients are automotive and engineering companies as well as healthcare, pharma and medical device companies. Mr. Knorn focuses on executive search, talent management and board advisory.
Ms. Zhang is based in MU Shanghai office and focuses on executive search, leadership assessment & development centers, executive coaching, and team coaching. She is a key member of the MU industry sector team, supporting mid-to-large international companies in APAC. In addition, Ms. Zhang belongs to ESG expert practice with a focus on APAC market. She rejoined MU in February 2025. Previously, Ms. Zhang spent 12 years with MU (2010 – 2022), holding key leadership positions, including partner, director of China.
Related: Mercuri Urval Group Appoints Sector Leader
Mercuri Urval is a global executive search and talent advisory firm. The firm was founded in 1967. Today, Mercuri Urval works with more than 3,000 clients – across all sectors – in over 70 countries every year. It is the only global executive search and leadership advisory firm based in the Nordics.
Past Partnership
Mercuri Urval recently announced a new cooperation with Bell Oaks Executive Search, an executive search firm based in Atlanta. This strategic alliance aims to enhance Bell Oaks’ global reach while strengthening MU’s Americas’ team industry sector and consulting expertise. “There is a lot of enthusiasm about this cooperation,” said Todd Warshaw and Matt Tovrog, CEOs of Bell Oaks. “Following a thorough market analysis, Bell Oaks has confidently entered this strategic collaboration to enhance our ability to serve clients globally with the same quality they have experienced in the US. It addresses a request we consistently hear from our clients; to provide recruiting services beyond the U.S. Our team is excited that this cooperation will enable our clients to scale their leadership teams around the globe with Bell Oaks and MU.”
“Cooperating with a highly reputable, and well established executive search firm such as Bell Oaks, represents a significant milestone for our organization, both internationally and within the U.S.,” said Darcie Murray, head of Americas, MU. “This will not only enhance our ability to attract top-tier talent but also align our leadership resources with our strategic growth objectives. We are confident that this collaboration will elevate our competitive edge, and ultimately, deliver exceptional value to our clients and stakeholders. We look forward to welcoming the entire Bell Oaks team into MU as a strategic partner, and further servicing our clients with the best talent in the executive search industry.”
Related: Mercuri Urval Acquires Delta Management Consultants
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
