Signium Elects New Board

May 11, 2021 – Executive search consortium Signium today will announce the election of its new board of directors: Annelize van Rensburg, director of executive search in Johannesburg, South Africa will be elected chair, and Piotr Pilecki, managing partner in Wroclaw, Poland will be elected as vice chair. Signium also will add Felipa Xara-Brasil, senior partner in Lisbon, Portugal; Aleksander Montalbetti, managing partner in Frankfurt, Germany; and David-Sebastian Stein, managing partner in Bucharest, Romania as new voting members of the board. Each of the five directors will serve three-year terms.

Outgoing Signium board director and vice chair Angela Westdorf said: “Signium is building on its industry experience to create a modern, global, client-focused business. I am glad to have served our global organization on the global board for the past five years with a focus on increasing global collaboration and happily pass the baton over. The five new directors, all elected by Signium members, will provide focused leadership and governance.”

“I’m honored to accept the role,” said Ms. van Rensburg. “We have outstanding firms and people in Signium, and I look forward to working with my co-directors to help strengthen our market position and to identify outstanding leaders for our clients all over the globe. Signium has served the industry for 70 years and will continue this legacy with pride.”

Ms. van Rensburg is a founding member of Talent Africa, now Signium Africa, a major shareholder and director. Her experience in search and selection covers all levels of senior and executive management. Ms. van Rensburg’s industry experience spans a variety of sectors with, but not exclusive, focus on consumer and FMCG, agriculture, ICT, academia, as well as environmental, tourism and hospitality. In addition to the local and international private sector, she also services the South African public and parastatal sector. She covers South Africa nationally as well as the sub-Saharan region of the African continent and as such executed successfully in most East African countries.

New Board

With decades of cross-industry experience in executive search, the new board will focus on developing a realistic growth plan that includes business development in the key Americas and APAC regions, as well as strengthening Signium’s global brand strategy and communications.

With her election to chair, Ms. van Rensburg departs as consumer practice group leader, a role she has held since 2018. Matthew Dallisson, partner in London, has been appointed new consumer group leader.

“Signium’s global portfolio of consumer clients goes from strength-to-strength, at a time when the opportunities for the sector are bigger and more challenging than ever,” Mr. Dallisson said. “We will continue to provide the crucial insights and counsel that enables our Clients to grow, and be admired for the positive difference their talented leadership make.”

Felipa Xara-Brasil will remain in her role as financial services practice group leader, with a new leader to be appointed later this year.

Signium has 45 offices in 30 countries serving clients in the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions. The firm delivers talent acquisition and management solutions for global companies across industry sectors, including consumer goods, financial services, technology, industrial, life sciences and professional services.

Recent Growth

Signium recently expanded with the addition of Manuel Gómez Uriarte in Mexico City office as managing partner responsible for the firm’s growth and positioning in Mexico. “We are excited to welcome Manuel as a new member in our partnership,” said Felipe Rivelles, executive partner in Mexico City and member of Signium’s global board of directors. As managing partner, he will prioritize strengthening our office’s growth strategy by attracting new partners, filling sector gaps, and setting priorities on new industries to focus on.”

Signium also strengthened its staff with the addition of Marcus Kötting as managing partner in Munich. “We are delighted to welcome Marcus Kötting as a new member in our partnership,” said Margareta Glass, managing partner at Signium International in Munich. “With his distinct expertise in the automotive, industry and HR domains he is going to strengthen our competency in the industrial and small-firm sector.”

At Signium, Mr. Kötting is responsible for filling positions on the executive level and the subsequent managing levels in the industry all over Europe, as well as HR-positions across sectors. Among his clients are international large businesses and family firms as well as private equity companies and family offices. Within the industrial sector, he specializes in the automotive and aerospace industry, as well as in the areas of machinery and plant engineering, measurement engineering and metal processing.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media