Signium Expands in Belgium
September 15, 2026 – Executive search consortium Signium has expanded with the addition of Valérie Schmitt to its Belgium team as leadership consulting partner. “She will support executive leaders and teams at pivotal moments, helping them navigate change and succeed in complex environments,” Signium said. “Drawing on more than 25 years in senior corporate roles, Valérie brings first-hand experience of the challenges leaders face. Her approach is grounded in a strong belief that individuals and organizations thrive when people are able to fulfil their potential, take ownership and benefit from different perspectives.”
“Throughout her international career, Valérie has been at the heart of business and cultural transformation, working with individuals and teams to turn change into lasting progress,” the search consortium continued. “She combines strategic thinking with a pragmatic and collaborative approach, encouraging engagement and ownership while creating the conditions for people to develop and perform at their best.”
Throughout her international career, Ms. Schmitt has been at the heart of business and cultural transformation, working with individuals and teams to turn change into lasting progress. Most recently, she was chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and VP of HR EMEA at Aliaxis. Prior to this, she had an extensive career with global corporations such as ABB and Travelport.
“A few months ago, I shared my decision to move into coaching,” Ms. Schmitt said. “Joining Signium feels like a natural next step in that journey, allowing me to build on this new direction while drawing on more than 25 years of international corporate experience. At Signium, I will work with executive leaders and teams as they navigate pivotal moments — supporting their development, helping them navigate change and complexity, and creating the conditions for both people and organizations to succeed.”
“What attracted me to Signium is its combination of a strong international network with a genuinely partner-led and collaborative approach,” Ms. Schmitt added. “Across countries and cultures, we bring together different perspectives and expertise to help organizations develop and empower the leadership they need for long-term success.”
Related: Signium Adds New Member Firm in Michigan
Signium has 46 offices in 32 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.
New Office in Germany
Signium recently opened a new office in Hamburg, Germany. The new office is led by Moritz Drerup, managing partner, who joined Signium with more than a decade of executive search experience and a highly focused practice in technology and AI leadership. The Hamburg office represents a natural evolution for Mr. Drerup’s established executive search practice, combining his specialist expertise with the reach, sector depth, and international capability of the Signium network, the consortium explained. It strengthens Signium’s presence in Northern Germany and connects the network more closely to Hamburg’s business and technology community.
“Hamburg is a strategic addition to our German network,” said Annelize van Rensburg, global chair at Signium. “Moritz brings a deep understanding of both leadership challenges and the commercial realities our clients navigate. His experience makes him a valuable asset to the team, offering practical insight into the sectors and business models where leadership expectations are evolving most rapidly.”
“The new Hamburg office adds further depth to Signium Germany’s leadership advisory and executive search capabilities,” Ms. van Rensburg added. “As German businesses respond to the pace of digitalization, AI adoption, and changing growth expectations, the expansion places Signium closer to the leadership conversations shaping the country’s next phase of transformation.”
Mr. Drerup focuses on C-level and senior leadership appointments for German Mittelstand companies, private-equity-backed businesses, and scale-ups. Specializing in technology and AI, e-commerce, and industry, his professional background spans strategy consulting, senior roles in e-commerce, and academic lecturing at the Hamburg School of Business Administration. He is fluent in German, English, and Dutch.
Related: Signium Expands in France
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
