Signium Expands Into Seoul
December 13, 2017 – Executive search firm Signium has continued its expansion with the opening of a new office in Seoul, South Korea. The office will provide search and leadership consulting services for Korean local conglomerate and multinational corporations. Mann-Hyun Han has been named managing partner of Signium Korea.
“Throughout the last two decades, Korea has successfully achieved rapid economic growth with traditional leadership capabilities,” said Mr. Mann-Hyun. “However, the landscape of business is rapidly changing and thus the need to sustain growth requires different leadership qualities compared to the past.”
Prior to joining Signium, Mr. Mann-Hyun has over 20 years of consulting experience in Korea and the U.S. with Monitor Group and LEK Consulting. He has expertise across wide range of industries including media, entertainment, telecommunications, internet, chemicals, automobiles, consumer products, education and public sectors. He also has expertise in organizational value-up and leadership development. Previously, Mr. Han was co-leader of Egon Zehnder’s Seoul office.
Seoul is the business and financial hub of South Korea. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of the nation’s land area, more than half of South Korea’s bank deposits were held in the city last year, according to Forglobal, a networking website. The traditional, labor-intensive manufacturing industries have been continuously replaced by information technology, electronics and assembly-type of industries, however, food and beverage production, as well as printing and publishing remained among the core industries, said Forglobal. Major manufacturers are headquartered in the city, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK.
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Seoul also hosts a large concentration of headquarters for international companies and banks, including 15 companies on the Fortune 500 list. Most bank headquarters and the Korea Exchange are located in Yeouido (Yeoui Island), which is often called ‘Korea’s Wall Street’ and has been serving as the financial center of the city since the 1980s.
Global Growth
Signium has 45 offices in 30 countries serving clients in the Americas, Europe/ Middle East/ Africa and the 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.
Signium has been expanding in other regions around the globe as well. Here’s a look at the firm’s most recent movement from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
In September, Signium added partners Felipa Xara-Brasil and Joana Proença de Carvalho in Portugal and Alberto Chico in Spain. Ms. Xara-Brasil was one of the founders of Heidrick & Struggles in Portugal. Ms. Proença was partner at Fesa, an executive search firm in Brazil.
In July, Signium U.K. named Andrew Dawson as director of its industrial practice, Paul Surridge as global head of leadership consulting, and Dominique Graham as global head of legal and professional services. Mr. Dawson was previously a key member of Hoggett Bowers’ senior leadership team and a former head of its industrial practice.
In June, Signium U.K. named Paul Surridge as global head of leadership consulting and Dominique Graham global head of legal and professional services. Mr. Surridge is an experienced management consultant, specializing in talent and transformation. He has worked with a wide range of FTSE 100/ 250 and Fortune 500 organizations in many industries.
At the beginning of the year, the firm added Johannesburg, South Africa-based Talent Africa, which became part of Signium’s EMEA regional offering and membership. “Talent Africa’s membership will add a significant footprint in sub-Saharan Africa for Signium,” said Ignacio Bao, chairman of recruitment firm.
Signium also recently opened an office in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Led by Rubén Heinemann, Signium Argentina serves a number of industries, including industrial, financial, business & professional services, as well as oil & gas throughout Argentina. Mr. Heinemann has over 30 years of cumulative C-suite and executive recruiting experience in the Argentine market.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Will Schatz, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
