Signium Opens New Office In Argentina

October 13, 2016 – Executive search firm Signium has opened a new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Lead by Rubén Heinemann, SIGNIUM Argentina will provide focused executive search services across 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. He previously spent time as a partner with Oxford Partners. He also spent 14 years with Heidrick & Struggles. Other former roles include serving as president of American Express-Argentina, CEO of VISA International-Argentina and CEO of Juncadella Prosegur Group.

“Being chosen by Signium to be part of its international network is a recognition of quality of our work, our methodology and a decade of work in the country,” said Mr. Heinemann. “The SIGNIUM global group enriches and broadens the range of opportunities to our business base. No doubt we will be a valuable partner for companies wishing to settle in Argentina.”

Argentina: Latin America’s Third Largest Economy

“We are pleased to welcome Rubén Heinemann, SIGNIUM Argentina, as our new partner firm in Buenos Aires, expanding portfolio of executive search and leadership consulting firms,” said Ignacio Bao, chairman of SIGNIUM. “Argentina is a rebounding business market and will only continue to expand providing significant business opportunities throughout South America and around the globe.”

Benefiting from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, a diversified industrial base, and an export-oriented agricultural sector, the economy of Argentina is Latin America’s third-largest, and the second largest in South America. It has a “very high” rating on the Human Development Index and a relatively high GDP per capita, with a considerable internal market size and a growing share of the high-tech sector.

The new office follows Signium opening a new location in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Led by Marcelo Apovian, Jorge Kraljevic and Gilberto Lara, Signium Brazil provides executive search services across industries, including industrial, consumer / luxury retail, financial, as well as business & professional services. The partners of Signium Brazil have over 55 years of cumulative executive recruiting / HR experience in the Brazilian market and have worked extensively throughout South America directly with global businesses.

“Brazil is a dynamic market and will only continue to expand, providing significant business opportunities throughout South America and around the globe,” said Mr. Bao. “With this high profile addition we will provide a significant network of senior business contacts across the industrial, consumer and professional business services marketplace.”

Recruiters Turn to South America

A number of executive search consortiums have turned to South America to expand their networks in recent months. Here is a look at a few:

• Brazilian executive search firm EXEC has added Alexandre Zuvela as a partner in its Sao Paulo office. Mr. Zuvela is an actuary and in the last five years has worked for relevant search companies in Brazil, responsible for the insurance and financial services practices. Most recently, he served as vice president and partner with Fesa Global Executive Search Transforming Leadership.

• IMD International Search Group has strengthened its presence in South America with the addition of Osser & Osser. Headquartered in São Paulo, Osser & Osser is led by Anna Luiza Osser and Patricia Osser Sales who founded the firm in 2002. It provides search services to medium and large-sized national and multinational companies, start-ups, family companies and non-profit organizations.

• Cornerstone International Group, a global executive search and leadership development firm, has added four new offices in Brazil with the addition of Technique Search. Technique Search’s talent management services include career planning & development, board and senior management assessment, and board & management counseling, which includes initial alignment of expectations and personal careers.

• Panorama, a global network of independent executive search firms with 20 offices and over 50 partners across Europe, North America and the Asian Pacific, recently added Brazil-headquartered executive search firm EXEC to its global network. EXEC was established in 2009 as a boutique consultancy; its business offerings include search & selection, and leadership & organizational advisory services. Co-managed by an advisory board, EXEC has offices in Sao Paulo, Campinas, Brazil and Rio de Janeiro.

• Agilium Worldwide, LLC elected Plongê Consultoria Capital Humano in São Paulo, Brazil, to join its network. Comprised of four founding partners and 12 consultants, Plongê Consultora is a consulting firm focused on people and management. Founder Renata Dolabella Fabrini has over 20 years of experience in executive search. Prior to co-founding Plongê, she was a partner with Fesa where she led its financial services practice in Brazil and Latin America. She also served as co-head of global financial services at IIC Partners.

Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media