Trinity Bridge Expands to Germany
June 4, 2025 – U.K.-based executive search firm Trinity Bridge has expanded into Germany with the appointment of Stephanie Watzek as managing director for the region to support its continued growth in Central Europe. Launched in the U.K. in 2022 by Sam Seigler, Trinity Bridge was inspired by Mr. Siegler’s vision to build an executive search firm with deep-rooted sector knowledge and a focus on delivering exceptional client service and candidate experience.
“Stephanie’s experience in the industry speaks for itself and we’re lucky to have her on board to launch and drive the growth of our base in Germany,” said Mr. Seigler. “With almost 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Watzek will be heading up the new office based in Berlin as managing director.”
Prior to working in executive search, Ms. Watzek held roles in operations and revenue management at Kempinski Hotels. She joins Trinity Bridge from LHC International where she helped to appoint senior leaders across the real estate and hospitality sectors.
“We have strong ambitions to establish ourselves as the leading executive search firm within the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors and the appointment of Stephanie represents a significant step toward realizing this objective,” said Mr. Seigler. “Stephanie brings an exceptional understanding of the sector together with a strong track record building leadership teams. She will lead the launch of our German office in Berlin strengthening our presence across Europe, while supporting the growing demand from international clients seeking experienced, sector-focused search partners.”
“Hospitality has always been my passion — driven by a commitment to excellence and outstanding service,” Ms. Watzek said in a LinkedIn post. “At Trinity Bridge, we bring that same ethos to executive search, making us the go-to partner for the hospitality, travel, and leisure industries. A big thank you to Sam Seigler for your trust and the opportunity to grow our presence from our new base in Berlin. I’m proud to be part of this journey.”
Related: Hiring Confidence Slows as Employers Steer Economic Headwinds
Following growth of 60 percent over the last 12 months alone, Trinity Bridge has established its niche in the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors and is now opening a second office in Germany to strengthen its presence in Europe.
German Economy
The economy of Germany is a highly developed social market economy. It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth-largest by nominal GDP in the world, and fifth by GDP (PPP). Of the world’s 2000 largest publicly listed companies measured by revenue, the Fortune Global 2000, 53 are headquartered in Germany, with the Top 10 being Allianz, Daimler, Volkswagen, Siemens, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, BASF, Munich Re, and SAP.
Executive Search: Challenges, Trends, and Hopes for a Hiring Resurgence in 2025
For many search firms in almost all industry segments, 2024 has been a tough year. There are many reasons for the recent downturn, and some firms have experienced a dip in revenues for even longer, according to Tim Tolan, founder, chairman, and managing partner of The Tolan Group. “Lots of changes are on the horizon for 2025 on the hiring front, and search firms are waiting with bated breath while hiring decisions are on hold, and draft fee agreements are (still) sitting in DocuSign waiting to be signed,” he said. “Decisions are dragging, as are active search engagements, as hiring managers and leaders struggle to make hiring decisions in the environment, we are all trying to navigate.”
In the Hunt Scanlon 2024 Executive Recruiting State of the Industry Report, the numbers reflected a double-digit downturn in demand for executive recruiting, with the private equity sector being the most affected. “We’ve seen and experienced that firsthand, but we feel positive changes are on the horizon,” Mr. Tolan said.
Of the world’s 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue, the Fortune Global 500, 37 are headquartered in Germany. Thirty Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the most popular German stock market index. Well-known global brands are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SAP, Siemens, Volkswagen, Adidas, Audi, Allianz, Porsche, Bayer, BASF, Bosch, and Nivea.
Since inception, Trinity Bridge and his growing team have worked hard to establish a track record of success in building leadership teams for both multinational and domestic companies, with clients ranging from listed and privately owned businesses to venture capital and family offices.
“I launched Trinity Bridge just over two years ago with a clear vision to build an industry leading executive search firm with unrivalled and specialist experience within the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors,” said Mr. Seigler.
Related: Predicting Talent Acquisition Trends for 2025
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
