In Search Of Excellence
As the leader of a business dealing with changing scenarios comes as second nature to CEOs, and 2009 was particularly testing. Whether it was dealing with the results of the financial crisis or battling the fallout of bonus culture, CEOs continually on the ropes. Concurrently, the rise of technology and environmental issues, and the required specialist knowledge, meant new skills had to be learned. Director’s Eric Baker talked with Christopher Clarke, worldwide CEO and president of Boyden recruitment, to gauge what’s expected of a modern CEO.
Christopher Clarke knows what he does is worthwhile. As he puts it to new search professionals: “The work we do is good for humanity. We find leaders for companies, these companies create employment and help the communities people live in. Do not get arrogant.”
The main challenge he runs up against is 98% of senior management want to stay in their home country. “Anybody who aspires to a CEO position in a multinational company has to have experience in an international setting. They need to know Europe, Asia, and the United States, as they need to know different cultures.
“We all put down on our preference sheets that we are willing to live abroad. But the day you say to your partner that you are going to a post abroad, things change. All kinds of difficulties arise.
“In addition, it has become very expensive to post expats abroad. It requires more than a six-month commitment, and you need really good local people. You have to make sure when you send people over there they learn, so you have to guard against people being put in a bubble when they post abroad.”
Senior executive recruitment takes a different tack from typical employment agencies as they generally take a brief from a client and advise on what type of person they would need based on cultural fit.
