News & Insights

Leadership development needs data, tech – and us

Fri, 01 May 2026 15:20:53 Z

But binary thinking remains a real risk. It’s all about the nuance...

Leadership assessment and development specialists are living in interesting times: the burgeoning range of tools and instruments is both promising and disorienting, writes Victor Reis, Partner at Amrop Sweden and member of Amrop's Global Leadership Advisory Practice.

Especially given the dizzying rise of AI, it’s tempting to seek clarity in the black and white: humans versus data and technology. Few deny that we should combine both. But what should that look like? What do we want, and (really) need?

The Digitally Proficient Board

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:12:05 Z

New Expectations of Digital Competence

Mika Suortti, Finland | Christian Axberg, Sweden

Most boards today have some familiarity with digital tools. Amrop's Mika Suortti thinks that's not nearly enough.

Suortti, Managing Partner at Amrop Finland and a member of both Amrop's Global Digital and Board Practices, argues that genuine digital proficiency means more than knowing the landscape — it means understanding how AI can actively support the board's own work. In conversation with Christian Axberg, Partner at Amrop Sweden, he makes the case for boards that can draw on AI-sourced insights for scenario planning and strategic decision-making, while remaining the final authors of judgment and accountability.

Bridging Science and Strategy: Baltic Life Sciences

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:24:20 Z

The Baltic Life Sciences sector is entering a defining phase – one shaped by international expansion, leadership transformation and rapid technological change. At the center of this evolution is a growing need for leaders who can operate at the intersection of science, strategy and global business.

Since joining Amrop Baltics in 2021, Natalja Gudakovska has been closely engaged in this shift. As part of Amrop’s Life Sciences Practice, she works with pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare organizations across the region and internationally, focusing on executive search and leadership advisory. Her approach reflects the complexity of the sector: leadership assessment extends well beyond technical expertise to include the ability to navigate regulatory environments, safeguard patient outcomes and scale across borders. As she notes, “my background gave me the opportunity to look beyond functional competences and understand behavior, motivation and cultural context in a quite complex stakeholder environment” – a perspective that informs how she identifies leaders capable of balancing scientific innovation with commercial growth.

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 1: Who Are Your Leaders For What's Next?

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 08:40:26 Z

"They have not yet been humbled by life, nor experienced the force of circumstances... They think they know everything." Aristotle.

Since the dawn of time, mature adults have been scratching their heads about the next generation. Family business owners questioning their desire and drive to keep the shop open. Educators mystified by minds that seemed to function differently. Governments worried about the survival of the social and economic fabric. In the 21st century, the Gen Z and Millennial cohorts have sparked megabytes of academic and business studies - and a host of assumptions.

Amrop's new A 3-part series, based on in-depth interviews with senior Amrop Partners, examines the relationship between the new gen and business leadership. Beyond the hype, which new gen characteristics deserve special attention?

Creating AI Heroes

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:22:41 Z

Could you be an AI hero?

Christian Axberg | Sweden

Good news. AI isn’t rocket science. It’s about controlled leaps - and empowerment.

Three out of four CEOs fear losing their jobs if AI doesn’t deliver.ⁱ But it’s perfectly possible to move from doubt to dynamism. It’s a question of consciously adopting and adapting, not randomly experimenting. Discerning AI’s potential for your business, taking action where it matters, and acknowledging the human factor.

When it comes to AI, the first question leaders used to ask was: “What do we want to change?” Now it’s: “Do we even want to exist?” If the answer’s yes, then consider this: the more deeply AI infuses the relevant parts of your operations, the faster your organization will adopt and adapt.

The End of Connectivity as a Product: Keys For Leadership

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 07:05:37 Z

The telecom industry is at a pivotal crossroads. Should operators double down on scale and capital efficiency – through mergers, carve-outs, network sharing, and spectrum financing – or shift toward service-led models that unlock new value from programmable networks and APIs?

Amrop's Digital and Telecom practices are exploring this tension alongside our clients. Together, we examine how organizations can evolve to power developer-driven ecosystems, build stronger cloud and vendor partnerships, and adopt leadership models capable of turning innovation into real revenue. With AI now accelerating both cost reduction and margin expansion, the stakes – and opportunities – have never been higher.

Amrop’s Bo Ekelund distills what we're hearing consistently from leaders across the mobile telecoms sector: four perspectives shaping how the industry is transforming, and what it takes to lead through it.

Amrop Appoints New Managing Director

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 14:52:40 Z

Brussels – April 20, 2026 – The Amrop Partnership, a leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm, announces the appointment of Sara Jane (SJ) Knox as Managing Director. This newly created role reflects our continued commitment to strengthening our strategic focus and enhancing organizational development across our global partnership.

Reporting directly to the Global Board, the Managing Director will play a pivotal role in shaping Amrop’s long-term direction, driving key strategic initiatives, and supporting the ongoing evolution of our firm in an increasingly dynamic and complex global market.

Sara Jane brings a wealth of experience from leading global networks and professional services organizations. Over the past decade, she has held senior global strategy roles, working closely with C-suite executives, advising on critical business challenges, and building trusted relationships with senior leaders across diverse cultural and professional environments. Her strong strategic acumen, combined with deep understanding of the global professional services landscape and a collaborative and forward-thinking leadership style, makes her exceptionally well suited to this role.

Annika Farin, Global Chair of Amrop, commented:

“We are thrilled to welcome SJ to Amrop at such an important moment in our firm’s journey. Her deep experience in global strategy, combined with her ability to connect people, ideas, and opportunities across markets, will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our partnership and deliver exceptional value to our clients. This new role underscores our ambition to further strengthen alignment, innovation, and long-term impact across our global network.”

Sara Jane Knox added:

“I am excited to join Amrop and to work alongside such a highly regarded global partnership. The firm’s entrepreneurial spirit, deep local expertise, and collaborative culture create a powerful platform for growth. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of Amrop’s development, supporting our partners worldwide, and helping to shape a clear and ambitious path forward.”

About Amrop

Amrop is a global leadership consulting firm, offering retained Executive Search, Board and Leadership Advisory services. We advise the world's most dynamic, agile organizations on identifying and positioning Leaders For What's Next - adept at working across borders, in markets around the world. Established in 1977, Amrop operates in Asia, EMEA and the Americas across 72 offices in 59 countries.

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Fine-tuning Value Chains in Discount Retail

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:35:36 Z

How top players are recruiting and developing top-flight executives in a competitive market

Eelco van Eijck | Netherlands

Low-cost, high-volume models. A rare blend of discipline and agility. As the cost-of-living squeeze drives value-driven consumption, functionality and convenience, discount retail is on the rise. To sustain momentum, Eelco van Eijck asks: how can we find highfliers with an eye for detail and optimization?

The Sigma Woman Archetype: Preety Kumar, Amrop India

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:58:48 Z

Preety Kumar | India

Every Women's Day we celebrate women. But I don't just want to celebrate women.

I want women to evolve.

What I'm sharing comes from observation and lived experience, not moral certainty. Because the hard truth is: many women are not stuck because they lack talent.

They are often held back by conditioning, comfort, and environments that make giving up feel easier than pushing through. That's why I relate to the archetype of the Sigma Woman. Not because it's a trend. Because it's practical.

From TechDay India's IT Brief.

Sustainability, Affordability, Security: A Big Ask for a Small Talent Pool

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:24:43 Z

Ranju Shergill | Canada

Whether government, city, or PE-owned, energy providers are having to balance multiple imperatives. Accelerating decarbonization and the transition from fossilbased fuels to renewables. Expanding infrastructure, doubling grid capacity to feed EV adoption, industrial electrification, and hungry AI data centers.

Canada is one of the world’s biggest producers, with energy as its main export. This pioneering country is a prime example of the sector’s challenges – and how to solve them. Its leaders are playing an increasingly important role in global clean energy provision.

A Knock at the Door: A personal take on AI and Executive Search

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:51:39 Z

From The Ampersand blog - Amrop Rosin Canada.

Adam Pekarsky | Canada

AI has crossed a threshold. Not incremental improvements - faster emails or cleaner summaries - but something more fundamental. Systems that can write code, analyze financial models, draft legal arguments, and complete complex tasks with minimal supervision. Not drafts - finished work.

The upside is staggering, the downside sobering and the future already here. It just hasn’t knocked on everyone’s door yet - but you can hear it coming.

Japan: Do Millennials Have a Place on Boards?

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:54:53 Z

Naohiro Furuta | Japan

The answer is yes – under certain conditions. Japan offers an interesting lens on this question.

A typical board member is at least 50 years old. Boards are missing a vital opportunity: younger executives that have at least 10 years of solid business experience behind them. Consider AI. Most boards are aware of its amplitude - and their own limits. We have a golden opportunity to open minds to age diversity: “This candidate is 43, and strong in AI. Why don’t you consider her for your board?”

Every year, we conduct up to 200 board searches for Japanese multinationals. In about half of cases I personally lead, I propose younger candidates. To date, only a handful have passed the finish line. But they are increasingly selected for interviews. Change is underway.

A Broader Vision of Diversity: A conversation with Natasha Friis Saxberg, Danish ICT Industry Association

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:32:17 Z

A seasoned technologist shaping Danish ICT, Natasha Friis Saxberg has spent nearly three decades in technology - from hands-on network engineering to founding SaaS startups, from corporate ventures and helping companies enter the US market, to her role as Vice Chair of the Danish Quantum Community. She brings uncommon technical depth and entrepreneurial experience to industry leadership. She heads an association that represents more than 800 companies and 117,000 employees across ICT, telecom and related sectors, and has been repeatedly recognized among Europe’s most influential women in tech.

In conversation with Amrop's Kristine Cholewa, she shares her views on everything from server rooms to strategic influence.

Coaching and Mentoring: Vital Avenues for Sustainable CEO Performance

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 07:14:37 Z

Too many top leaders are missing out.

Unequivocal, discreet and skilled support. Honest input. Self-awareness. This is why coaching and mentoring are so vital for top leaders. Both should provide a safe, neutral, and confidential space for a CEO to open up and gain counsel. Both require non-judgement and empathy. Yet many organizations fail to provide this life support. They’re missing a significant opportunity, say Amrop Partners.

Read our report: The CEO Struggle - Part 3: Sustaining the Leader.

The CEO Struggle - Part 3: Sustaining the Leader

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:36:10 Z

It’s early evening, and a CFO takes a call. A headhunter has a tempting proposition: a multinational on an M&A drive is seeking a new CEO. Can she talk? The toplines sound great. A prestigious position in an outstanding organization. It's a natural step up. An intriguing challenge.

All these factors matter to an incoming CEO. But they are not enough. The organizational setting will be critical: from the board and C-suite team, to the firm’s higher purpose. So, too, the top executive’s access to a peer entourage, her attitudes, purpose and self-care.

“Usually, these factors are not considered enough,” says Fredy Hausammann, Managing Partner of Amrop in Switzerland. “If you have a legacy executive team and a non-executive board which aren’t ideally configured, you’ll have trouble.” In essence: “If the setting is right, you don't have to worry about the rest.”

When the pressure is on, how can a CEO stay resilient?

Cybersecurity doesn’t just protect value - It creates it

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:29:05 Z

Job Voorhoeve | Netherlands

Is your CISO the right player, in the right place?

Enterprise risk. Regulatory compliance. Reputation. Long-term value. Cybersecurity touches all four board imperatives. No longer just a matter of technical protection, it concerns sustainable performance and strategic resilience.

Sustainability and Change Management: A Conversation with Yulia Riakhovskaia, Metinvest

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:47:16 Z

"Sustainability is only achieved through behavioral change."

Change management has moved from the sidelines to the center of executive leadership. In a joint report by Amrop Ukraine and the ACMP (Association of Change Management Professionals) Ukraine Chapter, senior leaders are unequivocal: it is a core executive capability that drives value creation, mitigates risk, and belongs firmly on the board agenda.

In a conversation with Amrop's Angela Poddubna, Yulia Riakhovskaia, Business Support and International HR Director at Metinvest, brings these insights into sharp focus. Drawing on real-world experience, she shares how change management shapes decisions, accelerates careers, and ultimately determines whether large-scale transformations succeed - or fail.

Life Science Catalysts: Steering Romania’s Health Innovation

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:20:04 Z

Magda Clipaciuc - Romania

Romania’s life sciences sector has undergone a profound transformation over the past two decades, evolving from a market once dominated by multinational pharmaceutical companies into a far more diverse and dynamic ecosystem. As Magda Clipaciuc observes from more than two decades of work in executive search and leadership advisory, early market development was largely driven by expatriate-led leadership teams focused on building local capability and professionalizing operations. Those foundations helped establish stronger governance, ethics and talent practices that continue to shape the sector today.

Are you ready for the next era of shipping?

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:30:56 Z

Christian Reich | Denmark

A global ecosystem adds new perspectives – if you know where to look.

Shipping is entering the most complex decade in its modern history. An interplay of digitization, decarbonization and geopolitics is reshaping strategic decisions. Complementary perspectives are needed at board and C-suite levels, says Christian Reich, leader of Amrop’s Global Shipping Practice.

Norway’s Tech Scene: Rooted in Legacy, Accelerating to What's Next

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:05:16 Z

Norway’s technology ecosystem is distinct: it grows out of five decades of advanced industrial development, not from a Silicon Valley-style consumer tech startup culture. According to Jan S. Øinæs, Managing Partner of Amrop Norway, that legacy - world-class offshore engineering, responsible oil & gas operations, maritime excellence and well-capitalized public and private investors - continues to shape how technology is adopted, who builds it and where executive talent is placed.

The country’s wealth and industrial foundation created a dense cluster of specialist firms serving offshore exploration and production. Over decades, Norwegian companies built advanced capabilities in subsea operations, offshore infrastructure and complex maritime environments.

As oil and gas production gradually declines, that competence is not disappearing - it is being redeployed.

The Turkish Retail Paradox

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:12:05 Z

Why the Private Label "Boom" Never Really Happened (But Everything Else Did)

For decades, the Turkish retail landscape was a fortress: global giants like Unilever, P&G, and Nestlé invested heavily in the market, forging a consumer mindset where brands weren't just products, they were badges of status and quality. For the Turkish ev hanımı (housewife), a brand was the ultimate shield against uncertainty.

The current era of economic volatility could lead one to expect a simple narrative: "Inflation is high, so private labels must be winning." But according to İrem Yüksel, Managing Partner at Amrop Türkiye & CIS and a member of Amrop’s Global Consumer & Retail Practice, the reality is much more nuanced. Moderating a recent roundtable with top CEOs in the Turkish consumer and retail sector, she concludes that the Turkish consumer isn't just buying "cheaper"; they are playing a complex game of status, survival, and emotional indulgence.

Hyper-personalization in Retail: Strategy vs Morality

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:58:49 Z

Oana Ciornei - Romania

Hyper-personalization is shaping the future of retail - fast. Consider Sephora: through AI-driven skin diagnostics, tailored product recommendations, loyalty data integration, and seamless online-offline journeys, the brand has transformed personalization into a core competitive advantage. Beauty is no longer just about product; it is about curated experience.

And it is not just a technical question – but a strategic and moral one.

AI: The Case for Natural Intelligence

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:33:05 Z

Why People, Not AI, Must Stay at the Center of Our Economy

Benoit Lison - Belgium | Ulrich Beckendorff - Germany

Everywhere you look, AI is hailed as the next great revolution. Yet when we cut through the excitement and look closely at what expert institutions actually report, the picture that emerges is far less glamorous - and far more sobering.

Data harmonization and integrated intelligence: Is your culture up to it?

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 20:56:16 Z

Hugo Martins - Portugal

One team. Borderless collaboration. Professional services firms are keen on these reassuring declarations. But the way data is shared may tell a different story. One that is more about protectionism than partnership.

In reality, many partnerships still run along multiple side alleys, rather than a single track. The transition from siloed data to unified, intelligence-driven operating models is complex for any business. For professional services firms, it may herald an existential crisis.

The transition doesn’t just rest on technical platforms or operations. It’s a cultural concern.

At the Center of Change: Three Decades of Digital in Poland

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:44:38 Z

Before founding dk Executive Search (now Amrop dk), Dorota Kolecka had watched Poland move from a planned economy to a functioning market system. It was already evident that the companies best positioned to grow were those investing seriously in leadership from the outset. In those early days, recruitment in Poland was demanding work, in a market that had spent four decades under a system where talent was assigned rather than recruited - but it offered a clear vantage point on what was coming.

What she could not fully anticipate was how quickly technology would become central to that growth story. In just three decades, Poland underwent one of the more significant industrial shifts in contemporary Europe - and she had the privilege of observing much of it firsthand.