News & Insights

Going Deeper: 7 Questions for CIOs

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:18:00 Z

Joseph Teperman | Paulo Aziz Nader | Amrop Brazil

We have spent more than 50 years, combined, working with technology companies. We started inside them, early in our careers. Then we moved to the other side of the table – as consultants, headhunters, mentors, and advisors.

Even after all that time, one thing still stands out: most interviews for technology leadership roles remain shallow.

European Manufacturing: Smart is no longer enough

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:46:38 Z

Matthias Rodewald | Germany

For 20 years, smart factories have been boosting production output, efficiency and adaptiveness. But their potential is still underexploited.

Beyond honing the efficiency of individual machines and fully automated manufacturing lines, skilled organizations are using data holistically to identify bottlenecks and solve problems intelligently. As geopolitical problems intensify, data will be critical to tackle supply chain volatility, from raw‑material to energy consumption, and beyond.

On the upside, real time data access makes it easier to flex competitively to client needs and market dynamics. It can reduce energy use and CO₂ emissions by 25–30%, strengthening a firm’s sustainability credentials and creating an immediate bottom-line impact.

Contextual AI Leadership: Structuring the Modern Org Chart

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 12:20:00 Z

As organizations sprint to operationalize artificial intelligence, the most pressing question lands squarely on the desk of executive search and leadership advisors: Where should the AI function sit?

In the market today, there is a fierce debate over whether AI should report directly to the CEO, the CIO, or the CTO. At Amrop, our advice to Boards is rooted firmly in our Context Driven leadership framework: there is no single ‘correct’ reporting line. Instead, the optimal structure depends entirely on your industry segment, your organizational maturity, and your strategic horizon.

Jamal Khan – Managing Partner at Amrop Australia and a member of Amrop’s Global Digital Practice – shares his insights.

Unlocking Vital Human Value for Telecom Operators

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 07:00:08 Z

From ‘one size fits all’ to systemic customization: the enterprise opportunity is a true leadership test.

Bo Ekelund | Sweden

More than 5G SA and IoT portfolios, capturing the potential of enterprise and programmable networks means dismantling old habits – and re-designing organizations.

Mobile telecom operators face a perfect storm, with underperforming stocks, profit margins and investments butting up against heavy infrastructure investments. As many are running to stand still, an enterprise-focus is appealing. But designing customer solutions demands systemic culture change.

Leadership Under Pressure: Resisting the Call of Charisma

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:20:43 Z

Igor Sulik | Slovakia

Strong-arm rhetoric in the political arena. Forceful founder-CEOs challenging and disrupting the status quo. The socio-economic environment is heating up.

Do boards risk falling prey to an old bias: charismatic, directive leadership? A reversion to an aggressive, short-term culture?

Now is the moment to take a step back, says Igor Sulik, Head of Amrop’s Global Leadership Advisory Practice.

AI Governance: Why Boards Must Lead the Conversation

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:58:13 Z

Cinzia Donalisio | Italy

Every business publication has run its version of the AI story by now. The productivity gains. The generative breakthroughs. The regulatory scramble. What's had far less airtime is the question that actually belongs to boards: not what can AI do, but who is accountable for what it does.

AI isn't a matter to leave with IT departments or data scientists. Increasingly, it's a matter of governance. And governance belongs in the boardroom.

Single family offices are moving upward and outward

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:32:21 Z

Their broadening scope is opening new doors for critical talent.

Paul Weinberg | Toronto

Closed, inaccessible worlds. Investment engines and little else. This is the widely held image of the single family office. But change is afoot. SFOs are growing, not only in numbers, but in scope. As their spectrum of activities widens, they’ll need the bandwidth that external executives and advisory board members can bring to the top table.

Appointing outsiders benefits all stakeholders. It opens strategic opportunities for SFOs. It creates enticing career opportunities for top candidates. These deserve examination, argues Paul Weinberg, a Partner with Amrop in Toronto and a member of Amrop’s Global Financial Services Practice.

Why Retail Boards Are Rethinking Leadership Capability

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:58:00 Z

Is your executive team built for today’s complexity or yesterday’s playbook?

For many years, retail executives operated within relatively predictable parameters, where success depended on scale, footprint and the disciplined optimization of a proven operating model.

Leadership teams expanded store networks, improved operational efficiency and protected margins through consistent execution, while Boards focused on growth, performance and operational excellence.

That model worked well – for a long time. Today, that environment has changed.

Leading Through Complexity: Reflections from Eurosatory 2026

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:57:35 Z

Amrop's Global Defense Practice was on the ground at Eurosatory 2026: Benoit Lison (Belgium) - leader of our Global Defense Practice, Alex Ulanovych (Ukraine) and Sven-Olof Koopmann (Germany) spent the week connecting with manufacturers, innovators, institutions and delegations from across the international security ecosystem.

A few themes stood out – and they're as much about leadership as they are about technology.

Inside the Circle: Executive Success Factors Within Single Family Offices

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:05:00 Z

Single Family Offices are changing. Generational wealth transfer is accelerating. Investment mandates are shifting decisively toward direct investments, co-invests and private capital. And governance structures are evolving, as family offices attract increasing scrutiny. This inevitably leads to increased demands for more sophisticated executive talent.

Adam Saunders, Managing Partner at Amrop UK, draws on confidential interviews with senior executives who have held leadership roles within single family offices, and attempts to name experiences that are widely felt but rarely articulated.

The question is ultimately a simple one: as SFOs professionalise, will the talent systems that surround them professionalise too? Or will the sector continue to rely on intuition, goodwill and reference - tools that are genuinely inadequate for the environments they are being used to navigate?

Could the energy transition mean a career transition?

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:21:16 Z

Roland Theuws | Netherlands

Renewables or fossil fuels? Today, the question is less ‘either-or’ than ‘see-saw.’ On one hand, policy changes influenced by the US administration, disappointing short-term returns and lagging infrastructure are continuing to cause a row-back on renewables. On the other, geopolitical instability and accelerating climate change have sharply highlighted the perils of reliance on fossil fuels – especially from overseas.

This interplay of forces and counterforces is pulling energy and infrastructure companies in different directions, says Roland Theuws, a Partner with Amrop in the Netherlands and Leader of Amrop’s Global Energy and Infrastructure practice.

As an executive, what could this mean for your next career move?

Know Your Customer. But does your customer know you?

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:46:53 Z

AI efficiencies are eroding trust in Financial Services. How can the C-suite get it right?

Mads Nyrup | Denmark

AI is increasingly mastering high‑volume, repeatable work. Processes are becoming real‑time and predictive. Customer onboarding and credit decisions. Settling simple insurance claims, performing triage, detecting fraud, or dynamic underwriting. Real‑time retirement modelling, automated portfolio construction and rebalancing. Behavioral nudging.

Correctly applied, insight and co-pilot tools can certainly augment relationship management. Incorrectly applied, they risk eroding it.

But are they wise?

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 3: Designing the Future

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 15:49:11 Z

Over 25 years, directive, autocratic leadership has been replaced by democracy – by dialogue and feedback. By showing authenticity and giving autonomy. This is hardly news. What has changed is the extent to which executives will need these qualities if they are to retain and grow their new gen successors.

How are we to attract and retain the next generation of leaders? Bring out the best in them to secure performance today? Establish a leadership pipeline for tomorrow?

Where should the focus be? And as businesses thrive or fail on daily interactions, are leaders doing enough?

Green isn’t just a tech transition. It’s a human one.

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:31:50 Z

Are you open to a different kind of CXO?

Marcus Pokorny | Sweden

Scandinavia is a global leader in green industrial transformation. It has every reason to be. Abundant hydro and wind electricity. Innovative enterprise and a strong climate policy. Close public-private coordination. What’s more, for many of Sweden’s business leaders, climate change is personal.

But it’s also about economics. Like its Nordic neighbours, Sweden’s high operating costs make innovation and efficiency essential (reinforced by automation, AI, and digitization). Manufacturing remains the country’s second largest economic pillar, accounting for 70% of its exports in 2023 – and much of its emissions. World-leading companies such as Volvo, Ericsson, Sandvik, and Electrolux tell an eloquent story.

Converting AI Ambition into Scalable Business Value

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:00 Z

The Art of AI in Business: What Actually Works

Most organisations have run AI pilots. Far fewer have scaled them.

Amrop's Global Digital Practice recently brought together four senior practitioners to explore what separates AI experiments from enterprise-wide value. Anthony Belpaire (BNP Paribas Fortis), Łukasz Samborski (ex-Alior Bank), Sofie Perslow (AI advisor, retail and media), and Silvio Giorgio (ex-AusPost, ex-Coles, ex-REA) shared the cases, failures, and practical lessons they have accumulated across industries and geographies.

Two themes ran through every conversation. The first: trust is the real barrier, not technology. The second: the AI that delivers the most value is often the AI nobody sees.

Beyond Expertise: The Rise of AI-Augmented Leadership in Professional Services

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:07:55 Z

“Why would I pay you for work done by AI?”

Gabriela Nguyen-Groza | Luxembourg

As a partner in a professional services firm, you’ll be familiar with the question. And it’s a fair one.

AI is not killing professional services – it is exposing a broken model.

AI now holds more technical knowledge than any individual. As a consultant, the value is no longer in what you know. It lies in how you frame problems, connect disciplines and exercise judgment under uncertainty. The real issue for firms is not AI adoption. It is an outmoded leadership model.

Accelerating Defense Transformation: Insights from Amrop's Global Practice

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:23:38 Z

The defense industry is at an inflection point. Commercial technology cycles, geopolitical pressure, and real-time innovation are forcing systemic change across markets, supply chains, and workforce models – and the leadership decisions being made today will determine which organizations convert technological potential into enduring strategic advantage.

At Amrop's 2026 World Conference, we convened industry leaders with deep experience across defense technology, industrial strategy, and investment to explore how this sector is changing, and what it demands of the people at the top.

Amrop Appoints New Board Chair and Members to its Governing Committees

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:53:29 Z

Brussels – June 1, 2026 – The Amrop Partnership, leading global executive search and leadership advisory firm, announces changes to its Global Board, with the appointment of a new Chair and two new Board Members, effective May 29, 2026.

Fredy Hausammann has been appointed Chair of The Amrop Partnership. Managing Partner of Amrop Switzerland and a Partner since 1998, Fredy brings deep institutional knowledge to the role. He has previously served as Chair of Amrop's Nominating & Governance Committee, and Global Practice Leader for Financial Services. His expertise spans Executive and Board search across multiple industries, underpinned by a professional background in Financial Services in Zurich and London.

Joining the Global Board are Mansour Abdulghaffar, Managing Partner of Amrop Saudi Arabia, and Elin Wrammerfors, Partner at Amrop Sweden.

The election process included the appointment of Bo Ekelund (Sweden) to the Membership Committee. Further to the elections for the Nominating & Governance Committee that took place in January, Kelly Freeman (Canada) officially started May 29, 2026.

These appointments reflect the strength of Amrop's governance model, built over decades of advising boards and leadership teams across the world. Amrop's Global Governance draws directly on this experience, ensuring that the partnership's own governance is held to the same standard we bring to our clients.

The organization extended its gratitude to outgoing Chair Annika Farin, who served the organization through two terms, outgoing Board Members Oana Ciornei (Romania) and Mikael Norr (Sweden), and outgoing Nominating & Governance Committee Member Maria da Gloria Ribeiro (Portugal).

Fredy Hausammann said, “I feel honoured to take on this role at a firm whose strength lies in its people, its values and its partnership culture. My commitment is to remain true to that DNA while helping Amrop move forward with confidence, relevance and ambition.”

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 today operates in Asia, EMEA and the Americas across 72 offices in 59 countries.

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Trust arrives on foot – and leaves on horseback

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:17:13 Z

Storytelling and statistics are no longer enough.

Sandra Schrögenauer | Austria

64% of people say they trust CEOs in general. But 72% trust their own CEO.^* The gap between the two figures is revealing. It tells us that trust in a leader is based more on personal experience than corporate messaging. CEOs have never been more present online.

But when it comes to communication, stakeholders don’t want more. They want better, says Sandra Schrögenauer, Managing Partner of Amrop in Austria, and a member of Amrop’s global Board Services Practice.

Bridging the Generation Gap – Part 2: The New Executive Contract

Mon, 25 May 2026 15:32:49 Z

In our last article, we asked: beyond the hype, which new gen* characteristics deserve special attention? Now we examine new gen career expectations, and hiring strategies to identify the Leaders for What’s Next. This 3-part series is based on in-depth interviews with senior Amrop Partners from Northern and Central Europe, Asia, North and South America.

*Gen Z: 20-26 | Young Millennials: 27-34 | Old Millennials: 35-42 | Gen X: 43-60

Feedback is vital: How can leaders activate a healthy practice?

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:14:39 Z

Paolo Clemente | Italy

Feedback is vital. But it’s often missed - and sometimes misused.

As the old adage goes: it’s lonely at the top. And younger executives are feeling isolated too. As global instability increases, taking the right decisions has never been more difficult.

But it doesn’t need to be this way – thanks to the power of feedback. The counsel of supportive, objective advisors dissolves walls. It nourishes and reinforces strategy design and implementation. Yet this precious resource asks nothing of us – except an open mind, writes Paolo Clemente, a Partner at Amrop Italy.

Manufacturing is becoming a technology sector. How could this affect your next career move?

Mon, 18 May 2026 07:18:40 Z

Sandy McKenzie | UK

Industrial leaders are relentlessly deploying AI to improve performance: 92% of leaders in the US alone say smart manufacturing (and AI) will be their main competitiveness driver.ⁱ A true growth engine, AI is embedded in a host of processes. It feeds predictive maintenance, supply‑chain optimization, and pricing. It is wired into customer segmentation and forecasting.

There are exciting implications for executive hiring.

Family Businesses Don't Fail Because of Markets. They Fail Because of Governance.

Wed, 13 May 2026 09:41:00 Z

Why generational transitions require stronger boards, clearer roles, and professional governance

Cinzia Donalisio | Italy

Family businesses represent one of the most resilient pillars of the global economy. In Italy and across Europe, many of the most successful companies have been built by entrepreneurial families whose long-term vision and commitment have created value for decades. Yet the true test of a family business often arrives not in a crisis, but at a decisive moment of choice: the transition from one generation of leadership to the next.

Sustainability and Change Management: Olga Gorbanovskaya, EY Ukraine

Tue, 12 May 2026 07:01:07 Z

“Change management is not a support stream around transformation; it is one of the core disciplines of any execution.”

Olga Gorbanovskaya | Partner, EY Ukraine

In a conversation with Amrop Ukraine, Olga Gorbanovskaya, Partner at EY Ukraine, brings these insights into sharp focus. Drawing on real-world experience, she argues that, since change management is an executive competency, leaders must own the case, manage adoption risk, and role-model change; boards should vet practical CM experience, embed adoption metrics and governance, and invest early to protect value.

As a board, are you ready for the unthinkable?

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:25:49 Z

Your next black swan is just over the horizon.

Andrew Woodburn | South Africa

It’s natural for a board to switch to conservation mode, especially in the current climate. To focus on governance, ethics, regulatory compliance. Risk management and value protection. But a defensive bias could render your board vulnerable – unequipped to handle the unthinkable. Black swans are never far away.

The past twenty-five years have delivered one unexpected mega-disruptor after another: a global financial crisis, nationalism, COVID, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, tariff wars. Even as I write, blockages in the Straits of Hormuz are impacting the world economy. The gold price is soaring. Factor in regional or localized events, and a black swan looms into view every five years.