International executive search consultants JBS Associates demonstrated today that it is bucking the global downturn trend by announcing the appointment of eight new team members.
The expansion is part of the company’s ambitious plans to continue to double its consultants, turnover and profit each year.
JBS Associates has recruited Kiera Whitmee to its London office to specialize in Emerging Markets within Financial Services clients across Western Europe.
Yulia Platova joins the Moscow office, specialising in the Oil and Gas sector, whilst Clive Green also joins JBS Associates Moscow to cover Commercial and Industrial clients.
All three are experienced consultants who between them bring fluent Russian, Italian and Dutch to help strengthen the team’s already strong language capabilities.
The company is also expanding its research capacity.
After 18 months consulting in the JBS Associates Moscow office, Joseph Sweeney has been appointed Head of Research in London, overseeing development and quality control of the company’s research capabilities.
Also boosting the company’s global research offering are Dina Chernyshova, who has been appointed as research analyst for Russia and CIS, based in Moscow, and Renata Brennemann, who will lead research across the MENA region, from the JBS Associates office in Dubai.
Additionally Gavin Fitzgerald and Claire Parfett have joined the UK-based research team.
JBS Associates has two new office openings planned for 2008, one in Sao Paulo and one in Shanghai.
“These appointments are part of our ambitious growth plans for 2008” says JBS Associates managing director, Jonathan Stokes.
“Despite global financial unease, we are finding that a genuine knowledge of and expertise in emerging markets, combined with a demonstrable commitment to regional offices, is proving hugely successful. We remain focused on a strategy of delivering excellence to a smaller number of valued clients rather than trying to be all things to all people.
“Our sole focus on international markets, especially emerging ones, is proving to be compelling to clients, candidates and consultants alike.
“This, combined with our pragmatic approach to every assignment and an increased appetite from clients for countries they now recognise as strategically important, means we are seeing significant growth not only coming from Russia and the Middle East regions, but also from sub-Saharan Africa and UK-based emerging markets businesses, especially in financial services.
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“A lack of permanent talent, coupled with a significant rise in both corporate and sovereign wealth investments and the needs of those organisations to effect rapid change in new markets, has led to a significant rise in the number of interim executives we are seeing placed.
“It is even more important during times like these to have exceptional staff skills, hence our determination to invest in our core competencies of experience, language, local knowledge and research.”
