nternational Executive Search
The Best Heads
Around the Globe
The best executives are not looking. We reach out to them directly, worldwide,
through 50 offices in 27 countries, backed by local partners who know their markets from the inside.
International Executive Search
When a company is looking for an executive outside Germany, or for an international profile to lead within the German market, even the best national search firm will quickly reach its limits. Language, labour market culture, compensation expectations and the practical pathways to suitable candidates vary considerably from country to country. What works in the German market is often an entirely different game in an Anglo-American, Asian or Latin American context.
TOPOS Personalberatung is the exclusive German partner of IESF (International Executive Search Federation), making it part of one of the most respected executive search networks in the world. Whether you are looking to fill a leadership position in Europe, the Americas, Asia or Australia: we guide you from the initial briefing through to a successful placement.
The IESF-Network: Global Reach, Local Knowledge
ESF was founded in 2002 by partners in Asia and Europe, among them TOPOS Personalberatung. Today its network ranks among the leading organisations in international executive search: around 50 offices in 27 countries, staffed by consultants who are first-choice partners in their local markets.
That is the decisive difference from purely global search firms: every IESF partner knows their market, their candidate culture and the regional particularities of local recruiting. We combine this on-the-ground knowledge with the resources and reach of an international organisation to find the right approach for every search assignment.
ESF was founded in 2002 by partners in Asia and Europe, among them TOPOS Personalberatung. Today its network ranks among the leading organisations in international executive search: around 50 offices in 27 countries, staffed by consultants who are first-choice partners in their local markets.
That is the decisive difference from purely global search firms: every IESF partner knows their market, their candidate culture and the regional particularities of local recruiting. We combine this on-the-ground knowledge with the resources and reach of an international organisation to find the right approach for every search assignment.
Your Contactin Germany
FAQ
The process follows the same basic structure as a national search project, which in brief consists of these steps: briefing, market analysis, direct approach, candidate presentation, selection process, contract negotiation. What changes internationally is the coordination. At the outset, we establish together whether an IESF partner will take the lead on the assignment or whether we manage the project from Germany and draw on the local network. We then develop a joint requirements profile that takes into account both the professional criteria and cultural fit, as well as market conditions specific to the location. Regular status reports keep you informed of progress, regardless of which continent the search is taking place on.
That is your choice. Three models are possible: TOPOS takes full responsibility for project management and coordinates the local partner in the background. Alternatively, you work directly with the IESF partner on the ground, while TOPOS remains available as your point of contact in Germany. A third option is shared project responsibility, with both partners working closely together. Which model suits best depends on the position, the country and your own preferences.
Fees are determined by the respective IESF partner managing the search project. Each partner works according to the terms and conditions that are standard and transparent in their market. TOPOS, as the German partner, works on the basis of a retainer model: the fee is invoiced in agreed instalments over the course of the project. This model is tied to progress and ensures the consultant’s full commitment from day one. For specific terms, please feel free to contact us directly.
More than most clients initially expect. How directly someone is approached, which information is shared in which order, whether a position should be advertised publicly or filled exclusively through discreet outreach, how long decision-making processes take on the candidate side: all of this varies considerably between markets. In some markets, for example, salary expectations are raised early in the process; in others, the topic only comes up after several conversations. IESF partners know these nuances from their own experience and adapt their approach, timing and communication accordingly, without you having to give it a second thought.
Because executive search is fundamentally built on personal relationships. The best candidates for a leadership position are almost never actively looking for a new role and do not respond to job postings. They are approached directly, by someone they know and trust, or whose reputation makes them receptive. Anyone new to a market simply lacks those relationships. A consultant in Singapore who has been active in that leadership market for years knows where an approach is likely to succeed and can form an initial assessment of cultural fit before the first formal conversation takes place. This local embeddedness is what IESF means by its tagline “Global Reach, Local Knowledge” and the reason the network has relied since 2002 on partners who are deeply rooted in their own markets.