The financial sector is undergoing serious changes. To hold their own on tomorrow’s markets, financial institutions need visionary executives.
Capital markets are more volatile than ever. As well as new technology and increasing regulatory requirements, international conflicts of interest such as Brexit are causing unpredictable developments. This highly demanding field of work requires farsighted leadership personalities with a strategic mind-set.
Our Financial Services practice focuses on the specific requirements of the following segments:
Industry under high pressure
The market is characterized by low margins in the institutional business and volatile inflows to mutual funds, as well as by low interest rates, complex regulatory requirements and passive products. While the industry is consolidating, new technologies are changing the market environment. This requires new products and business models. Only professionals with a strategic mind-set can prepare asset management for these developments.
Top-level placements
Our specialized asset management team searches Europe-wide for suitable candidates to fill some 30 positions every year, a third of them at C level. They range from top executive posts to high-calibre specialists. To this end, we can count on our networks and databases with candidates from Europe’s financial centres as well as our offices in London and Zurich. When it comes to digitalization topics, we work closely with our Digital & Technology practice.
Our national and international clients include:
- Asset managers / “KVGs” / wealth managers
- “Master-KVGs”, securities servicing providers
- Institutional investors
- Investment consultants
- Management consultancies: asset and wealth management practices
We offer these clients services that cover the entire value chain:
- General management
- Sales, marketing
- Product development and management
- Asset liability management and asset allocation / multi asset strategies / fund of funds
- Portfolio management (all asset classes and investment styles), buy side research
- Middle and back office, risk management, legal & compliance, digitalization
Good assets and professionals are growing scarce
The ongoing demand for alternatives is resulting in high inflows – and therefore a dwindling supply of sound assets, both for equity and debt investments. All investments are highly complex and it requires the best qualifications to manage them. Professionals who can really master this field are few and far between.
Excellent professionals are hard to find
Searching for them is a challenge. Our Alternatives team makes sure it finds the most experienced specialists in the area of alternative equity and debt investments. Our clients include real asset suppliers, private equity and debt funds, administrators and “Master-KVGs” for alternative assets as well as institutional investors. We fill 15 positions for top managers and specialists every year and cover the entire value chain:
- General management
- Sales / funding / investor relations
- Product development and structuring
- Portfolio / fund strategy and management
- Transaction management /asset sourcing
- Operations and administration, legal, risk, compliance etc.
Changing in line with the future
The sector faces enormous challenges. On the one hand, regulatory requirements are growing increasingly stringent and margins are shrinking, while on the other, online competition is growing. In addition, consumer behaviour is changing. This complex process requires new corporate cultures and business models. To reconcile trustworthy products with greater efficiency, leaders are needed who can think innovatively and act ethically.
Time for experts with digital skills
We search for professionals with the right skills to lead banks and savings banks into the future. Our specialized Heads! banking team finds some 15 high-calibre leadership personalities and specialists every year who open up new perspectives for financial institutions in the digital age. We focus above all on the following areas:
- Asset management / private wealth management
- Securities services providers / transaction banks
- Corporate functions such as operations, treasury, legal, risk,
- Compliance and digitalization of financial institutions
Difficult conditions on many levels
Players in the almost saturated insurance market are having to permanently readjust their strategies. As well as stagnating growth and new regulatory requirements, digital competitors are putting on pressure to adapt. In this environment, executives face particular challenges. That makes it difficult to find the best candidate for vacant positions. Searching for candidates with special profiles is a particular challenge.
Taking time to find the right fit
Heads! is always one step ahead. We are the first personnel consultancy that searches specifically for female executives in filling vacancies. We also search for digitally-minded or international candidates. Our Financial Services practice for insurances has its own network for this purpose that it has used for many years. The focus is on the following areas:
- Product development and actuarial services for insurance divisions
- Marketing, sales, market management and digital sales
- Line functions such as human resources, finance and controlling
- Operations and IT
- Asset management and real estate
Our teams of consultants contribute their specialized industry knowledge to fill around 60 financial services positions every year Europe-wide. As well as extensive networks with candidates and sources, Heads! utilizes state-of-the-art media and diagnostic methods. Our searches, some of which are global, focus on positions for executives and high-calibre specialists.
