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http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/atzlisting/2034_35589/press1.html Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:49:12 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/atzlisting/2034_35589/press1.html CTPartners Expands Global Presence in Latin America Performance-based executive search firm CTPartners today announced they have expanded into Latin America with the opening of offices in Bogotá, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; Lima, Peru; and a regional headquarters in Miami, Florida. The expansion continues CTPartners' commitment to serve clients globally and the beginning of the build out of the Latin American region. Earlier this year the company announced new offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. Five Partners and their teams join the firm in Latin America and Miami: Miami: Nestor D'Angelo joins as Managing Partner Latin America. He was previously Area Managing Partner of Latin America for Heidrick & Struggles, which in 1996 had acquired the regional executive search firm he founded with other partners. His corporate experience includes top-level positions including President and General Manager of American Cyanamid Co.'s and Helena Rubinstein's Venezuelan subsidiaries. Caracas: Jorge Caridad joins as Regional Managing Partner. Jorge has over fifteen years of search experience, including serving as Andean Regional Managing Partner for Heidrick & Struggles Inc. He has also held executive positions with the Venezuelan Investment Fund, Licorerias Unidas (Seagrams Inc.), Coselca (L'Oreal de Paris), Helena Rubinstein and Estee Lauder. Bogotá: Maria Christina Mejía joins the Technology, Media and Telecom Practice. A former telecommunications and media executive, she was President of Colombia's leading cellular company and Colombia's Vice Minister of Telecommunications. Lima: Karin Brandes de Macias has over 10 years of search experience and has held senior corporate positions at Citibank, N.A. in Lima, and Ebel International. Ricardo Nugent brings experience as a global executive, including as General Manager of Gillette del Peru. He also has held senior-executive positions with Novasalud, Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Chase Manhattan Bank. Chairman and CEO Brian Sullivan of CTPartners commented, "Two years ago we committed to clients that we would make our firm the alternative to the search industry's oligopoly. Since that time we have expanded to cover all major industry sectors throughout the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East - and now Latin America. Our fast pace of growth could not have succeeded without the exceptionally talented and experienced executives who have joined our firm. Our Latin American team meets that very high standard." Sullivan added, "A global organization is as good as its people. We bring to all our clients the best available executives in the world to secure their leadership positions in their industries, and we have done the same for CTPartners. We welcome our Latin American colleagues." http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/outsourcing/golss/press1.html Wed, 21 Feb 2007 17:31:07 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/outsourcing/golss/press1.html KPMG to Announce International Sourcing Study Results at Global Outsourcing Strategy Summit Expert analysts from KPMG will be announcing the results of their international sourcing study at GOLSS, the Global Outsourcing Location Strategy Summit, to be held in Budapest from 8 - 11 March. The KPMG study involved an in-depth survey of 100 suppliers and 550 end-user organisations across the globe and aims to provide businesses with clear direction on current and future outsourcing trends and best practice. Aimed at senior level executives, GOLSS provides a unique opportunity for delegates and representatives from outsourcing locations to network and develop contacts in a non sales-driven environment. Investment promotion agencies attending GOLSS include: Invest Australia, ITD Hungary, KZNonSource, Invest Northern Ireland, Scottish Development International, Invest in Iceland Agency, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Information and Communication Technology Agency of Sri Lanka. Alex Blues, Director, Sourcing Advisory Services for KPMG and a keynote speaker at GOLSS comments: "GOLSS provides us with the ideal platform to gain an audience with European-based multinationals and share our latest outsourcing study findings which provide thought leadership on making the right outsourcing decisions, particularly at the critical procurement stage." http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/human-capital-management/tcs Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/human-capital-management/tcs Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT and IT-enabled services delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model, recognised as the benchmark of excellence in software development. TCS can bring in process improvements, process automation, and platform-based solutions. HUMAN RESOURCES OUTSOURCING (HRO) TCS provides a business solution that does more than simply &squo;lift and shift&squo; ‐ HRO transforms business processes, delivering a continual programme of improvements to minimise manual workload, provide better service and dramatically reduce costs. TCS delivers an end-to-end service: everything from business case identification and requirements analysis through to architecture design and deployment, hiring, training and integrating staff. INTERNATIONAL HRO SOLUTIONS TCS HRO software can assist in today&squo;s global economy, where organisations are having difficulty in providing cost-effective, people-focused human resources services for thousands of staff ‐ especially for international companies trying to impose globally standardised processes in the face of complex local laws and regulations. EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS TCS&squo; HRO solution covers the spectrum of HR services for the full employee life cycle, which range from resourcing services, compensation and benefits, through workforce management, employee services, to talent management and payroll. The solution can provide knowledge management, records management and data administration, metrics reporting and analytics or third-party vendor management. The TCS HRO solution can help an organisation deliver proactive, people-focused HR services, while streamlining processes and leveraging on-shore, near-shore and offshore resources to dramatically reduce costs and improve service quality. TCS can also automate systems to reduce manual workload, utilising technology platforms such as SAP, PeopleSoft, Oracle and other ERP systems. BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING In the face of fierce global competition today, it is imperative for organisations to adopt Business Process Outsourcing, as a strategic initiative, to maximise their potential. TCS help companies by co-creating value rather than offering mere cost arbitrage. By maximising value, TCS help free up customers' resources to pursue additional revenue opportunities and focus on their core business areas. TCS delivers real results to global businesses, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS is part of the Tata Group, India&squo;s largest industrial conglomerate, and has over 108,000 of the world's best trained IT consultants in 47 countries. http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/executive-search/boyden Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/executive-search/boyden Boyden Founded over 60 years ago, Boyden continues to drive the executive search industry with groundbreaking best practices and impeccable integrity to meet the executive search needs of our clients. Our structure ensures that our clients achieve their goals. While many &squo;global&squo; executive search companies are managed by a central headquarters, Boyden is owned by the leaders of each local office, ensuring we can provide services tailored to our clients both locally and globally. GLOBAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH Our core values are a vital theme that runs through all of our services. We take on a range of roles, including that of trusted advisors. Boyden associates maintain the highest standards of ethics and integrity in the search industry. Our clients rely on us to identify, assess and place the best possible candidates using our time-tested research methods. As accountability lies at each local office, Boyden is personally committed to the success of our clients and our candidates. Our professionals have first-hand experience in the industries we serve. In addition, each client engagement is proactively managed by senior associates. Boyden global executive search was among the first firms to expand internationally. We have offices in every major business hub in the world, as well as many of the world&squo;s emerging markets. Because our company is owned by the leaders of each local office, we can offer a unique advantage: a keen grasp of local business customs, combined with a rich global perspective. ASSOCIATE TRAINING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE Boyden founded the retained executive search over 60 years ago. While others continue to follow, we stay out in front, committed to rigorous, voluntary regulation and professionalism for the benefit of our clients. For example, our one-of-a-kind certification program further standardises associate training and quality assurance throughout our worldwide offices. EXECUTIVE PERSONNEL SEARCH Boyden has a wide variety of services to help clients achieve their goals, these include, Boyden Executive Search Boyden Board Services Boyden Interim Management Boyden Consulting Our associates routinely conduct searches for board members, C-level appointments, and senior and executive vice-presidents. We thoroughly research every candidate, looking beyond the resume, to determine their compatibility. We understand the importance of matching expertise, culture and personality for both our candidates and our clients. Boyden also offers a consulting service. In some cases, we partner with our clients to help define their business needs, and how best to address them. Boyden professionals work with clients in organisational development, training through the Boyden Institute, succession planning, compensation research and organisational development. SENIOR EXECUTIVE SEARCH Boyden Interim Management supplies senior executives on a short to mid-term basis. Candidates are brought in to address any number of business issues, such as the temporary absence of an executive; mergers and acquisitions; new product launches; and large-scale project management. Our associates assess the specific requirements of the position in order to find the person best suited to moving quickly and effortlessly into place. INTERIM SEARCH Interim search frequently requires the kind of knowledge that is Boyden&squo;s forte. Our local contact base, combined with access to a global network, ensures we are uniquely positioned to find the right person to fill our client&squo;s interim recruiting needs. Our business is people, and we have found the team that incomparably combines experience and expertise. Our professional staff is the reason our clients return again and again for their executive search needs. http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/strategy-consultancy/radclyffe Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/contractors/strategy-consultancy/radclyffe Radclyffe Consulting Whether it&squo;s a service or sales call centre organisation, Radclyffe Consulting provides call handling skills and strategies, performance improvement solutions and call centre efficiency programs that ensure you achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty and revenue generation. Radclyffe recognizes that each business is unique, and customises every solution while still using proven strategies and processes. CALL CENTRE ASSESSMENTS Over the years, Radclyffe Consulting has developed a specific method to conduct thorough operations assessments to ensure that the call centre solutions we recommend will be integrated with your business objectives. Whether you are concerned about the cost per call, meeting Service Levels Agreements (SLAs), or want to increase sales per call or call to close ratios, Radclyffe can identify what&squo;s holding your organisation back from achieving international success. CALL CENTRE INTERACTION SKILLS TRAINING We regard the moment when a customer actually interacts with a service or sales representative from your company as the most important stage in your call centre process. Through our customised interaction skills training and performance improvement coaching, your customers are guaranteed to have a world class experience ‐ every time. CALL CENTRE EMPLOYEE RETENTION PROGRAM We recognise that effective retention strategies reduce employee turnover, the costs of which are greater than you may realise. Radclyffe Solutions specialises in keeping representatives fully engaged in their own ongoing performance development. We do this through a customised program that pushes continuous improvement to the representative level. Not only does this keep them from leaving, it ensures that your contact centre&squo;s performance overall is exceeding your service and quality goals. CALL CENTRE LEADERSHIP TRAINING The 20 Keys and Levels of Action model (developed by Radclyffe), has succeeded in completely changing the leadership, human resource and service issues in the call centre. Employees are more content in their roles and so performance levels improve, a reduction in cost of turnover and an increase in customer loyalty are Radclyffe&squo;s guarantees. CALL CENTRE DATA OPIMISATION Radclyffe Consulting not only provides your call centre with tangible skills and strategies, we also help you to leverage your call centre as a competitive advantage in your industry. Through our data mining and call centre solutions, we can help you develop a customized program to provide your internal stakeholders with mission-critical product and marketing trending and feedback. We have the ability to help you optimise your stores of customer information in order to achieve competitive advantage. http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/business-class/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/business-class/ Business Class Liverpool has silenced its critics by winning the European Capital of Culture award this year. But Liverpool, and the UK's Northwest as a whole, is about far more than culture - it is also about business. Garry Flood speaks to Ssteven Broomhead, the man charged with sustaining the city's success. If you are one of those sceptics who regard the phrase 'Liverpool, capital of culture' as a contradiction in terms, you must be having a hard time dealing with the highly successful debut this year of that self-same home of the Beatles as European Capital of Culture. And Liverpool winning that prestigious prize is not the only thing that might silence the city's critics. They might also be surprised to learn that the UK's Northwest is home to Europe's 12th largest economy, worth £111 billion, that Sony, Jaguar and Kodak all have bases on Merseyside, and that Europe's largest retail and leisure development, led by property developer Grosvenor, costing £920 million and covering 42 acres of the city centre, is being constructed. The depressed 1980s are very much a thing of the past in Liverpool and the Northwest these days, although getting where the region is today hasn't been easy or just happened by accident. NORTHWEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT It is the job of organisations such as the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to spearhead the ongoing drive to attract investment and create opportunity for the area. It is also the day-to-day brief for the NWDA's leader, its chief executive, Steven Broomhead. "We need to be real problem solvers, looking to remove obstacles, meet challenges and make things happen." 'We are bringing strong project management and negotiating skills as well as a very keen commercial focus to make this region even more successful than it is now,' says Broomhead. Broomhead and his team are doing this, not just by liaising with a range of local and global political and business leaders, but by the judicious use of funding - £600 million annual investment capacity in projects and programmes tailored to boost the Northwest. However, funding, useful as it is, is just part of the NWDA's strategy. 'The real benefit we can bring,' says Broomhead, 'is fostering partnership. We also need to be real problem solvers, looking to remove obstacles, meet challenges and make things happen.' So what does Broomhead see as the key challenges for 2008 and beyond? 'One, working to maintain the sustained economic growth we have seen,' he says. 'Two, working much more closely with local government - here NWDA's relationship with Liverpool Capital of Culture, of which it is a major sponsor, is an excellent example of what is possible. And third, continue to find ways to enhance and develop the overall image of the Northwest, nationally and internationally.' Broomhead adds that part of his remit as a chief executive in 2008 is to look for ways to improve the efficiency of the NWDA as an organisation, especially in terms of better metrics and improved long-term evaluation of the impact of NWDA's activities. This aligns with what he says is a key driver of further investment in the organisation's team. 'Being an investor in people is about more than just putting a plaque on the wall,' he says. BIG PICTURE That is all at the micro level, as it were. On the macro or external level, NWDA has some significant local victories that it fully intends to capitalise on this year. One is the imminent move of a large chunk of the BBC to the Northwest, allied to the creation of the mediacity:uk development at Salford Quays, Manchester, led by Peel Holdings, a facility that is predicted to bring in £1.5 billion to the regional economy, and a project which NWDA has invested in and helped facilitate. Another such victory is the rebuilding of the historic link Liverpool has with shipping with a reinvigorated dockside cruise liner terminal, which already has a number of confirmed bookings. Meanwhile, over 33 million tonnes of cargo still goes through Liverpool Port each year. Broomhead believes it is time to think beyond Liverpool as city in decline or even as a European Capital of Culture. It is time to think of it and the rest of the Northwest as part of the economic success story of UK plc. http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/business-brain/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/business-brain/ Business Brain Jean-François Chanlat explains to Barry Mansfield how the dented prestige of the MBA can be restored by training candidates with practical experience in social sciences, language skills and a collective approach to decision-making. MBA programmes are often criticised for being too theoretical and recruiting students with little or no real-world management experience. France's response to these criticisms emerged in 1999, when Professor Michel Kalika of Paris-Dauphine University, the international management science teaching and research institution, lauched an executive MBA programme in partnership with the university's Canadian sister institution, the School of Management Science, at the University of Quebec at Montreal. "Too many business schools are churning out students who will never end up in management." In just a few years, the course, with its roots in both Europe and North America, has won recognition as one of the best in its class. Now, in its tenth year, Dauphine-Paris is set on forging new international partnerships to expand the programme further. 'There is no single superior method of management, and that philosophy features strongly in the course,' says Jean-François Chanlat, director of the Dauphine-Paris Executive MBA. 'It's deeply contextual. You have to understand that the social, cultural, political and economic context is relevant and useful in managing your company.' This is why, Chanlat explains, the course places such a strong emphasis on social sciences. INTELLECTUAL RIGOUR The Dauphine programme is a bilingual course for managers with a proven track record in industry - the average experience of students is 13 years, meaning candidates are usually between 30 and 50 years old. They come from a range of sectors and backgrounds, seeking an improved understanding of management, but have little time for fads or simple techniques, according to Chanlat. 'They want to discover an intellectual value around the managerial issues,' he says. 'One of the aspirations of the programme is to educate managers to go further and equip them to take charge of a new department or division, or to launch their own businesses.' Chanlat believes that too many business schools are churning out students who will never end up in management, and is he determined that Dauphine avoids this path. 'We don't have people who go into the financial sector after their studies. They may do a little consulting. It has become clear recently that in the US even some of the top schools are training people who are not ultimately entering a management position. That's a very real problem. We want to help people to be better managers.' DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS Business schools have also been greatly criticised for recruiting students under the age of 30, because they have so little experience. The problem with accepting an intake of candidates from this demographic, says Chanlat, is that the educator must build on highly abstract foundations - and management is a practical experience. Instead, Dauphine's students attend the course on a part-time basis, while continuing with their employment. The double diploma is taught in English and French, with visiting professors from Montreal travelling to Paris to deliver select modules. 'Diversity defines the quality of the course,' says Chanlat. 'That means diversity of age, gender, professional itinerary, industry sector and intellectual background. Normally you need a masters degree to be selected. But we do keep some places for people with relevant experience only. If a candidate has spent 20 years managing 500 people, but they have no degree, then clearly they are ready for the step up.' STRONG VALUES Chanlat is currently organising events to celebrate the Dauphine programme's tenth year and working towards developing an audience in other parts of the world. He believes the business world can benefit most from an equilibrium between individual goals and the collective, and economic and social issues. Dauphine has strong values in terms of the so-called socially responsible manager. When a manager makes decisions, those decisions have economic, social and environmental consequences, Chanlat explains, and it is inadvisable to make a decision without integrating all of these considerations. This underpins the Dauphine-Paris MBA. http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/hro-heaven/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.the-chiefexecutive.com/projects/hro-heaven/ HRO Heaven India has become home to many outsourced business processes, including human resources functions, with many companies drawn to it because of its lower cost base. The challenge now, as Caroline Brown explains to Jim Banks, is for the country's outsourcing providers to add value to their services. The cost case for outsourcing basic administrative processes in the human resources function to India has long been clear. Paying in rupees for services that compete favourably in terms of quality can generate significant savings, hence the rapid growth in the popularity of India's human resources outsourcing (HRO) providers. "Paying in rupees for services that compete favourably in terms of quality can generate significant savings." Traditionally, these services providers have taken on the more standard processes, and have made good business of it, but there is a growing opportunity to provide more sophisticated HRO services, while new entrants to the market have the chance to steal a march on industry incumbents. Caroline Brown, global HRO practice lead for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) says: 'TCS has aspired to leap ahead of its major Indian competitors and away from traditional 'lift and shift' BPO (business process outsourcing) by moving to transformation HRO, offered by some of the large HRO providers, such as IBM and Accenture, but at a more advantageous cost point. INVESTMENT IN HRO TCS has built up a strong reputation for IT services, business solutions, consultancy and business process outsourcing (BPO). Its experience spans finance and accounting, knowledge process outsourcing, supply chain management, payroll and benefits administration across a range of industries, and the company has been able to use this a the basis for its latest offering as it moves into HRO. Over the last year, TCS has devoted significant time, money and resources to the development of its HRO offering, and the return has been surprisingly quick. 'We have gone in a year from deciding to get into the HRO market space to delivering on our first global deal and finding ourselves down-selected on a number of other global deals,' says Brown. 'This has been down to focused investment in people, process and technology. TCS has recruited experienced people with many years' HRO experience from many of the key players, but has also invested heavily in the development of its SAP platform and operational delivery capabilities.' Leveraging its systems expertise, TCS has built its technology platform to underpin the whole of its full-service HRO offering, which offers clients the cost advantages that any Indian service provider could claim and also allows HR to be managed in a strategic way that benefits the organisation as a whole. ONE STEP AHEAD While it cannot point to a long history in the HRO market, TCS is a well-established Indian company that has shown a commitment to BPO, becoming a trusted partner for many multinational companies. Its status as one of India's preferred employers enables it to attract and retains some of the country's top talent. Its stability and high standing in the market have allowed it to target a new market sector with a more sophisticated offering and convince large corporations to sign up to its HRO services. TCS is currently rolling out a BPO platform for AC Nielsen, which will include end-to-end financial services, as well as HR processes such as workforce administration, global reporting and payroll. 'We look at an organisation's total cost of delivering HR globally, and often a significant reduction is possible by letting us host and manage HR applications as well as service the broader needs of an HR department,' says Brown. 'We can help an organisation uncover additional revenue and take out cost from the whole business, not just the HR department. 'We admit that we are new to the market, but that is why we are willing to work more with clients to develop a service that is exceptional. We have a very open, collaborative approach that is more like partnership. We create an environment where both sides can address together any problems that arise. It as important to us to create that cultural fit,' she adds. TCS is certainly proving that the growing HRO market has room for sophisticated new entrants.