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Contact Information
JFP Executive Search
Aleksanterinkatu 15 A 7th flr
FI-00100 Helsinki
Finland
Tel: +358 10 617 7900
Fax: +358 10 617 7999
eMail: jfp@jfp.fi
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An excellent vantage point
 How are things going in the executive search industry outside Finland?
The person to ask is Senior Partner Erkki Arvola from JFP, the first Finnish Board Member in the international IIC Partners executive search chain.
Over the last three years, Arvola has had an excellent vantage point for observing developments in the global labour market, as the ICC Partners chain comprises some 50 independent executive search agencies in more than 30 countries. Here is Arvola’s assessment of the outlook in the executive search industry in market segments that are interesting to Finnish companies.
Asia – growth in China
The recession has also hit Asia, but China continues as one of the driving forces of global economy. Various statistics and figures help to give an idea of the scale of the Chinese economy; three of the largest banks in the world hail from China, and mobile phone operator China Mobile has some 301 million customers.
In China, they have their own ways of doing business; feng shui is an important concept for the locals. This is a market you cannot approach in the same way as one in Western Europe. The labour market is fraught with challenges. There are expatriates living in the country, of course, but finding native executives with an understanding of international business is not easy. Relying on the assistance of a local executive search agency would be a very good idea.
Europe - from plunge to boom
It seems that the economies of such as Great Britain, Ireland and Spain have taken a deep plunge, but on the other hand, they will also be likely to lead the way to recovery. Executive search agencies that, similarly to JFP Executive Search, have focused on developing their industry specific expertise have held their own.
The old Eastern Block countries, such as the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania as well as the Baltic countries grew accustomed to a strong economic growth. They are currently going through an obvious period of hangover. The future is a challenge, as production industries are relocating to countries with even lower cost levels.
America - Brasilia attracts
The Brazilian economy is in full swing, and the country attracts international business. On one hand, companies are interested in the large domestic market in Brazil, and on the other, the country is a base for doing business with other parts of South America.
There is a fairly good range of skilled local employees available. Brazil is rather “westernized”, and many of the locals have thus studied abroad. |
