Executive Talent Insider

In an exclusive interview with AESC, Joe Nocera, Partner at PwC, describes what boards are looking for to meet their cybersecurity needs.

This article was originally published in February 2015.

Debra Jerome, Chief Human Resources Officer at Witt/Kieffer, has been practicing National Karate – including Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kickboxing and other martial arts – since 2008. Here she describes how this hobby has enriched her personal and professional life.

This article was originally published in February 2015.

A recent report from the AESC’s BlueSteps career management service indicates senior executives in the region have a positive view of management-level employment growth, particularly in the healthcare and technology sectors.

Asians are poorly represented in senior roles across the West. Research by the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) shows that a measly 1.9% of senior executives in ASX200 companies were of Asian descent even though they represent 9.6% of the general population. This situation is mirrored in other countries, including the USA and Canada. Asian Americans account for just 1.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 1.9% of corporate officers overall. So what are the causes and what can be done?

The last few years have seen increased Japanese investment in South-East Asia and India, spurred on in part by turbulent domestic economic conditions in Japan and ongoing geopolitical tension with China. The impact is being felt in boardrooms across the region.

We live in an increasingly globalized world and one where good talent is of huge value to business success. Long gone are the days when talented individuals were exclusively gobbled up by universities and businesses in London and New York. Now Shanghai, Seoul, Dubai and Sao Paulo, among many others, are well known business locations and truly on the map for candidates seeking relocation. But what about those cities that are less well-known, yet still need to attract talent to grow and prosper? How do they attract executive talent ‘off the map?’

A recent survey of global executives conducted by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) found 85% of senior executives view China as providing positive opportunities for career growth. However urban air quality could have a significant impact on the country’s ability to attract the best global talent, as 72% of international executives identified pollution levels as a core concern when considering a move to China.