Spotlight on leadership in changing times

When should family businesses bring in external chief executives?

There is a well known saying, ‘Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations’ – meaning that family businesses often create and lose their wealth in three generations.  Worldwide, only one in three family businesses successfully makes it to the next generation.

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Could Egypt be the banking centre for Africa?

As one of the world’s oldest civilisations, Egypt has seen its fair share of economic booms and declines. It is now not only growing, but The World Bank predicts its economy will grow to 5.8% by 2020.

This blog is part of a series in which I am looking at the opportunities in Egypt and the role that executive talent will play to make the most of these.

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Ease of doing business in Egypt – impact of economic reforms

How easy is it to do business in Egypt – and does it matter?  I have been looking at Egypt as an area of growth which will provide opportunities for the country and also for executive talent to maximise the potential of this market.

The ‘ease of doing business’ is an important factor in terms of attracting external investment and opportunities for executive jobs.  Here I want to look at the challenges still facing Egypt but also the areas where it is changing and opening up the country.

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How is the executive talent pool in Egypt changing?

With the Egyptian economy set to grow to 5.8% by 2020 Egypt is a growing opportunity for executive talent, particularly with the changing landscape in the rest of the Middle East.

For executive search clients and candidates, I have pulled together research on the current landscape for executive talent and how I see the opportunities and challenges in Egypt.

First off, there is a really strong executive talent pool in Egypt.

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Executive talent opportunities in Egypt ’s growing economy

According to The World Bank report on Egypt, GDP will grow by 5% in 2018 and to 5.8% by 2020.

This opens up growing opportunities both for executive talent and by implication, the executive search challenge. In this and a series of blogs on the Egyptian economy, I want to look at which sectors are growing, where the opportunities are and my own views on what this means for executives looking for opportunities and companies looking to hire executive talent.

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Dare we say it? What makes a great executive search firm?

I close this series of blogs with probably the most risky one of all. Previously, I have written about being a great executive search candidate and about being a great executive search client. Here I will explore what in my opinion it takes to be a great executive search partner. No doubt I will be held to account for these views for years to come – so, like all good consultants, I shall quickly caveat, and say that I shall talk in ideals and recognize that I amongst all, fall short of these ideals rather more than I would like…

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How to be a great executive search … client!

I can hear  the reactions already, “the cheek of that fellow at MM&CO, telling us how to be a great client – doesn’t he get it, that he and people like him are there to do what we say and find us great executive candidates?!  It’s not up to him to tell us how to behave!”

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Inside secrets to being a great candidate for an executive search firm

“It’s your job to find my husband a job,” cried out the rather petulant voice calling me long distance from Hong Kong. Today I have no recollection of that lady’s husband, just of the shrill admonition that came down the phone line a few years back. I have thought of it often for it sums up so much and so often what ‘candidates’ seem to think that we, as executive search professionals are in business to do.

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Cybersecurity skills shortage – we are trying to solve the wrong problem

There is a global shortage of cybersecurity skills, yet cybersecurity is the fastest growing and most pressing business issue for most corporates.

In all the solutions offered to solve this problem, I don’t believe they are going to help corporates within the timeframes needed – and actually I don’t think they willl solve the fundamental problem.
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Banking on the Private Cloud: The Pros and Cons

Guest blog by Raef Meeuwisse, passionate about cyber, AI, keynote speaker, CISO consultancy and author of numerous cybersecurity publications, including the highly successful title ‘Cybersecurity for Beginners’.

Did you ever imagine there would be a time when a CEO could lose their job or bonus due simply to a technical issue? In the past week, the CEO of TSB, a major UK bank has come under intense personal pressure to relinquish his bonus and potentially step down from his role.
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When and Why Clouds Go Wrong

Guest blog by Raef Meeuwisse, passionate about cyber, AI, keynote speaker, CISO consultancy and author of numerous cybersecurity publications, including the highly successful title ‘Cybersecurity for Beginners’.

Have you ever stopped to consider just how many of the technologies in our lives (and in our businesses) depend on public cloud computing?

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The growing shortage of cybersecurity talent – how bad is it?

This year I am delighted that we have launched our cybersecurity practice to help our clients address one of their most critical issues, that of assessing and sourcing cybersecurity talent.

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