The World's Most Influential Headhunters (Updated)

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Judith M. von Seldeneck, chairman and CEO of Philadelphia-based Diversified Search Ray & Berndtson, says that while senior leaders are facing increasing pressure for performance from a variety of sources, what matters is keeping oneself grounded and vested in continuous learning. "Have confidence in what you know and bet on it," von Seldeneck advises, "but keep a constant vigil on what you don't know and figure out how to best learn it sooner rather than later."

Given their wide acknowledgment that the demands of corporate leadership are more intense now than ever before, ask any of these especially influential headhunters about what it will take to bring the right stuff for your dream job and you'll get a different answer every time. John Peebles, professional director of his own Auckland (New Zealand)-based John Peebles Associates, says the essentials that he looks for in senior management candidates include, "Passion for the goal, sound functional skills, bottom line orientation, the ability to effect change through people, and proven success."

Ignacio Bao, chairman of Signium International, the global executive search practice formerly known as Ward Howell International, says he recruits based on similar leadership traits. "I typically look for candidates with positive energy and the ability to energize others. They are extroverted and optimistic. They thrive on action, relish change, and have the ability to go, go, go. They pull, they don't push. They inspire and they influence. My ideal candidates also have the ability to execute—to get the job done."

Looking ahead

The world's most influential headhunters will continue to shape the companies—and the executive careers—of the future.

But depending on the companies they serve and the niche markets in which they operate, they have divergent views of how their work and the business of work in the 21st Century will have an impact on corporate performance, careers, and the global economy.

They point collectively to a variety of issues—such as globalization, environmental sustainability, advances in technology and, perhaps not surprisingly, to the demographic shifts they believe will intensify their search for superior, senior management talent—as the global business trends that will most influence corporate performance in the future.

But their over-the-horizon view of things to come also reflects their rather insightful perspectives about where global business is going, and what you should consider as you try to find your optimum place in it. You'll be well served by considering the predictions of these especially well-connected headhunters:

•Dennis Carey, a Philadelphia-based senior client partner with Korn/Ferry, says, "Public policy on trade issues and the global flow and cost of capital" will sort the winners from the losers—and invariably shape the search for successful leaders—for years to come.

•Louisa Wong-Rousseau, group managing director of Hong Kong-based Bó Lè Associates, says: "Diversity and generation gaps" will bring the most pressure on global companies.

•Edward Kelley, the London-based chairman and CEO of Edward W. Kelley & Partners, predicts that the global business trend that will most influence corporate performance is getting the strategy right for the key emerging markets of India and China.

•Trina Gordon, chairman of Boyden World Corporation, from the firm's Chicago offices, counters however that as pressing as many of these global issues are, some of the biggest challenges ahead go to the core of individual businesses—and leadership—around the world. "The importance of safeguarding corporate values and purpose will define and differentiate your company with customers, employees, and competitors," Gordon predicts. "The accelerating pace of global change will necessitate consistently driving progress without losing sight of those values."

As a BusinessWeek reader, you're invited to use the accompanying slideshow and recruiter profiles to begin to identify the most influential headhunters and plot your most direct route and potential referrals to them. If you're deeply experienced and expertly skilled, you may just identify the person who can help take your career to the next level, and in so doing forge a relationship with those who control access to the best and most important executive jobs in the world.

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Joseph Daniel McCool is a writer, speaker, and consultant on executive recruiting and corporate management succession best practices. He is the author of Deciding Who Leads: How Executive Recruiters Drive, Direct & Disrupt the Global Search for Leadership Talent, a book exploring the global executive search consulting business and its impact on corporate leadership, executive compensation, and organizational culture and performance. It has been recognized as "one of the 30 best business books of 2008" by Soundview Executive Book Summaries and as a top pick by Business Book Review.