Latest news with #HeidrickStruggles
Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Times
Young directors face fight to get on board at London-listed firms
London's biggest listed companies are hiring more women on to their boards but have been criticised for their reluctance to appoint younger directors. Of the 305 new directors hired by FTSE 350 companies last year, only 12, or 3.9 per cent, were under 45, according to research from Heidrick & Struggles, the executive headhunter, which called on businesses to 'bring in more fresh faces'. 'Boards should reflect the world their businesses operate in, and this can be achieved through a broader mix of people and experience,' Kit Bingham, head of UK board practice at Heidrick & Struggles, said. • 'Wrong lanes' hold up boardroom progress for women and minorities More than half, 57 per cent, of those joining the board of a FTSE 350 company last year were retired and the average age of new appointees increased to 58, the highest in six years. Heidrick & Struggles' research showed that London-listed companies 'remain slower to look to younger appointees' when compared with other countries. In Ireland, for example, 21 per cent of board directors hired by Dublin-listed businesses were younger than 45. In Germany the proportion was 8.2 per cent and it was 5.4 per cent in France. 'Times are tough and have been for a few years, so what I think we're seeing is a default to experience,' Bingham said. 'Equally, at a time when companies are trying to keep costs down, chairs are very careful to keep the board lean and don't want to expand the board just to give different individuals their first taste of board life.' He added: 'It is important that boards hear from a whole range of different voices; how different generations are thinking, acting and buying.' UK companies are, however, faring better when it comes to recruiting more female board directors. Half of last year's appointees on the FTSE 350 were women, compared with just 36 per cent of Fortune 500 companies in the US and 46 per cent in Germany. Heidrick & Struggles said there had now been 'five years of strong gender balance', even if last year's percentage was down on the high of 58 per cent set in 2022. The research shows that 21 per cent of new UK directors last year identified as non-white. The Parker Review suggests that FTSE 350 boards should have at least one director from an ethnic-minority background, although Bingham cautioned against adopting a 'one and done philosophy'.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- General
- Forbes
Leading Through Uncertainty: Five Ways To Build Trust In A Storm
Female Leading Interview With Journalists Outside Eight years ago, I was hunkered down as Hurricane Harvey pummeled Houston, Texas. After receiving conflicting evacuation messages from local and state leaders, most of us decided to stay put through the storm, ultimately contributing to 103 deaths. Beyond the wind and rain, there were delayed decisions, mixed messages, and emergency alerts that didn't reach everyone. It was a case study in the consequences of poor communication during a crisis, a reminder that leading through uncertainty requires clarity, speed, and trust. Because we couldn't count on real-time updates from official sources, social media became our lifeline (and, at times, our source for dangerous misinformation). Harvey taught me that in a crisis, delayed or unclear communication can be just as harmful as the threat itself. From tariffs to AI to climate change to global conflict, we're operating in an era defined by instability. If you're waiting for the storm to pass before you communicate with your organization, you're leaving your folks to make their own forecasts (and evacuation plans).An Age of Instability We are living in an age of shifting winds: the 2025 Heidrick & Struggles CEO & Board Confidence Monitor names economic uncertainty, geopolitical volatility, and shifting market dynamics as the top three challenges facing organizations today. Executives are braced for squalls, and they know it will only get more turbulent. Unfortunately, most leaders aren't confident their teams are equipped to navigate the stormy weather. According to the Weber Shandwick Collective C-Suite Outlook Report, only 17% of CEOs feel their communications and public affairs functions are fully prepared to keep pace with today's rapid economic, geopolitical, and market shifts. 13% of CEOs report their confidence in those functions has actually declined. This uncertainty and weak internal communication doesn't just trickle down: it floods organizations, compounding confusion and stress for employees who have less insight and agency than senior leaders. When workers aren't kept in the loop about company strategy, they're left guessing how it will affect their roles… or whether they'll even still have one in the coming You Can't Wait to Communicate The truth is that uncertainty heightens anxiety and erodes trust, and those leaders who wait to communicate deepen this tension within their orgs. Silence leaves employees to wonder if leadership even sees the storm raging, causing cognitive dissonance and creating disconnect. You can tell this is happening when employees begin to withhold their concerns, a dynamic called employee silence. Unfortunately, mutual quiet doesn't signal calm. It signals that the organization is in the eye of the storm. Team members burn out, make avoidable errors, and ultimately drift toward companies that promise clearer Through Uncertainty So what should leaders do to communicate effectively with their orgs when facing uncertainty? Here are five things you can do now:Leadership Isn't Certainty, It's Presence The hardest part about leading through uncertainty is resisting the urge to wait to communicate. In unpredictable times, your team doesn't need you to promise clear skies. They need you to give updates on the storm and share how you plan to ride it out together.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
One Heidrick & Struggles International Insider Raised Their Stake In The Previous Year
Viewing insider transactions for Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:HSII ) over the last year, we see that insiders were net buyers. This means that a larger number of shares were purchased by insiders in relation to shares sold. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. The insider, Sarah Payne, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$351k worth of shares at a price of US$40.40 each. That means that even when the share price was below the current price of US$42.98, an insider wanted to cash in some shares. As a general rule we consider it to be discouraging when insiders are selling below the current price, because it suggests they were happy with a lower valuation. However, while insider selling is sometimes discouraging, it's only a weak signal. It is worth noting that this sale was only 36% of Sarah Payne's holding. Thomas Monahan bought 17.50k shares over the last 12 months at an average price of US$43.86. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! Check out our latest analysis for Heidrick & Struggles International There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. If investing in lesser known companies is your style, you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 1.2% of Heidrick & Struggles International shares, worth about US$11m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Heidrick & Struggles International and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Heidrick & Struggles International has 2 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore them. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. — Investing narratives with Fair Values Vita Life Sciences Set for a 12.72% Revenue Growth While Tackling Operational Challenges By Robbo – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: A$2.42 · 0.1% Overvalued Vossloh rides a €500 billion wave to boost growth and earnings in the next decade By Chris1 – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: €78.41 · 0.1% Overvalued Intuitive Surgical Will Transform Healthcare with 12% Revenue Growth By Unike – Community Contributor Fair Value Estimated: $325.55 · 0.6% Undervalued View more featured narratives — Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data
Bloomberg
20-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Kohl's Considers Replacing Headhunter That Found the CEO It Fired
By and Matthew Boyle Save Kohl's Corp. is considering cutting ties with the search firm that helped recruit its last chief executive officer, who the company fired just months into his tenure. Most major search firms offer a guarantee to do a second search if the initial placement goes haywire within the first year. Kohl's isn't sure it wants to go back to its original recruiter, Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., and has reached out to at least one rival firm, according to people familiar with the matter who aren't authorized to speak publicly.
