Amrop Hires New Partners And Consultants In EMEA And Asia
Amrop has announced the recent addition of eight Partners and Consultants to its global partnership of executive search professionals.
The new additions are:
- Sam Aston, Partner – Malmö
- Dan Chan, Associate Partner – Hong Kong
- Gregor Frey, Partner – Zurich
- Bob de Groot, Partner – Amsterdam
- Hedda Hanke, Managing Director – Duesseldorf
- J.Y. Hong, Senior Partner – Seoul
- Ott Karolin, Partner – Tallinn
- Takaaki Naito, Consultant – Tokyo
Sam Aston is a business leader and entrepreneur within the IT and service industries. He has worked in recruitment, mentorship and career coaching for the past 15 years in his role as CEO and entrepreneur for several different companies. Mr Aston started his career as a technology consultant working within the retail sector in Switzerland for a global client. He has also worked within the energy and pharmaceutical sectors for global clients. Mr Aston is a member of the board for several companies and organizations, including Malmö University.
Dan Chan specializes in the Industrial, Telecommunications, Medical and Professional Services practices and has almost 30 years' China and Asia Pacific regional experience
in corporate/business finance and business development management. Before joining Amrop, he was the regional finance head of a technology company for 10 countries in Asia Pacific. Prior to that, Mr Chan was VP sales and marketing for a family business in the apparel industry after spending five years in regional leadership roles in finance, IT and logistics at Lubrizol. Mr Chan began his career with Peat Marwick (KPMG) before he joined Bank of Boston and Hewlett Packard in Hong Kong. He later led the JV conversion for HP's medical instrument business in China. He has also served as board member of a listed company and various local companies across Asia.
Gregor Frey has held national and international management positions as a partner at KPMG and Andersen for more than ten years and as co-founder of two start-ups in Switzerland and Europe. He is a line manager and consultant supporting boards of directors and executive committees as well as heads of IT departments and risk management. Mr Frey focuses on executive search in the industrial and technology sectors, as well as in professional services and financial services. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and completed post-graduate management studies at the University of St. Gallen.
Bob de Groot started his career as an HR manager in the healthcare industry. He later joined KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, where he held positions in corporate recruitment, HR 2 management, service and quality management and management development. He then joined the Red Cross organization as HR director for The Netherlands. Mr de Groot continued his career as a consultant and later as a partner at a Dutch firm in executive search, recruitment and development. He works across a range of industries and has knowledge of the public sector, NGOs, not-for-profit, public and private foundations and associations. He focuses on executive and senior management as well as professional expert positions. Mr de Groot is an academic instructor and author in the fields of HRM, talent management and management development.
Hedda Hanke has worked in executive search since 1990, holding the role of managing partner at an executive search consultancy in Europe in which she headed the SME and Retail and Distribution Competence Centers. She has experience working for internationally operating technology companies, with a particular focus on mechanical and tool engineering and construction supply and equipment, and for firms in multi-channel retail and distribution. She also has a background in advising and supporting globally operating family businesses across all industries.
J.Y. Hong joins Amrop after a 35-year career working in multinational companies and their affiliates, including JV companies, around the world. He has held several regional and global executive roles, including CEO/president and country manager, and has functional experience covering sales, marketing, corporate strategy and planning, HR, finance and investment, manufacturing, supply chain and JV operation across various industries throughout the Asia Pacific region. Earlier in his career, J.Y. worked at ExxonMobil Chemical in executive roles across the affiliate organization. He has also held the role of CEO at Esso Petroleum Korea and at ExxonMobil Chemical Korea. J.Y. is a senior advisor to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Ott Karolin has 20 years of experience working on senior management boards and teams, with a focus on sales, marketing and HR management roles. He has facilitated start-up and change management processes in different organizations in the financial services, FMCG and real estate sectors and has experience working in Scandinavia, Southern Europe, Russia and the Balkans. Mr Karolin has developed and implemented HR strategy and policies for a variety of business lines and organizations of different sizes.
Takaaki Naito joins Amrop from Nomura Securities, where he was originally responsible for the fixed income related business. After 10 years, he transitioned to working as an investment banker, and in 2008, Mr Naito was promoted to senior managing director in charge of the Asset Finance Division, where he primarily managed the real estate, acquisition finance and infrastructure business. At Amrop, he works with a range of clients, focusing on the financial services sector.
search-consult is published by Dillistone Systems, supplier of FileFinder Executive Search software. Dillistone Systems is part of Dillistone Group Plc, as are Voyager Recruitment Software and FCP Internet, supplier of the Evolve Recruitment Software SaaS system.