Linklaters boosts Asia team with partners, counsel

Linklaters has announced the election of five new partners and seven new counsel across Asia. The promotions are part of a cohort of 25 new partners globally and take effect on 1 May 2016.

“This year is an exceptionally talented group of people. The election and promotions enhance our market leading Asia team,” said Marc Harvey, Regional Manager Partner for Asia.

“The technical and commercial know-how of this year’s new partner cohort is outstanding,” added Robert Elliott, Linklaters’ Chairman and Senior Partner.

The new Asia-based partners are:
Alex Bidlake, Mainstream Corporate (Hong Kong)
Frank Cui, Banking (Hong Kong)
Jonathan Horan, Capital Markets (Hong Kong)
Terence Lau, Capital Markets (Hong Kong)
Justin Tang, Dispute Resolution (Hong Kong)

Additionally, Eric Liu has been promoted to Senior Consultant, Mainstream Corporate (Beijing).

The new Asia-based counsel are:
Hibban Ahmed, Investment Management Group (China)
Peiying Chua, Financial Regulation Group (Singapore)
Kevin Crombie, Projects (Singapore)
Adrian Fisher, Technology, Media & Communications (Singapore)
Terri Poon, Corporate PSL (China)
Made Satwika, Projects, (Widyawan & Partners, Jakarta)
Chris Yip, Corporate (China)

Harvey said the promotions demonstrated Linklaters’ expertise across practice areas and were yet another demonstration of the firm’s market leading and multi-jurisdictional capabilities in the region.

Linklaters added that Chris Bradley has been appointed National Managing Partner Singapore for a period of four years, from 1 May 2016. Chris Bradley succeeds Kevin Wong, who remains with Linklaters in Singapore.

“I know that Chris will do a tremendous job. He has been with us in Asia, in a number of offices, for many years. He will be a great addition to the Asia leadership team,” Harvey said.

Kelly Services names Foo See Yang as VP and Country GM for Singapore

Source: Kelly Services.
Foo.

Kelly Services has promoted Foo See Yang to Vice President and Country General Manager for Singapore, effective from 1 January this year. Foo has over 15 years of experience in the recruitment industry and will oversee the operations of more than 150 consultants for the global workforce solutions and recruitment agency in Singapore.

“See Yang has been with Kelly Services for over 13 years and as a Singaporean with deep expertise in this market, he has brought to the table good local insights on the dynamic talent landscape in Singapore, and has proven to be an effective and well-respected leader,” said Natalia Shuman, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Kelly Services, EMEA and APAC regions. She continued, “Singapore, a world-class talent hub, is an important market for Kelly Services and it is also where our APAC headquarter resides; I am proud to see See Yang as the new Country General Manager leading our business here.”

“The recruitment industry has greatly evolved since I first started over 15 years ago where we now need to take a more holistic approach to recruiting and retaining talent,” said Foo. "I am excited to help lead the Singapore team, deliver on our growth plans, provide strong workforce solutions to the challenges faced by our clients and maintain our market leadership in this market.”

Foo started his career with Kelly Services in 2000 as a Staffing Consultant specialising in technical recruitment. Prior to his current role, he served as Kelly Services Director of Commercial Operations where he was responsible for the growth and profitability of the commercial business. In 2015, he took on an additional role as the Head of IT Contracting team, which is now one of the top performing teams in the organisation.

Foo holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Management from University of London and a Diploma in Electronics Engineering from Nanyang Polytechnic.

Russell Reynolds sets up direct presence in Dubai

Source: Russell Reynolds
Associates website.

Russell Reynolds Associates has opened an office in Dubai, located at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The global assessment, recruitment and succession planning specialist for CEOs, boards of Directors and key roles within the C-suite started doing business in the Middle East in 1975. The firm now has 46 offices in 26 countries spread across Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East.

“Our firm was first in our industry to establish a Middle East Practice, and we remain unique with dedicated consultants based both inside and outside of the region. Our Dubai office is another important step in the global expansion of Russell Reynolds Associates,” says Clarke Murphy, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates. "Our company continues to expand: the past calendar year was an history high."

The executive search firm's presence in the Arab world will be boosted by the new office, which will be tightly integrated with the firm’s Middle East desk in London. "The Middle East continues to play a key strategic role for many of our clients, most major multinationals and world banks. Our Dubai office complements our clients' growing demands for physical presence in the region," explains Dr Stephan Schönwälder, Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates and Area Manager for Dubai. Dr Stephan Schönwälder works with senior members of the London desk Mat Green and Lamees Al-Ashtal. Green coordinates the firm's Middle East practice and conducts assignments for clients in the financial services, oil & gas, mining and natural resources sectors.

Dr Schönwälder joined Russell Reynolds Associates from another search firm, where he led the Middle East Financial Services Practice for four years. He also worked on numerous assignments in the ICT and FMCG industries and served family-owned businesses. Schönwälder was a former Partner with McKinsey & Company, serving as the head of the company’s Middle East Business Technology Practice and as a core member of the region’s Financial Services Practice. He also worked for numerous family conglomerates and government institutions, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 

Schönwälder explains, "The region has considerable potential. Many of the Gulf States are successfully expanding their range of economic activities – moving away from oil toward promising sectors of the future such as tourism and hospitality, financial services and telecommunications. We advise companies and institutions in the region on all talent issues across all industries, with our wide-ranging executive search knowledge and international and local expertise."