October 1, 2021 – Bangkok, Thailand – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, has appointed Prasert Arsanawattanapipat as a Client Partner in Bangkok.

Prasert Arsanawattanapipat brings over 21 years of professional experience where he held a variety of roles in both Executive Search and Corporate Talent Acquisition. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Prasert served as a Director for an Asia Pacific focused Executive Search and Management Consulting firm. Throughout the course of his career, he has completed senior-level assignments within the Consumer Products & Retail, Industrial, Automotive, Healthcare, Financial Services, as well as Technology and Telecommunication sectors. Previously, Prasert worked for 10 years at the Thailand leading companies such as Minor Food Group, Siam City Cement, and Central Retail Corporation. Most recently, Prasert worked as the Head of Recruitment for The Minor Food Group, one of Thailand’s largest quick service restaurant operators.

“I am very pleased with this addition to our Thailand team – Prasert has a strong knowledge of the APAC market after recruiting here for 22+ years and having witnessed dynamic changes over this entire period. Prasert has an excellent reputation among clients and candidates in various industry sectors in the region, and we are delighted that he now brings that enhanced level of experience and insight to Pedersen & Partners. I look forward to working with him as we continue to build out our presence in the market and supporting our clients seeking top-tier talent,” said Nisit Krutkaew, Client Partner, Country Manager for Thailand at Pedersen & Partners.

“Pedersen & Partners is making a real difference for its ASEAN and global clients as they build up their leadership teams. Having both the in-house recruitment strategy perspective and having worked closely with the owners and leaders to support their Executive Search needs, I understand how crucial the appointing of quality leadership capable of creating significant value is. I am delighted to have joined the firm and to partner with our clients and candidates to ensure the right leadership fit for each,” added Prasert Arsanawattanapipat, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

October 1, 2021 – Singapore – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, welcomes Grace Tay as a Principal in Singapore.

Grace Tay has over 20 years of experience as an Executive Search professional with successful placements of senior executives for both start-ups as well as established multinational organisations in the Technology and Industrial sectors, covering Asia Pacific & Oceania, most notably in Southeast Asia and China. Ms. Tay focuses on supporting clients with senior operational and C-Suite executives in the high-tech sector (Wireless / Telecom, Enterprise Software, FinTech, Digital Analytics, E-Commerce, and IoT) and Industrial sectors (Aerospace, Automotive, Energy, and Engineering). Additionally, Ms. Tay has over 10 years of experience in coaching and mentoring, having led teams working on complex regional and global assignments. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Ms. Tay spent 17 years with a global retained search firm, working closely with business leaders in the IT, Communications & New Media, Professional Services, Life Sciences, and Industrial segments across Asia Pacific.

“Grace brings solid expertise and is known for her strong delivery capability and high quality consulting work with clients and candidates. With her extensive network across the industries we cover at Pedersen & Partners, she will be a great asset to our team in growth markets across APAC,” said Reza Ghazali, Client Partner and the Head of ASEAN & Board Services ASEAN at Pedersen & Partners.

“I am committed to partnering with clients in building leadership teams which will enable them to succeed in unpredictable and volatile operating environments, and look forward to joining Pedersen & Partners. I am fully aligned with the firm’s commitment to deliver tangible value to our clients across the region and globally,” added Grace Tay, Principal at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

September 1, 2021 – London, UK – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is delighted to welcome Jonas Bengtsson to its global team as a Principal for the Nordic region.

Jonas Bengtsson brings over a decade of international experience in Executive Search, management consulting, and strategic corporate advisory, and has successfully completed cross-border mandates in the Industrial, Public, NGO, Engineering, Energy, FMCG, and Franchising sectors. In addition to his business track record, Mr. Bengtsson has been a university lecturer in Strategy and Corporate Development and Swedish Labour Law. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Mr. Bengtsson was a Partner at a European Executive Search and Consulting firm, with a specific focus on top leadership public sector mandates and engineering roles for private, public, and family-owned organisations. Before that, he served as a Senior Management Consultant with a global search firm, acting as a key member of the strategy, assessment, on-boarding, and succession planning committees. In addition to his consulting work, Mr. Bengtsson has advised political organisations and NGOs on strategic communication and public relations.

“I am pleased to welcome Jonas to Pedersen & Partners. His proven record of executive placements and his client-centric approach will allow him to fit seamlessly into our team, and continue working with his longstanding clients in the Nordic region while supporting our growth across diverse industry sectors,” said Poul Pedersen, Founder and Executive Chairman at Pedersen & Partners.

“I am delighted to join Pedersen & Partners, a well-established search partner with a reputation for professionalism and integrity in the regional and global markets. I look forward to putting my experience to work and helping our clients drive sustainable transformations by leveraging the firm's robust global team and extensive geographic, industry, and domain expertise,” added Jonas Bengtsson, Principal – The Nordics, Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com.

September 1, 2021 – London, UK – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, welcomes Andrew Thomson as a Client Partner in its Global Industrial Practice.

Andrew Thomson’s 25-year extensive international career has covered Consulting, Human Capital management advisory, and Executive Search; he brings significant cross-border and cultural expertise gained in both developed and high growth/emerging markets. Mr. Thomson mainly focuses on the Automotive sector and ‘New Mobility’, Renewables, IoT and Digital/Tech convergence, but he also has a solid background in Professional Services, C-suite leadership, and talent attraction, as well as Board services, talent and business strategy alignment, strategic revenue growth, and business development. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Mr. Thomson held senior leadership roles in top global Executive Search firms, serving a broad range of clients within the Supplier, OEM, and Retail segments of the Automotive value chain. Moreover, he has undertaken projects for a wide variety of other general industrial and manufacturing players, in fields such as Hydrogen and Solar Energy, Consumer Electronics, and Robotics. Mr. Thomson has completed high level searches in General Management, Finance, Operations, Engineering, and Sales & Marketing functions, working closely with Boards and Executive Team members. His earlier career included 5 years with Touche Ross Management Consulting (now Deloitte), and 18 years with KPMG, where he finished his career 'double-hatting' roles as Deputy COO for the Asia Pacific Region, and Head of Automotive for both China and Asia. Prior to his UK relocation, Andrew spent 17 years working in China and Hong Kong, and also lived in Russia, Singapore, and Bangkok.

“We are thrilled to welcome Andrew to our growing UK and global team. Andrew brings a solid track record and understanding of what it takes to operate and deliver in high-profile and demanding environments; he has built a reputation over many years as a trusted advisor and business partner to leaders across industries and markets, and he brings an in-depth understanding of Greater China and Asia Pacific more broadly. His understanding of what it takes to lead in such environments, how to build an effective team to deliver results and the challenges of building a robust talent pipeline can help our clients, both here in the UK and internationally, to address their long-term leadership and succession challenges. Equally, Andrew is well-positioned to advise and support clients in aligning their talent strategies with business strategies, to drive change and growth,” said Mark Paviour, Country Manager for the United Kingdom at Pedersen & Partners.

“I am delighted to be part of the Pedersen & Partners global team, and I look forward to leveraging the firm’s extensive global footprint, and the industry and domain expertise which allow us to attract the most talented leaders in every conceivable sector. The firm is fully equipped to support organisations as they implement leadership building strategies and processes to address pivotal business issues, create organisational efficiencies and build top-class teams across emerging and developed markets,” added Andrew Thomson, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

May 24, 2021 – Milano, Italy – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, welcomes Simone Carletti to the Italian team as a Principal in the Industrial Practice. 

Simone Carletti has worked in the international recruitment and executive search industry for the last 12 years, based in the UK, US, and Italy. Mr. Carletti's sector experience includes Construction, Engineering, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, and Automotive. He has advised transnational clients within these sectors in their most challenging executive search needs. Mr. Carletti holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education & Professional Development from the University of Milano Bicocca, Italy. In addition to his native Italian, he speaks English and French fluently, and can communicate in Spanish.

“We are thrilled to welcome Simone to the Pedersen & Partners team, here in Italy and also globally. With his multicultural background and his knowledge of strategic business development and leadership team building in a variety of industries, Simone is perfectly aligned with our firm values and client-centric approach. His commitment to securing high-performance leadership teams will help us to better serve our clients within the Industrial Practice Group and additionally in the Technology and Digital sectors here at Pedersen & Partners,” said Bruno Pastore, Client Partner and the Country Manager for Italy at Pedersen & Partners.

“Building lasting relationships that support business growth through every stage is what attracted me to Pedersen & Partners. As human capital requirements change before our eyes, and executive teams are expected to steer their businesses rapidly to navigate these challenges, I look forward to partnering with Pedersen & Partners’ global team to execute strategic leadership mandates for our clients,” added Simone Carletti, Principal at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com

April 1, 2021 – Paris, France – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is pleased to announce that Heiko Hofer has joined the firm as a Client Partner.

Heiko Hofer is a Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners, based in the France office. Mr. Hofer brings more than two decades of Executive Search expertise, with a special focus on the Automotive, Machinery, and Speciality Chemicals Industrial segments for French and DACH clients. Having started his career in search and management consulting with one of the top 5 Executive Search global firms, Mr. Hofer then worked at two start-up search consultancies in France, as Franco-German Business Managing Consultant and Founding Partner respectively. During the last seven years prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Mr. Hofer served as a Senior Client Partner in the Strasbourg office of a Global Executive Search & Leadership Consulting firm, developing business and relationships with existing and new clients, and executing cross-border search assignments in France and Germany.

“We are consistently growing our global footprint, and the Industrial Practice Group which Heiko will join will certainly benefit from his expertise and in-depth understanding of Franco-German cross-border Executive Search mandate requirements. Heiko’s track record includes work for global search firms and management consulting start-ups, and this will translate to high-added value understanding of client challenges and talent solutions,” stated Laurence Maheo, Country Manager for France at Pedersen & Partners.

“As clients transform their organisations for a post-pandemic economy, I look forward to partnering with my colleagues across the firm’s offices, and supporting them as they strengthen their leadership teams. I am excited to leverage the global coverage of the firm, and the capability to advise clients through a single point of contact to better serve these high-growth markets,” added Heiko Hofer, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

March 1, 2021 – China – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is pleased to announce that Caroline Qian has joined the firm in the Shanghai office as a Principal.

Caroline Qian is a Principal with Pedersen & Partners. Ms. Qian has over 15 years of Executive Search and Management Consulting experience focused on senior level executive search, leadership advisory, talent management, and coaching. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Qian was a Senior Management Consultant with a leading global Executive Search and Talent Advisory firm, where she led senior level searches across Industrial, Consumer, and Technology sectors, as well leadership assessment engagements. Ms. Qian is an International Coaching Federation Certified PCC Business Coach.

“We are delighted to welcome Caroline to Pedersen & Partners as we continue expanding our Greater China team. Caroline brings a level of industry depth and executive search experience that is built on a thorough understanding of the senior leadership talent challenges, pressures, and opportunities. I am certain that Caroline will augment the firm’s capabilities through her ability to identify and attract top leaders, her dedication to transforming organisational culture through building successful teams, and her extensive network in the marketplace,” stated Jed Van Voorhis, Client Partner, Head of Greater China, Industrial Practice, Asia Pacific.

“Pedersen & Partners has won the respect of clients and candidates worldwide, and its global footprint provides excellent opportunities to partner with the C-suite of clients ranging from emerging to international players to attract not only the best leaders, but the right leaders. I’m excited to become a member of this dynamic team, with its unique client and candidate focus that ensures high quality standards in all undertaken assignments,” added Caroline Qian, Principal at Pedersen & Partners.

The future of agriculture will be directly impacted by two of humanity’s biggest challenges: population growth and climate change. With more mouths to feed, less planet to feed them on, and increasingly alarming predictions of environmental shifts, agricultural innovators must figure out how to grow more food, faster and with fewer resources. The implementation of digital technologies will help scale up the planet’s food production mechanisms sustainably. We looked at two major trends, and spoke to stakeholders.

Harvesting data: precision farming

Precision farming combines information science with agricultural engineering, harvesting massive amounts of data from the farming process. Using technological advances such as advanced sensors, machine learning, and artificial intelligence for data processing, precision farming helps monitor big-picture environmental factors, including weather patterns, water distribution, and soil chemistry, as well as tiny measurements such as nutrient deficiencies in individual plants. Described as the next “digital revolution” for agriculture, precision farming has already been shown to increase crop yields while reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, which decreases the pollution of groundwater and depletion of non-renewable resources such as phosphorus.

GPS may not seem like a radical new technology now, but its integration into John Deere tractors in 2001 allowed location data to be collected to within a few centimetres. This innovation reduced fuel costs for tractors by as much as 40%, preventing them from covering redundant areas or missing a spot.

Dutch farmers are the world’s top exporters of potatoes and onions, and the world’s second-largest exporter of vegetables by overall value. By using precision farming technology, such as driverless tractors tilling specific land areas and quadcopter drones collecting data on soil chemistry, water content, nutrients, and growth, the Dutch have more than doubled the per-acre potato yield compared to the global average, and reduced water dependence by 90%.

Digesting data: predictive farming through robotics and sensing technologies

With the rise of powerful agritech tools, making sense of data is becoming easier. Machine learning and advanced analytic tools are already being used to mine agricultural data in various ways. Plant breeders can apply these tools before the seeds are planted. Machine learning can predict which traits and genes will be best for crop production, giving farmers the best cultivars for their location and climate. At the field level, machine learning techniques use satellite data to distinguish between crops such as corn and soy, providing valuable information for crop insurance, logistics, and commodity markets. The intersection of robotics and data from an increasingly connected farm will accelerate this trend further.

Farm robotics are getting better and better, and the viability of this technology is being explored across the agricultural value chain – from planting, through harvesting and meat processing, to grocery logistics. John Deere spent $305 million in 2017 to acquire Blue River Technology, a startup that makes robots which are capable of identifying weeds and spraying them with high-precision herbicide, reducing input costs and increasing efficiency. There is also a new demand for robotics as a service, especially for fruit-picking. By 2024, the agbot industry is projected to be worth an estimated $5.7 billion, a fivefold increase from 2016. Moreover, a myriad of remote sensing techniques, including in-field sensors, drones, and satellite imagery, allow farmers to view their crops from multiple perspectives. With advances in computing and sensor technology, farmers can now access high-cadence, broad-area coverage with field-level detail. These technologies provide farmers with up-to-date information in real-time, so changes can be made to their crops accordingly.

A global trend?

The advances described above represent a global trend, but are not yet globally adopted.

What will it take for data-enabled farming to go mainstream? “Across the world, we see our customers not only taking more of an interest in these technologies, but actually testing them where they are applicable,” says Bernhard Schmitz, who heads the central digital development unit for AGCO Corporation. “But this trend strongly varies from one part of the world to another.”

For instance, demand in big farming nations like India is still lagging behind. Surely for these trends to sweep the globe and become available to Asia’s 144 million farmers, basic digital literacy must be the first step. While many of these farmers now have access to smartphones, very few are using them in their agricultural work. Once these farmers are connected to the agritech infrastructure and can use these technologies to enable data-driven decision making, they too will be able to join the digital green revolution.

Whether it is precision or autonomous farming, the next decade of farming will be strongly impacted by data-driven technologies. There is already a multitude of solutions on the market that are ready to be commercialised. Nevertheless, farmers' readiness to adopt the new wealth of technologies is lagging behind in large parts of the world. Big players and OEMs in farming will have to act as evangelists and watch out for digital talent to bring the merit of new solutions to the rural parts of the planet, where the majority of agricultural products are grown.

Precision farming agritech startups to watch:

• Taranis, an aerial imaging company that provides farms in Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Ukraine and the United States with data to identify potential crop issues.
• Tule Technologies, a company focusing on irrigation and water use data.
• Pynco, an agricultural data analytics platform available for over 160 countries, that sends alerts directly to the farmers’ smartphones.
• Xarvio, a fertilizer and soil management platform powered by BASF

January 8, 2021 – Singapore – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is pleased to announce that Ruchika Gokarn will be our new Client Partner in the Singapore office.

Ruchika Gokarn is a Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners, based in Singapore. Ms. Gokarn has over 20 years of professional experience in Executive Search and HR Consulting. Throughout the course of her career, Ms. Gokarn has successfully completed numerous senior executive level placements across Private Equity, Technology, Retail, and Industrial industry sectors throughout Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, Ms. Gokarn was based in Jakarta, Indonesia as a Partner and Executive Coach for an Executive Search and HR Consulting firm.

“I am pleased to welcome Ms. Gokarn to our team in Singapore, as an experienced professional, who brings more than two decades in Executive Search and HR Consulting. Ruchika built her career working in Indonesia, but also India and UK and her knowledge of the markets, local and cross-border clients will bring a new wave of closed assignments, placed positions and new professional relationships to our track record in such industries as Private Equity, Technology, Retail, Industrial and others,” announced Reza Ghazali, Client Partner and the Head of ASEAN & Board Services ASEAN.

“Pedersen & Partners’ global team has an impressive track record in maintaining relationships with the existing clients and approaching new ones, especially during this difficult period for companies all over the world. I am thrilled to be joining Pedersen & Partners and work together with my new colleagues on providing high-level support for our clients and help place top-level executives,” added Ruchika Gokarn, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

May 5, 2020 – Singapore – Pedersen & Partners, a leading international Executive Search firm with 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries, is pleased to announce that Jonathan Whitehead has joined the ASEAN Team as a Client Partner.

Jonathan Whitehead is a talent management professional with approximately 15 years of experience within the search industry. Jonathan possesses international experience with global search firms in the UK, the Netherlands, Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Singapore. Prior to joining Pedersen & Partners, he served as the Country Manager for a global search firm based in Vietnam. Earlier, Jonathan was responsible for leading the development of the Vietnam business for a global search organisation. Jonathan’s search experience covers Industrial, Consumer, and Supply Chain & Logistics industry sectors, delivering country and regional leadership search assignments across multiple disciplines.

“Having spent almost a decade within the search industry in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore, Jonathan has been able to develop deep understanding of the markets and industry sectors to drive tangible value to clients. These capabilities will be invaluable as we continue to partner with our clients as they pursue their growth plans in the emerging markets within ASEAN.  We are excited to welcome Jonathan to our ASEAN Team,” commented Reza Ghazali, Client Partner, Head of ASEAN & Board Services ASEAN at Pedersen & Partners.

“I am very pleased to be joining Pedersen & Partners and to be part of the growth in ASEAN. With the firm’s global fully integrated platform, as well as the focus on emerging markets, I am confident that we will be able to provide unparalleled value to our clients within the emerging markets of ASEAN,” added Jonathan Whitehead, Client Partner at Pedersen & Partners.

Pedersen & Partners is a leading international Executive Search firm. We operate 54 wholly owned offices in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia & the Americas. Our values Trust, Relationship and Professionalism apply to our interaction with clients as well as executives. More information about Pedersen & Partners is available at www.pedersenandpartners.com.

If you would like to conduct an interview with a representative of Pedersen & Partners, or have other media-related requests, please contact: Diana Danu, Marketing and Communications Manager at: diana.danu@pedersenandpartners.com