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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisPersonal Take : the CHRO role may become the most influential role in the C-suite after the CEO. At a time when some are questioning whether HR is keeping pace with the future of work, I see something very different. Most conversation we have with CEOs and boards those days eventually lands on the same topics: AI. Workforce transformation. Leadership. Succession. Culture. Re-imaging leadership pipelines and profiles. These aren't just HR topics. They are business issues. Strategy issues. Transformation issues. And increasingly, they sit squarely on the CHRO agenda. That's why I'm particularly excited to see my friend and colleague Ayse (Guclu) Onur appointed Global Leader of Egon Zehnder's Chief Human Resources Practice. I've watched Ayşe reinvent herself more than once. From leading our Turkey office as Managing Partner to building a new chapter in New York, she has consistently demonstrated the courage, humility, and leadership that this moment demands. A heartfelt thank you as well to Rafael Altavini, whose leadership helped strengthen our global CHRO community and build the foundation for what's next. If the last decade was about earning HR a seat at the table, the next decade may be about CHROs helping decide where the table goes. I can't think of a better person to help lead that journey alongside CHROs than Ayse (Guclu) Onur. Congratulations, my friend! #Leadership #CHRO #FutureOfWork #AI #HumanResources #LeadershipDevelopmentSebastien D'Incau shared thisThe agenda facing today's CHRO extends far beyond the HR function. From leadership succession and organizational transformation to workforce strategy, culture, and AI-enabled change, HR leaders are helping shape some of the most important decisions organizations face. Against this backdrop, Ayse (Guclu) Onur has been appointed Global Leader of Egon Zehnder's Human Resources Practice. Ayşe will lead a global practice dedicated to helping organizations identify, develop, and support the leaders needed for what comes next. Learn more: https://ego.nz/45XLL6s
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisToday, our daughter Nora starts kindergarten. Beyond the emotions, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I hope she gets out of school. It’s also made me think about what my dad wanted for me. Growing up, school had a pretty clear scoreboard in our house: Grades. Results. Achievement. Work hard. Do well. Get ahead. He wanted the very best for us. I’m enormously grateful for that. But now, a generation later, I realize I’m hoping for something a little different for Nora. Of course I want her to learn. And I also hope she stays curious. That she raises her hand when she doesn’t know. That she fails at things and tries again. That she discovers what she loves, not just what she’s good at. Much of my professional work at Egon Zehnder today is about helping senior leaders develop at the other end of the journey. It has taught me something too: Not everything that matters can be measured. Curiosity. Engaging with others. Connecting dots creatively in new ways. Finding joy. Asking why. Saying “I don’t know.” Trying again (and again). All of that matters too. Maybe that’s the strange thing about development. We spend years teaching children how to become adults, and then years helping senior leaders rediscover some of what they had as children. Nora, learn everything you can. And hold on fiercely to those things too. Have the best first day. ❤️
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisSunday morning reading, and I came across this quote from Tim Cook this week on his legacy and how he hopes to be remembered: “I hope that people will say that I was a good and decent man.” Fifteen years. Under his watch: Apple grew from roughly $350 billion to $4 trillion in value. Apple Watch. AirPods. Apple Silicon. A $100B+ services business. And when asked about his legacy? Good and decent. It brought back a moment from a few months ago. I watched my colleague Chuck Gray, who co-leads Egon Zehnder Board Practice in North America, take a reference on someone being considered for the board of a major public company. His first question: “Is she a good human?” It stayed with me. We spend our careers developing increasingly sophisticated ways (including AI!) to assess and develop leaders: capabilities, skills, potential, judgment, empathy, track record. All important. And yet, months later, Chuck’s question is the one I remember. Is she a good human? Tim Cook could point to trillions of dollars of value creation. He hopes his legacy is that he was good and decent. A remarkably ambitious yet clear definition of success and legacy.
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisExecutive search may have a reputation problem. Our industry is sometimes criticized for finding the future by recycling the past. Calling the same people we've known for 20 years. The same networks. The same candidates. The same “playbooks”. I hear that sometimes. This week, with one of our clients, we challenged that stereotype. Our Egon Zehnder team spent a full day of immersion with their team in our Chicago offices. Ironically, we barely discussed active engagements. Instead, we debated what talent acquisition and leadership development could look like in 2030. How AI and trends will reshape leadership decisions. How to create a differentiated candidate experience. What leadership will be needed - given their unique context and culture - to thrive in 2030 And what it would take to build the best talent partnership in our industry. Beyond the thought-provoking content, what energized us most was the true partnership. We weren’t clients and vendors. Just two teams learning together for a day, challenging openly each other's assumptions and boldly Imagining the future together. It reminded me how much our profession is evolving: - From executing searches to unlocking value - From filling roles to shaping leadership - From transactions to partnerships - From isolated assignments to integrated work spanning succession, assessment, coaching, onboarding, team effectiveness, and transformation We all left energized and optimistic. Energized by the ambition of the conversation. Energized by the caliber of the client team and their ambition. And inspired by what Egon Zehnder can uniquely do when we bring our capabilities together to help clients create value, not just hire talent. Less "Who has done this before?". More "What future are we trying to create, and who can help us build it?" With Heather O'Keefe, Liz Avera, Cynthia Soledad and Rahul Mathew
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Sebastien D'Incau shared this🇫🇷 I grew up in France. 🇨🇦 I’m also proudly Canadian. ⚽ And I’ve always been a soccer fan. So yesterday was…complicated. Exactly 20 years ago today - July 5th 2006 - I was in Munich watching France beat Portugal in a World Cup semifinal. I was in my twenties. And judging by this old picture, deeply committed to both French football and questionable facial hair. Last night, after France’s battle with Paraguay, Kylian Mbappé offered a line that resonated: “They thought we’d show up in tuxedos to play, but we know how to play dirty football too.” There is a leadership lesson in that. One we, at Egon Zehnder, often see in CEO succession and leadership development. The best leaders know who they are. But they are not prisoners of how they have won before. They know the difference between identity and rigidity, between protecting what makes them special and clinging to a playbook the moment has outgrown. Because what got you here may not get you there. The goal is not to preserve the old playbook. It is to keep evolving as a leader without losing who you are. Twenty years later, still watching. Still learning. Allez les bleus. 🇫🇷🇨🇦⚽
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisYesterday, 120 consultants from our Consumer Practice at Egon Zehnder dressed up as superheroes to celebrate the remarkable growth of our practice over the past few years and being together. It looked ridiculous. It really was. And yet, I’ve rarely seen so much energy, laughter, creativity, and genuine connection packed into one afternoon. Maybe adults don’t need less play. Maybe we need more of it. More joy. More creativity. The work we do is serious. We don’t always have to be. Go, Consumer! 🦸 Tanay Misra, Sarah Van Dyck, Sophie Hanson, Adeline de Waziers, Alejandro Folmer #leadershipforabetterworld #EZConsumer
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisValues aren’t supposed to make us comfortable. One sentence from yesterday’s discussions and CEO panels at Egon Zehnder Global Consultants Gathering in Amsterdam made me think. “Values are not meant to make us comfortable. They’re meant to make us better.” The values that actually matter create a bit of friction. They force us to choose. They push us to act in ways that aren’t always easy or convenient. It’s easy to like values when they sound good on paper. It’s a different story when they cost you something. That’s when you find out if they’re real. I’ve often thought about Enron in this context. Integrity was one of its core values. It was literally carved into the marble of its headquarters. Carved. The issue was never the words. What matters isn’t whether people can recite the values. It’s whether those values show up in the decisions people make. #leadershipforabetterworld #Egon Zehnder
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisOne of my favorite traditions at Egon Zehnder is our Global Consultant Gathering. Every four years, 700 colleagues from around the world come together to discuss leadership, clients, strategy, and the future of our profession. And then there is THE EZ Talent Show. Countries and practices are invited on stage to present an act. It’s serious business. This year, our Consumer Practice presented The Consultant Games, a spoof inspired by The Hunger Games. Cynthia Soledad and Liz Avera were our fearless directors. Imagine odd costumes. Questionable acting. Consulting jokes that should probably never leave Amsterdam. Absolutely no concern for personal dignity. None. It was ridiculous. It was glorious. Tonight was a good reminder that culture isn’t only what organizations say about themselves. It’s often what people are willing to do for each other. When accomplished consultants from dozens of countries spend evenings rehearsing something completely absurd just to make their colleagues laugh, you learn something about the true strength of a community. One of the many reasons we all love this firm. And yes, Team Consumer showed up with flair and heart. 🎭
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Sebastien D'Incau shared thisAt Harvard this week, a client asked me a provocative question: “Why do you love Egon Zehnder? Would you move to another firm?” I didn’t have to think very long. Fifteen years ago, I met Megan Trice at Harvard Business School. We were in the same section (Section J!). We spent a full year of classes together and then went our separate ways after graduation, built careers, families, and somehow found our way back as colleagues a few years ago. This week, we were back on campus with Greig Schneider and Ayse (Guclu) Onur, two colleagues I genuinely admire and always enjoy being around. It reminded me that the best part of a career isn’t only the wins, the client impact, or even the work itself. It’s also the people who make you dream bigger, laugh harder, and become a little better than you would have been on your own. That’s why I love Egon Zehnder. Not only because of what we do. Because of who we get to do it with. #onefirm #leadershipforabetterworld #EgonZehnder
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Thank you, Rafael Altavini, for your leadership and service to the firm! Kudos for the impact and community you’ve built.
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisFor leaders who are also parents, knowing when to step back can be a deeply personal judgment call. At this year’s #LeadersAndDaughters in São Paulo, parents, daughters, leaders, and young professionals discussed how that balance plays out in their lives and careers. Renata Marques, Luiza M., Nicola Calicchio, and Rafaela Calicchio joined Angela Pegas to talk about independence, resilience, and the influence of family values. Their discussion explored what it takes to develop an identity of your own while holding on to the values you grew up with. That theme of finding your own path continued as Ana Flávia C. and Maria Teresa Fornea spoke with Lissa Schreurs about unexpected career turns, changing direction, and staying grounded in the human side of leadership as technology reshapes work. Our special thanks to our panelists and guests for joining us and showing just how much generations can learn from one another. #LeadershipForABetterWorld
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisWe spend a lot of time thinking about what we’re going to say. I'm not sure we spend enough time working out what we actually think. Last night, Egon Zehnder and Harvard Business Review brought together Gareth Southgate, Tim Davie and Minouche Shafik for a conversation on leadership in the spotlight, chaired by Adi Ignatius. Each has spent time in roles where decisions are scrutinised, criticised and debated in public, often in real time. The discussion covered resilience, support networks, family and the challenge of staying grounded when people feel entitled to an opinion on everything you do. But one idea has stayed with me. When a difficult decision lands on your desk, it's tempting to jump straight to communication. How do we explain it? How will it land? How do we bring people with us? All three panellists seemed to be describing the same habit. Spend time working out what you actually think. It sounds obvious, but I suspect its getting harder. Most leaders are operating in an environment of constant input. There are more opinions, more commentary and more pressure to respond than ever before. Finding the space to form a view of your own may feel like a luxury. The leaders I find most convincing are rarely the ones with the slickest message. More often, they're the ones who have taken the time to think clearly before they speak.
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisHavia energia de sobra na sala ontem à noite. O que as mais jovens queriam descobrir era o que fazer com ela. Foi no Leaders & Daughters, encontro global que a Egon Zehnder realiza há dez anos em diferentes países. Em São Paulo, reunimos 50 líderes e suas filhas, sobrinhas e mentoradas, de 15 a 30 anos. No palco, três gerações, de quem tem décadas de carreira a quem, com 20 e poucos anos, já está encontrando a própria voz. A pergunta que permeou a noite: como traçar a própria trilha de liderança? Ninguém respondeu com uma fórmula. As respostas vieram em forma de histórias. Valores aprendidos em casa, e outros escolhidos depois. Pequenos experimentos para testar um caminho antes de se comprometer com ele. A coragem de pedir ajuda no meio do processo, porque não ter as respostas também tem seu valor. Me marcou o quanto os sinais da liderança podem aparecer cedo: curiosidade, criatividade, disciplina, risco. Não estou descrevendo apenas os painelistas, mas também as jovens que sentavam à mesa ao meu lado e me contaram suas histórias. Sinal, porém, ainda não é trajetória. Em determinado momento, uma das painelistas contou que a busca pela excelência profissional acabou se tornando a busca por se realizar plenamente como pessoa. Talvez seja isso que atravessava tudo o que ouvi: a busca por se conhecer melhor. O autoconhecimento aparecia como método para dar direção à energia. Energia sem esse trabalho se dispersa. Com autoconhecimento, permite escolha. Moderar um dos painéis me lembrou que essa pergunta não acaba aos 25 anos. Quem lidera precisa respondê-la diversas vezes ao longo da vida: para si mesmo, e ao apoiar quem ainda está começando. Agradeço a Ana Flávia C., Maria Teresa Fornea, Nicola Calicchio, Rafaela Calicchio, Renata Marques e Luiza M., que foram generosos ao compartilhar suas reflexões sobre como afinaram a própria energia. #LeadersAndDaughters #LeadershipForABetterWorld
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisSomeone is looking up at your life right now, wishing it were theirs. I had just started Civil Engineering at one of India's premier colleges, and I loved it. With a pencil and a drafting board, you could put a bridge on a blank sheet of paper. I told a friend how lucky we were. He said mechanical was better. The mechanical engineers wished they were in electrical, the electrical engineers wanted electronics, and so on up to computer science. My friend there wasn't happy either, because ours wasn't the number one institute. My friend at the number one institute wanted to be in the US. For a while I doubted if I was doing the best engineering course. What I didn't see was that someone was looking up at me too. Every one of us envied the rung above, and none of us noticed the people envying ours. I have seen that same ladder many times since, often in rooms full of people who by any measure have made it. Instead of pausing on what they have built and who they have served, they look to the next role. I recognize that part of myself in them, and much of my work is helping them find their way back to what gave them joy. Engineering taught me two things. If we are not happy where we are, we won't be happy when we get there, because there is always another rung. And most of our definitions of happiness are borrowed from the person one rung up. Who might be looking up at the rung you're standing on, and what would you see if you looked through their eyes?
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisMy name just appeared on Fortune's Executive Women Moves list. What matters more to me is who comes next. I have spent most of my working life helping other people rise, so being named for my new role, leading Egon Zehnder's Global Human Resources Practice, feels a little unfamiliar. It is a real honor to sit alongside so many remarkable women. What drives me has never changed. I love helping people reach their full potential, and I believe the surest way there is to follow your energy. What lights you up, and where could it take you next? I feel this even more deeply for women, because they still face more obstacles on the way to the top of the house. I saw it up close with YenidenBiz, the non-profit I co-founded to help women return to work after a career break. I lost count of how often I heard some version of "she's been out for a year, she's not in the flow." Talented women were ruled out before anyone asked what they could become. That is why a list like this matters to me, and not because I'm on it. Every name there shows what happens when someone's potential gets seen and backed. It gives me hope that we can do better. In this role I spend my days with the CHROs who shape the working lives of millions of people. If I can help unlock even a little more of their potential, it reaches every person who works for them. That is what excites me most about this next chapter. To everyone who opened a door for me along the way: thank you. I intend to keep holding them open ❤️
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisI was recently in Madrid and had the pleasure of sitting down with Montse Mateos of Expansión. We discussed how leadership is changing in a world that is becoming more complex by the day. In my view, the leaders who thrive today are not necessarily those with all the answers, but those with the self-awareness to understand themselves, the curiosity to keep learning, and the adaptability to evolve as circumstances change. We also touched on AI and why I believe it will amplify human judgment rather than replace it, making that judgment more important than ever. Would love to hear your thoughts. You can read it here: https://ego.nz/4xfS4xbSebastien D'Incau liked thisWhat does leadership mean when no one person can possibly have all the answers? If leadership once meant having the answers and getting people to follow you, Egon Zehnder CEO Francesco Buquicchio says that today it means sensing, being curious, asking questions... and building that followership. In this interview with Expansión, he reflects on seeing leadership as a container, the growing importance of self-awareness and adaptability, and why AI will make human judgment more valuable, not less. Read the full interview: https://ego.nz/4xfS4xb
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisThis week at our AI After Hours Leadership Conversation, hosted by Egon Zehnder in Hong Kong, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Cheng. He shared more about Lenovo's Solutions & Services Group (SSG) and their incredible collaboration with FIFA on a series of AI projects including FIFA AI Pro. I was inspired by the discussion on leadership. As technology becomes more capable and intelligence becomes increasingly abundant, leadership fundamentals such as purpose, judgment, trust, and clarity matter more. AI is transforming work; it has also amplified the importance of leadership and reinforced how much it depends on clarity of purpose in a world of abundant intelligence.
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Sebastien D'Incau liked thisSebastien D'Incau liked thisHeute sitze ich in Vallendar im Publikum und nicht, wie sonst oft, auf der anderen Seite des Tisches. Unser Sohn Kassian Meier hat seinen Bachelor an der WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management abgeschlossen. Drei Jahre, in denen er viel gearbeitet, einiges ausprobiert und sich ein paar Mal neu sortiert hat. Wir haben das meiste aus der Entfernung mitbekommen, meistens am Telefon, manchmal spät abends. Umso schöner war es, ihn jetzt im Talar auf der Bühne zu sehen. Beruflich spreche ich viel mit Familien darüber, wie die nächste Generation ihren eigenen Weg findet. Als Vater merkt man, dass das in der Theorie deutlich einfacher klingt. Kassian hat seinen Weg ziemlich eigenständig gefunden, und darauf bin ich stolz. Danke an die WHU für eine sehr gelungene Feier. Und an das Maskottchen, das sich tapfer für ein Foto mit mir zur Verfügung gestellt hat, obwohl eindeutig nicht ich der Absolvent war. Kassian, herzlichen Glückwunsch. Wir freuen uns auf das, was jetzt kommt.
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