2011 Executive Hot Jobs Report from CTPartners: Business Shifts from Caution to Competition

HR Gets a Seat on the Board;

The App, the Tweet and the Cloud Drive Tech;

3Rs Drive Financial Services;

Hot Spots in Clean-Tech, Healthcare and Mobility

NEW YORK--()--CTPartners Executive Search Inc. (AMEX: CTP), the performance-driven executive search firm, today released its 16th annual list of hot executive jobs. The 2011 report shows business reaching an inflection point on the slow, grinding road to global economic recovery: after two years of cutting costs to the bone, boards have shifted to hiring mode.

“Boards have come to grips with the fact that not creating new jobs carries a punishing price,” said Brian Sullivan (http://www.ctnet.com/ctnet/consultants/bios/bsullivan.htm), CEO of CTPartners. “Despite continuing economic uncertainty, companies tell us that they can no longer delay hiring if they expect to innovate and compete. Post-recession business models need new thinking, and companies all over the world are searching in record numbers for the right leaders to change the ways they do business.”

According to Sullivan, “Reorganized, restructured and pared down for profits, companies need new answers for old problems – leadership, innovation and growth – and new challenges – social media in the workplace, competition in the cloud, historic and controversial federal regulations. We expect strong executive hiring in 2011 following the caution of the past couple years.”

The full CTPartners press release, which includes 44 jobs that will be in high demand during 2011, is available at: CTPartners2011HotJobsReport (http://www.ctnet.com/NR/rdonlyres/0FDEC870-8242-4D33-BE29-57E029D4E977/2975/1242011_CTPartners2011HotJobsReport.pdf). Some highlights:

LONG TIME COMING: CREDIBILITY FOR HR

Most companies say that “Human capital is our most important asset” but few have meant it and even fewer have done more than pay lip service to the role of Human Resources executives. Finally, the cliché is giving way to genuine business imperative.

The good news is that boards finally get it: Human Resources is a strategic function. The bad news is that there are too few emerging superstars to meet demand.

BOARDS GEAR UP FOR INDEPENDENCE, ACCOUNTABILITY AND DIVERSITY

Directors are accustomed to pressure, but economic and political upheaval has upped the tension since 2007. Financial reform regulations have increased accountability and liability for directors, and boards have restructured to increase independence and revamp board assessment.

The recruitment of directors is in full swing as members retire or boards restructure for specific expertise or increased independence. Boards are also improving director diversity by gender, minority, cross-border, cross-industry and age.

THE APP AND THE TWEET IN THE ENTERPRISE

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg got his own movie. Apple outpaced IBM to become the most profitable U.S.-based tech vendor in the world. Thanks to iPhone, there’s an App for just about everything... Social networking is the next big thing since the IT Boom a decade ago, with no Bust in sight.

As often with a boom there comes a gap…The ideal leader for social networking is an oxymoron: seasoned social media executive. The 34-year-old entrepreneur immersed in social media with the management savvy and scope of a big-company executive just doesn’t exist.

IS CLEAN-TECH STILL COOL?

Deloitte & Touche predicted global 2010 energy IPOs worth $9.6 billion, more than three times as much as in 2009. Optimism is back after the stalled economy and heated political climate of 2008-2009. Difficulties remain – challenges in government incentives, funding and regulatory uncertainty – but globally, the race is on in solar, wind, carbon capture and storage.

Clean-energy entrepreneurs and visionaries will be sought after by venture capital firms. Leading private equity firms are hiring executive teams for solar start-ups, and traditional energy companies are continuing to invest in clean-tech offerings.

HEALTH CARE AND INFOTECH JOINED AT THE (ARTIFICIAL) HIP

Healthcare will continue to be a vibrant job market in 2011, powered in part by aging Baby Boomers as ready consumers of medical devices, pharmaceuticals and other medical technologies. Innovation is still a priority as patents on lucrative drugs expire.

In advance of healthcare legislation, providers began preparing for integrated information systems, but the transformation of policy and the integration of healthcare records are enormous challenges. The industry needs top leadership to bring together disparate systems and organizations for the new era of healthcare reporting.

REVENUE, REGULATION AND RISK DRIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES

CTPartners sees selective hiring in financial services with very strong demand in Payments, Infrastructure, and traditional Corporate/Commercial Banking – both coverage and products because firms have identified these as areas of growth where they can build share with recurring income.

Payments is one of the big financial services stories of 2010 and into 2011 as banks and card companies respond to a potential 40 percent drop in revenue from deposit and card fees following the CARD (Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility & Disclosure) Act. Infrastructure hiring – of risk, financial, audit, compliance, legal, technology and operational executives – will continue in 2011 in response to regulatory requirements.

THE TRANSFORMATIONAL CEO

CEOs are global or local, industry insiders or outsiders, the product of thoughtful succession plans or quick changes prompted by failed strategies, boardroom conflicts or markets that are shifting too fast. However they got the job, or however long they’ve held it, CEOs are aware that they need to be transformational leaders. Post-recession business models require CEOs across the board to put uncertainty aside and invest in the talent to deliver the products and services for market leadership. The good news is that business has been sitting on $2 trillion in cash. 2011 is the year for Big Thinking and Big Moves.

UNCLOUDY VISION FOR IT

Cloud computing – software and services delivered over the Internet on demand from massive remote data centers – by all accounts is a game changer. In October 2010 IDC reported that cloud computing is exceeding original estimates that it would account for 25 percent of the net growth of technology from 2011 to 2012, and 30 percent of growth from 2012 to 2013...

As one of the fastest growing areas of IT spending, the cloud presents strong opportunities for CIOs, CTOs and R&D experts who can develop the next generation of products and services. Cloud computing, along with social networking, will help Tech lead business out of the downturn, as it has in the past.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER

For years New Business development experts, globally across all sectors, have been moving away from selling product to selling solutions by focusing on customer relationships and retention.

Now business development roles link to the Board and strategy, and have direct impact on R&D all the way through manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. Moving an organization forward in this way needs change agents to disrupt entrenched thinking about the best methods of finding new markets and strengthening customer relationships. Companies want business developers who know how to create demand, not just sell product.

NOT YOUR FATHER’S CELL PHONE BUSINESS

Not so long ago wireless carriers were commodity businesses making money chiefly through complicated payment schemes to charge more for services. Convergence was the goal and ultimately the reality that turned wireless into mobile, and cell phones into smartphones... Powerful partnerships between carriers, handset companies and application developers drive competition for consumers—and the war for talent.

About CTPartners

CTPartners is a leading performance-driven executive search firm serving clients across the globe. Committed to a philosophy of partnering with its clients, CTPartners offers a proven record in C-Suite, senior executive, and board searches, as well as expertise serving private equity and venture capital firms.

With origins dating back to 1980, CTPartners serves clients with a global organization of more than 300 professionals and employees, offering expertise in board advisory services and executive recruiting services in the consumer, financial services, life sciences, industrial, professional services, retail, and technology, media and telecom industries. Headquartered in New York CTPartners has 22 offices in 14 countries.

Contacts

For CTPartners Executive Search Inc.
Anita Buchanan, 978-821-9877
anita@robertsbuchanan.com

Contacts

For CTPartners Executive Search Inc.
Anita Buchanan, 978-821-9877
anita@robertsbuchanan.com