Sbr Europe Brochure 2010

An insight into SBR Europe, our services and our core values.

1. INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH
SBR Europe
Company Brochure
2010

2. Who We Are
•SBR Europe is a boutique executive search firm
that works with a small number of clients on a
succession-planning basis to help them find their
key people across Europe, the Middle East and
Africa.

•We build networks of great people through trusted
referrals. We are headhunters, searching for
talents across markets until we find the right
candidate for our clients and the best company for
our candidates. We work for, and network with,
the world’s leading brands. Not only do we place
people with top companies, we also introduce and
link up great people. We function as gatekeepers
of a network while we’re referred to the best
people. We give a qualitative service that is long-
term focused yet fast in delivery.

•In addition, we can provide through our
Knowledge Management team, bespoke Market
Intelligence, Competitor Analysis and
Compensation Bench marking reports. We are
highly focused on creating individual Search &
Retention programmes with our clients.

•We operate from regional offices in the United
Kingdom and Spain on an executive search basis
with complimentary operations in the United
States.

3. Our Strategy
•We work very closely with a small number
of clients on a succession planning basis,
networking with the top talents across our
clients’ sectors and beyond in order to
inject top talent into our clients’ succession
plans.
•Our search process and in depth market
knowledge enables us to approach the
‘known talent network’ specific to the
assignment and locations for ‘high
potential’ candidates.
•SBR Europe provides constant feedback
with weekly reports to our clients to ensure
we cover all bases and so the end result is
the same time and time again in that we
identify and present the best available
candidate for the mandate. This allows our
clients to focus on their own business
strategies.
•We utilize a proven consultative approach
to executive search which consistently
provides the right result, constantly
improved by our internal QA processes.

4. Our Values

•Honesty - We speak frankly and we only
promise what we can deliver.

•Excellence – We only work with high-
caliber candidates and blue chip
companies, and we do that very closely
with a boutique approach.

•Leadership – We look for leaders both for
our clients and ourselves. In both our
candidates and our consultants there is a
strong leadership identity with potential to
develop and be developed.

•Transparency - We insist on clarity when
doing business. That’s why we follow a
step-by-step process in which we partner
with our clients on a retained basis.

•Resilience - We never quit and never fail
to provide a solution to a search.

•Long-term relationships – All decisions
are made based on what’s best for all
parties. It has to be a “win/win” deal.

5. What makes us
different from other
executive search
firms?
•At SBR Europe we hold a niche
position within EMEA search. Our
clients use us to bring in young, high
potential talent in critical roles across
their organization.

•Not only do we recruit at the senior
executive level but we are also
involved in succession planning and
increasing bench strength both
vertically and horizontally in the
EMEA operations. Although all
consultants specialize in certain key
functions, they are also expected to
be able to source and attract across
function and region.

•We are always looking for individuals
who are currently recruiting and
possess a proven track record of top
production. If you are looking for an
entrepreneurial environment in which
to realize your professional
aspirations, please send us your CV to
[email protected]

6. World Wide SBR
SBR stands for Southwestern
Business Resources.
SBR was incorporated in 1982 as a
division of the Southwestern
Company, America’s oldest and most
respected direct sales firm.
For over 150 years the Southwestern
Company has trained and developed
young people in the area of sales and
sales management. It is from this
solid foundation that SBR has
established its reputation as a
premier search firm.
We are a diversified, employee-owned
company in which all employees have
a vested and long-term stake in how
our clients are treated and how our
business is conducted.

7. Our Practice Areas
•SBR specializes in the recruitment of talent
across the core business functions of
Procurement, Supply, Marketing, Sales,
Finance, Operations, IT and Human
Resources. However, with our extensive
network and methodology of mostly
working through trusted referrals, we have
also completed searches within Quality,
Program Management, Strategic Planning,
R&D and Business Development.

•Our business practice reflects today’s
market. Candidates are referred by our
senior network for specific roles often with
a need for immediate relocation.

•With the exponential rise in the Emerging
Markets, our clients' Human Resources
needs are growing greatly in demand for
talent. We therefore source in the local
markets and also look to repatriate those
nationals with out of the country
experience.

8. Practice Area:
Information Technology
•SBR Europe is strongly networked
with today’s and tomorrow’s
technology innovators across the
globe. Specializing in partnering with
fast growth, early stage companies
achieve their potential by recruiting
experienced, start up professionals.

•We have placed at C Level, VP Sales,
Country Managers, IT Security
experts, Architects, Senior Program
Managers and Directors globally.

•A special focus is within the, BPM,
SOA, Cloud Computing, Virtualization,
Enterprise Software,
Videoconferencing, Unified
Communications market for the key
and emerging players in the market
who are improving efficiencies and
cost savings for their customer base.

9. Practice Area:
Supply
•Demand for proven supply
executives is growing. Modern
Supply represents competitive
advantage and strategic
alignment between suppliers and
retailers, improving procurement,
manufacturing, planning and
inventory management and
reducing costs.

•Competition for change focused
supply chain professionals is
strong with improvement
programs being undertaken in
leading companies across the
industry. SBR Europe has
considerable success in
headhunting from supplier to
manufacturer and retailer. We
cover all aspects of Supply from
Upstream Manufacturing through
all links to Customer facing
Managers and Directors.

10. Practice Area:
Finance
•The business nature of finance is evolving across
the Consumer Goods and Industrial sectors.
Today’s professionals are viewed as strategic
partners who assist the commercial business with
proactive financial planning and measurement.

•As top companies diversify and adapt to
increasingly competitive markets, senior finance
personnel are increasingly expected to take an
umbrella view of the business to maximise
revenue through cost reduction and astute
financial management.

•Finance has often been seen as the commercial
conscience of the business but now the profession
is a key change driver within commerce. As well
as today’s CFOs, SBR are able to assist companies
by identifying the CFOs of tomorrow. Through our
networks of both local and expatriate finance
professionals we proactively source high potential
and highly mobile candidates through referrals.

•Covering all disciplines of finance is a challenge as
the skill sets differ across the divisions of statutory
and management accounting, as well as audit, Tax
and Treasury. However, with the referral method
of sourcing and careful research, the “soft skills”
and culture fit are first identified and then followed
with strict technical evaluation.

11. Practice Area:
Human Resources
•The demands made of human resource
executives have increased significantly in
recent years. This is not only due to the
increased competitiveness of business
generally, but also because most CEOs
recognize that world class HR plays a
significant role in helping them to achieve
their strategic business objectives.

•Human Resources executives have evolved
into a truly integrated and crucial part of
modern business. People really are the
assets of any company and key to
achievement of any strategic business
objective. Leading HR professionals hire,
coach, monitor, retain, compensate and
are genuine business partners.

•HR directors are also expected to have a
deep understanding of the business
strategy, competitors and display; not only
strong business acumen but also empathy
and emotional intelligence.

12. Practice Area:
Procurement
•Purchasing reflects a key element of
modern companies' competitiveness. Far
from the traditional notion of procurement
being a cost killer, this area of the Supply
Chain has become a proactive 'value add'
for today's multinational. The search for
talented individuals who fit this profile and
are able to create this value is intensifying
across Europe.

•SBR's Procurement practice focuses on
executive and board level searches with
strategic or mission critical implications
across all major procurement functions.
Areas of focus include:
•Packaging
•Raw materials- Ingredients, dairy, etc.
•Contract Manufacturing & third party
•Media & Marketing Purchasing
•HR Services Purchasing
•Strategic Sourcing
•Covering all disciplines of procurement is a
challenge as the skill sets differ across the
distinct areas of attention.

13. Practice Area:
Marketing
•Marketing drives growth for
companies in channels, market share
and revenue. At the executive level in
Marketing, significant growth
projections in challenging markets
means that those who can anticipate
trends and think strategically are in
great demand.

•Whether it is strategic, financial or
operational focus that is needed we
are strongly networked in all
disciplines of Marketing
Communications across industry and
agency. With more companies taking
a category led approach to their
marketing and commercial business
we are being pushed more and more
to hunt for marketers who take
ownership of their P&L, plan and
execute strategically.

14. Practice Area
Commercial Division
•Competition is intensifying across
Global Markets, boundaries within
commercial areas are blurred and our
clients are demanding multi skilled
talent. Our clients are demanding
commercial leaders who are
innovative, understand the power of
the brand, influence and are
financially accountable.

•We look for those with strategic vision
who can deliver high growth and high
margin results. The blueprint for
emerging markets and established
regions are the same – innovation,
talent development and market
prioritization. However, some focuses
do differ and SBR Europe has been
able to successfully identify key
leaders for our clients in both regions.

15. Practice Area:
Diversity
•To reach, attract and retain the 21st century
consumer base, a diverse workforce is essential.
Consumers think, act and buy from a wide-ranging
set of criteria. To this end, today’s winning
corporation must reach, attract and retain a
diverse team of people. SBR Europe proactively
targets diverse, high-performing talent whilst
matching the specific functional criteria for a role.

•Choice is the key driver in a selection process. The
candidate with the relevant skills, drive and
ambition will most likely be successful. However,
choosing from a representative pool offers the
client a greater chance of matching diversity
criteria. We understand that diversity at the top
tier is critical to ensure such programs flow
through the business. SBR Europe has been
instrumental in introducing younger, diverse, high-
potential talent into Fortune 500 clients to ensure
tomorrow is as “balanced” as today.

•Drawing on our network and tracking rising stars
from different countries, companies and
backgrounds ensures our clients that our pipeline
is constantly refreshed and reflecting market
trends and conditions.

•SBR Europe is actively involved in pan-European
diversity conferences and think tanks and holds
membership with several professional diversity
networks.

16. Why Work With Us?
•We give a very high quality,
personalized service and we work
primarily through qualified referrals.
•We are a boutique firm that offers
accessibility and a consistent point of
contact, but yet we have an
intercontinental reach across Europe,
Middle East and Asia; and The
Americas. Our client contacts are
completely hands-on in delivery and
we personally interview all
candidates.
•Our international approach to
diversity is unique. We have a
network of high potential,
internationally mobile professionals
across business functions who are
willing to relocate when promoted,
and speak at least two languages with
English as the constant.

17. Why Work With Us?
(Continues from previous page)
•Our clients look to us to help them increase their
bench strength with people who can be promoted
at least twice. We bring in top talent not just at VP
and Director levels, but also at the often more
important (one or two) level(s) below: the future
leaders.
•We accomplish our mission regardless of how
difficult a search may be.
•What makes us different from other executive
search firms?
•We accomplish intercontinental search through
one point of contact.
•We believe that cultural fit is the biggest
determinant of success so we network for the right
culture fit and then find the candidates that also
have the right experience. This way we always get
the right people on the bus in the right seat.
•We understand that at this level of search it is
about personal relationships and the
understanding of culture - knowing the heartbeat
of an organisation.

18. SBR Candidates
We have an excellent track record in
recruiting diverse, high potential,
internationally mobile candidates, who are
consistently promoted by our clients.
These candidates have lived and worked in
two or more countries, speak at least 2
languages - while English is the constant,
and have relocated when promoted.
•Culture fit - it should be a given that the
candidate has potential and can do the job;
therefore the biggest determinant of long
term success at a company is culture fit, so
we spend a lot of time on this important
area to make sure that there is an
excellent culture match between the client
and the candidate.
•International reach - we help our clients
find their key people right across all
regions. To only look at the local market
would limit the candidate pool, especially
the more progressive, international
candidates that have been promoted and
developed across many countries and
cultures.
•Succession planning - our clients look to
us to help them fill succession gaps with
people who can be promoted at least
twice.

19. Our Client’s
Testimonials
I just want to take a minute to thank you for the
outstanding work that SBR has done in
successfully completing a very special search.
We knew it since the very beginning that putting
together a pool of high profile diverse candidates
was going to be a tough one, that's why I am
really pleased for having met a number of great
female candidates which ultimately made our
choice very difficult!

Most of all, apart from identifying great
candidates, I have appreciated your taking us
through the process, helping us and the
candidates reflect and focus and really facilitating
an understanding of needs and expectations from
both sides. More generally, knowing you were
there and available to share thoughts and design
strategies and action plans.

I am sure we will have the chance in the near
future to partner up again.

HR Director, Nike Italy

20. Our Client’s
Testimonials

Just recently I transitioned from
North America to Europe and was charged
with staffing a new team for our European
headquarters. With the help of SBR we
were able to fill 5 key positions in a short
period of time. All of the new employees
are meeting or exceeding our expectations.
I credit SBR for finding quality candidates
in a relatively short period of time.
Their professionalism, commitment and
drive are note-worthy attributes. I am
impressed with SBR’s ability to understand
the client’s needs in terms of job content
and cultural fit and identify candidates who
meet the profile of what we are looking for.
It’s the first time that I have had more
qualified candidates than openings!

Supply Chain Planning Manager
SC Johnson, Europe Sarl

21. Our Client’s
Testimonials
Dear SBR team:

As the GM of Nike France until September 2008, I
had the opportunity to work with you on a key
recruitment, and asked you to search for our
Director of Finance and Supply Chain.

We gave you a precise deadline to start presenting
candidates and not only this deadline was
respected, but also the quality of the candidates
you presented was fully in line with our
expectations, to the point that at the end of the
interviewing process, there were 3 candidates in
my opinion who could have been selected.
Eventually we made a choice for a candidate who
is giving so far full satisfaction, and has adapted to
our company very quickly.

What I appreciated in particular with you is how
quick you understood what we were looking for,
and that you have also quickly understood the
Nike Company Culture, which is very strong. I
have been impressed by the many contacts you
have all over Europe, and that your database of
contacts is not limited geographically or in terms
of candidates’ nationalities.

I wish all of you the very best for the future.

Kind regards,

General Manager, Nike France

22. Contact Us
For more information on our
company please visit us at:
www.sbreurope.com
Or call us:
Barcelona
Calle Mallorca 237 bis, 2, 1A08008
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]
London
Ground Floor, 33-37
Charterhouse square London EC1M 6EA
Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]