tomkos.partners

This site uses cookies to ensure an optimal user experience. [ ok ] [ to Privacy Policy ]

ABOUT US

VALUES

SERVICES

TEAM

PARTNERSHIPS

NEWS

CONTACT

IMPRINT

Enabling the board agenda

TOMKOS HAS QUESTIONS - Our recent column in CAPITAL

News >

tomkos.partners provides advice to both executive and non-executive boards as well as shareholders and owners. We offer competent support in the appointment and supervision of such bodies as well as in crucial and sensitive matters relating to succession planning, individual assessment and board evaluation.

With the founders’ twenty years of extensive client experience at the top management and supervisory level, tomkos.partners was created in response to increasing client demand for a distinguished alternative to the global players. It is our aspiration and entrepreneurial drive to provide tailor-made support for complex client needs.

We support our clients in complex situations and develop target-oriented appointments and structural solutions for optimal management and supervision. Our work is grounded in a mature, professional collaboration with our clients that is based on mutual trust.

Dr Thomas Tomkos, Managing Partner and founder of tomkos.partners, in an interview with Dr Arno Balzer, the former editor-in-chief of Manager Magazin and publisher of the business magazine Bilanz.

Thomas, after nearly 20 very successful years in an international executive search consultancy in various roles, what prompted you to launch your own executive search boutique in the summer of 2024

The market need is obvious: Clients in Germany have long sought an alternative to the three major partnerships in the form of top-tier boutiques with a high level of credibility and reputation. This is what I was told again and again in recent years. Clients want their advisors to be highly flexible in the collaboration structure, with regard to the scope of the mandate, confidentiality and, of course, in dealing with conflicts of interest or fee structures. They want a consultant who is well-positioned in the market and with regard to trend topics based on a mature understanding of leadership. Ultimately, however, it was also a question of who has the courage to close this gap.

What are the advantages of a high-end boutique over large international executive search firms?

We have the great advantage that we can structure each mandate individually and that we are subject to far fewer conflicts of interest than the big players. Our off-limits restrictions are limited and we clarify them with our clients beforehand. With us, there are no compromises in mandate execution since every search assignment is treated as a top priority. The credible personal execution of mandates is vouched for by my reputation. For us, this naturally also includes the highest degree of reliable confidentiality rather than a flashy appearance.

The major industry players also assert their commitment to confidentiality and discretion, don’t they?

Yes, but we live and guarantee discretion and reliability in practical implementation. Our clients expect us to handle critical information with confidence and to deal honestly with any problems that may arise. This may sound banal, but it is anything but self-evident. I know from my own experience how much clients value such personalized, tailored treatment.

What is the unique selling point of tomkos.partners? Do you specialize in specific industries or regions?

Our focus is on the top management and supervisory level, i.e. on recruiting and supporting CEOs, board members, management boards and supervisory boards. We have developed particular expertise in this area over the past decades. This includes advisory services during succession planning for board and management members, the assessment of supervisory bodies or generational transitions in family businesses. We work across all sectors, but preferably for companies with long-term objectives and comprehensible values. By this I simply mean a comprehensible and justifiable business model, be it for corporations, medium-sized companies or, of course, family businesses.

In your opinion, what characterizes board advisory and executive search work?

In my view, in addition to a substantial understanding of companies and markets, fundamental success factors include staying informed about management and organizational trends and understanding corporate governance. Effective advisory or appointment processes require a comprehensive understanding of the issue, a thorough analysis and a conscientious development of possible solutions. Above all, this requires a deep level of trust between the client and the consultant. It also requires a certain maturity on the part of the consultant, who must possess the relevant professional experience and must first and foremost be interested in solving the issue and only secondarily in the business. Incidentally, this is also my interpretation of “client first”.

Thorough research is essential for successfully filling a leadership position. Can a boutique keep up with the global players in this regard?

Depending on the case, we may even be better at it. Anyone scanning social networks with a requirement profile via a grid search would be better off leaving the job to an AI algorithm. Technology can support a search, but the results still need to be evaluated by an experienced consultant. Someone also needs to think things through and interpret every step during the research process. Above all, a solid understanding of the mandate, experience, analytics and intuition are required to come up with target-oriented and also creative ideas. Only a holistic perspective can ensure that the particular challenges of the company in question, the specific task, the desired impetus and the right personalities are taken into account during a search mandate. Clients should therefore make sure that the key research is not solely carried out by juniors working for a data centre on the other side of the world.

How do you proceed with a search assignment and how extensively do you discuss the profile of suitable candidates with clients?

A deep mutual understanding between the client and the consultant is essential. This involves more than just discussing the profile, in many cases, this is a follow-up activity. Ideally, we already know the decision-makers and companies so well that we address critical issues long before the mandate is awarded, allowing us to comprehensively comprehend and help shape the task at hand. This understanding might even lead us to advise against a mandate. Ultimately, providing the right advice and ensuring the client’s success are more important than short-term business. If the mandate makes sense and the profile has a strong likelihood of success, then the consultant develops the procedure, the approach and persuasion strategy, including follow-up activities and risk mitigation aspects, always in close consultation with the client.

Another key area for you is board advisory, i.e. advising and appointing members to supervisory boards and boards of directors. The requirement profile in this area has also changed considerably in recent years. What are the most important success factors for optimal appointments?

We are experiencing an enormous increase in the formal requirements and public perception of supervisory and control bodies, including liability concerns as well as simultaneously a whole series of scandals. To manage such mandates effectively, a thorough conceptual and practical understanding of the legal frameworks, the applicable codes, the policies of relevant investors but also of cross-border best practices is essential. What is also required is the ability to assess what is essential and to prioritize in this complex landscape.

What criteria is your fee based on?

We work at standard market conditions, taking into account both client expectations and the complexity of a mandate.

The demands placed on executives have changed significantly in recent years. In addition to shareholder value and expertise, diversity and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are playing an increasingly important role. What defines the ideal corporate leader today?

Leadership is continually evolving while also maintaining certain timeless dimensions. Real leaders will continue to demonstrate conceptual strength in the future and their effectiveness will be measured by tangible results. But the need for situational adaptability in their decisions is increasing, as is the significance of their credibility as individuals. Balancing these demands will become even more important in the future and may pose significant challenges to some. In addition to diversity and ESG, political accountability is likely to play a major role in the future, and many companies will need to navigate complex cross-border cultural dynamics. Ignoring the actual mission of a company will be equally as unwise as being resistant to new challenges or responding to them with outdated solutions.

Geopolitical factors are increasingly affecting the business world, especially in recent years. How politically must a manager think and act today?

I believe that this issue is currently polarizing management boards, boards of directors and supervisory bodies. Some cannot emphasize enough the impact of geopolitical factors on their business and believe that business elites should influence politics and society. Others continue to uphold the principle that “the business of business is business” and refuse to get involved in politics as a private matter that managers should ideally not make public to minimise risk. Interestingly, many family entrepreneurs have always taken a very pragmatic approach to their political responsibility, whether at local, state or national level. Their commitment is often anchored more regionally and emotionally connected, making them exemplary corporate citizens.

How will fundamental technological trends such as artificial intelligence influence tomorrow’s corporate management and how can managers address this complexity?

Frankly, apart from platitudes indicating that you need to be familiar with the latest technologies, few offer real insights here. You can expect lateral thinking to be part of a manager’s everyday life, which also includes the kind of thinking that used to summarized under the unwieldy term “technology impact assessment”.

What business objectives have you set for tomkos.partners?

tomkos.partners seeks to be the go-to resource for board chairs and committees on all critical matters. To this end, we want to ensure the long-term benefits of the manoeuvrability of a boutique consultancy but will expand our offer through measured growth and strategic partnerships to round off our services.

What is your vision for the future of executive search in the long term?

While some expected the internet and social media would cause a massive slump in the industry, it has actually continued to grow. But the business will change. Technology will lead to a boost in information volume and speed, and many staffing decisions will probably be increasingly based on tech recommendations. However, when it comes to the issues concerning owners and chairmen, I continue to believe that comprehensive and individualized advice will continue to be indispensable.