Board Connect

Team

Experienced people
form an efficient team

Board Connect is made up of an excellent team of experts which has been a strong showing in the field of executive search / advisory for many years. Its prestige is built upon a long-term cooperation and cohesion as well as decades of experience gained with globally active executive search companies. The abundant universe of different projects has yielded trusting connections with candidates and clients in Germany, Europe and overseas, from which our clients can benefit today.

Dr. Tiemo Kracht
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Regina Kracht
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Regina Reinhardt
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Bettina Gregor
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Heike Johannes
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Katrin Prußnat
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Zohra Mojadeddi
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Daniel Albrecht
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Alexander Gregor
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Petra Pavlik
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Dirk Lindemann
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Daniela Jeutter
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Dr. Olaf Scheer
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Drs. Katja de Jong
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Kira Westermann
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Lea Valentina Beele
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Djamal Ali
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Dr. Tiemo Kracht

Tiemo Kracht is the founder and owner of Board Connect GmbH and has been a leading figure in executive search in Germany for almost 25 years. Through close connections with entrepreneurial families and owners, supervisory, administrative and advisory boards, board members and top executives, Dr Kracht plays a decisive role in executive placement, and has achieved renown in the execution of insightful executive audits. Dr Kracht has been responsible for the professional management of more than 1,000 placement processes at executive and board level across all sectors.

  • Eleven years as director in the Kienbaum Group, lastly as chairman of the board of directors of Kienbaum Executive Consultants International GmbH / shareholder of Kienbaum & Partner GmbH / managing director of international business: Scandinavia, USA and previously Russia.
  • Three years as senior partner and managing director of Chicago-based Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., which was the third-largest executive search company at that time / member of the European Management Committee and country manager Germany.
  • Eight years as senior consultant, partner, managing partner of Odgers Berndtson, Frankfurt am Main.
  • Studied economics, political science and Eastern European history at the University of Kiel, Penn State University, USA and Comenius University in Bratislava / diploma and doctorate / university lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, USA.

After specialist and managerial posts in the financial and public sectors, Dr Kracht decided to turn to executive search in 1995 and became ‘one of the most distinguished executive search consultants in Germany’ (DIE WELT) and amongst the ‘most influential head hunters in Germany’ (Wirtschaftswoche 12/2014).

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 61 829 - 1
tiemo.kracht@boardconnect.gmbh


Regina Kracht

Regina Kracht is managing director of Board Connect GmbH and works at the headquarters in Hamburg. She brings more than 25 years of professional experience from well-known commercial enterprises to her consulting activities. Her focus has been in the areas of corporate communications / public relations / brand management, marketing / sales as well as demanding event management in the context of business and politics (sales, trade fairs, specialist conferences, political salons, major musical events, sponsoring, customer events with special formats).

In addition to her involvement in consulting projects, Regina Kracht is dedicated to business development, contact management and the representation of Board Connect in a broad economic and social context.

The spectrum of her professional engagement covers the following areas

  • five years Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Hamburg / Frankfurt am Main, with commercial focus;
  • ten years in finance, including five years with the Gothaer Group, Göttingen / Cologne, with a focus on corporate communications and event management;
  • Eight years as senior consultant for two PR, communications and advertising agencies in Frankfurt am Main - supporting demanding clients in the areas of brand and product PR, corporate communications / media relations, political communications and events

Several years of freelance work as event manager and real estate agent in the real estate industry;

Regina Kracht has completed her training in corporate management and communication sciences and is also a certified real estate agent. She is married, has three children and lives in the Lüneburger Heide south of Hamburg.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 57 97 - 10
regina.kracht(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Regina Reinhardt

Regina Reinhardt is head of the Board Connect HUB based in Karlsruhe, Southern Germany. She is a renowned executive search professional with 20 years of consulting experience with demanding clients, as well as in the management of national and international search processes in a wide range of sectors. Regina Reinhardt also conducts executive audits across all industries.

  • Ten years as consultant and senior consultant at   Odgers Berndtson Germany – including several years abroad in Prague and Vienna.
  • Eight years as senior consultant in the Kienbaum Group with a focus on executive search and executive assessment.
  • Before this, two years as project manager at a small, specialised executive search consultancy in the Rhine-Main area.
  • More than 700 search mandates since the end of the 1990s, with candidate targeting for the first and second management levels as well as other key positions in the corporate structure.
  • Consulting expertise: placement processes in SMEs, in the entire financial services sector, as well as in the automotive and industrial sectors.

 

Phone +49 (0) 721 . 180 30 84 - 1
regina.reinhardt(at)boardconnect.gmbh

 

 


Bettina Gregor

Born in Vienna, Bettina Gregor has been firmly rooted in the area of executive search for more than 15 years. As part of Dr Kracht’s team, she is responsible for office management which, in addition to assisting the owner, involves business development both on a national and international level. Bettina Gregor also plays a key role in the successful management of demanding consulting projects in executive search.

  • Eleven years as head of office management in the Executive Search Division of the Kienbaum Group / executive assistant for Dr Tiemo Kracht, managing partner and shareholder.
  • Four years as executive assistant at the globally active, American executive search company Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., Chicago.
  • Previously: InterAction Council (IAC), a union of former heads of state and government based in Vienna, in addition to professional activities for the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York City and the Austrian Consulate General in Hamburg.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 61 829 - 2
bettina.gregor(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Heike Johannes

At Board Connect, Heike Johannes is responsible for demanding client relations, search mandates and executive audits. Her expertise is rooted in two decades of professional experience in executive search. Her specialities also include new placement / career consulting, coaching and on-boarding.

  • Ten years as senior consultant of executive search / executive assessment at Kienbaum Executive Consultants International, Hamburg.
  • Many years as (senior) project manager for the American executive search company Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., Chicago, with assignments in Munich and Hamburg.
  • Worked for a Japanese computer manufacturer and in sales for an international computer wholesaler.
  • Several years working in international tourism and hotel management, many assignments abroad.
  • Comprehensive expertise in searching for and selecting executives and senior managers, as well as key position placements in industry, SMEs, chemistry, energy, financial services and the public sector.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 57 97 - 40
heike.johannes(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Katrin Prußnat

With a diploma in Business Administration, Katrin Prußnat is responsible for project organisation and coordination at Board Connect. She ensures optimal technical and administrative project management, in addition to the creation of high-quality candidate dossiers and status reports. Together with her unit, she is also in charge of offer preparation, project-related scheduling, database maintenance and event management. Within the project process, she acts as a contact person for candidates and clients for all organisational and technical matters, including travel planning and finances.

  • Thirteen years as project assistant, executive assistance and project organisation manager in the area of executive search for the Kienbaum Group.
  • During this time, she already undertook activities for Dr Kracht’s team, and now draws on experience gathered from more than 600 search mandates in her efficient and quality-conscious coordination.
  • Previously: worked at a Hamburg-based HR service company, as well as in the luxury hotel industry and tourism marketing.

Ms Prußnat grew up in Weimar and gained excellent results in her business studies degree, specialising in tourism and human resources.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 57 97 - 30
katrin.prussnat(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Zohra Mojadeddi

As senior client partner based in Hamburg, Zohra Mojadeddi covers top- and upper management level assignments with a focus upon Financial Services, Health Care and Industrial Clients. She also works extensively with private equity firms and family offices including their portfolio companies & investment teams.

Furthermore, she offers professional consulting services to family-owned companies and hidden champions through the creation of appropriate links to investors, such as private equity companies & family offices.

  • 16 years of high-end professional experience in executive search as associate, consultant, senior consultant and manager at Odgers Berndtson’s main branch in Frankfurt am Main;
  • one and a half years consulting experience as Principal with Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH in Hamburg;
  • substantial project management experience generated within the framework of more than 600 successfully completed search assignments

 Zohra speaks five languages and holds a Master’s Degree in Economics (Diplom-Volkswirtin) from the University of Hamburg.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 57 97 - 50
zohra.mojadeddi(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Daniel Albrecht

Daniel Albrecht is assigned to the executive search and board services team and holds the rank of a Director at the Hamburg office. The native “Hanseat” can convcingly refer to five years of professional experience in executive consulting and is specialized in the areas of (information) technology, industry 4.0, e-business / digital transformation and artificial intelligence as well as transport and logistics.

Mr. Albrecht advises national and international companies in the search for top executives and managers as well as senior-level experts. Moreover, his spectrum of experiences covers the evaluation of executives / senior managers through management audits and assessments. In addition, Daniel Albrecht is an integral part of the Board Services team, which actively supports boards and supervisory boards in corporate governance issues, systematic evaluation of board work and prepares benchmarking studies / market analyses for board and supervisory board compensations.

Daniel Albrecht started his career in the family business as an assistant to the founder and general manager and was confronted at an early stage with entrepreneurial tasks and business issues. After completing his bachelor and master studies in business administration with a focus on sales & marketing, he was responsible for a leading coffeeshop company as lead purchasing manager.

Following the successful sale of the family business, Mr. Albrecht moved to Hamburg and took on the role of a Senior Associate at Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH. During this period, Mr. Albrecht was employed in the Executive Search and the Board Services division and became familiar with the entire range of board-related consulting activities - including the successful management of executive search mandates at board and senior management level. He has also developed innovative, digital business models for start-up companies and accompanied their transformations.

After two years, he joined the management consulting division of the Kienbaum Group and moved to its headquarter in Cologne, where he gained extensive experience in the management diagnostics (audits / assessments) to complete his outstanding advisory profile.
 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 61 829 - 7
daniel.albrecht(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Alexander Gregor

Alexander Gregor is a Managing Partner and licensee of Board Connect GmbH. Since more than 15 years he has been successful in the national and international recruitment of leadership positions in the fields of the consumer industries, the retail trade, the pharmaceutical industry and medical devices. Across all industrie fields Alexander is specialized in the recruitment of top level sales and marketing positions.

Beyond his professional experience in executive search Alexander has collected some 20 years of practical national and international managementexpertise in the consumer industries in the fields of general management, sales and marketing.

 

  • Ten years as a Partner and international coordinating Practice Head Consumer Industries & Retail at the leading German firm Kienbaum Executive Consultants GmbH, respectively at the Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH 
  • Three years as a Partner at the Hamburg office of Heidrick & Struggles and during that time amongst others trusted with the European coordination of all recruiting of the firm for a global leader in the FMCG industry
  • Eight years as a Managing Director in Hamburg and the last four years as a Member of the Global Executive Board of the advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding Alexander acted as the Global Account Director for a renowned global personal care company as well as for a leading Swiss chocolate maker.
  • Before that Alexander spent more almost 13 years with Colgate-Palmolive in leading marketing and sales positions and in General Management in Austria, Germany and at their headquarters in the United States.
  • Alexander is an Austrian citizen and holds a Magister degree from the Vienna University of Economics. He is fluent in German, English, French and has a good command of Spanish.

 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 61 829 - 8
alexander.gregor(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Petra Pavlik

Petra Pavlik is Senior Client Partner at the Board Connect HUB Centre/Rhine-Main at the Bad Homburg site. She has been active for over 20 years as a reliable project partner for her clients in executive search/human resource consulting and is specialised in filling leadership and highly qualified expert positions in the insurance industry and in acquiring lawyers and non-legal leaders and senior experts for national and international law firms and tax consultant firms. 

  • nine years as Senior Project Consultant at Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH with a focus on Executive Search at the Frankfurt am Main site;
  • ten years as Consultant and Senior Consultant for the consultancy firm Odgers Berndtson Deutschland in Frankfurt am Main;
  • prior to that, three years as Conference Manager at Management Circle AG, a company providing development in the form of seminars and conferences for leaders and experts;
  • outstanding network developed over many years, and comprehensive industry expertise in the search and selection of leaders and experts within the insurance industry as well as renowned German and leading international law firms.

Petra Pavlik apprenticed as an insurance clerk and studied at Frankfurt University, graduating as Diplom-Kauffrau (degree in Business Administration). She lives with her family in Bad Homburg.
 

Phone +49 (0) 6172 . 98 19 - 319
petra.pavlik(at)boardconnect.gmbh

 


Dirk Lindemann

Dirk Lindemann is Senior Partner at Board Connect GmbH and heads the Board Connect HUB West located in Bornheim, near Cologne. For over 20 years he has been shaping and supporting the successful acquisition of top managers, leaders and senior experts for national and international clients. Dirk Lindemann acts as a discrete, reliable advisor and generator of ideas for these clients, primarily in the context of business relations established over many years. 

Dirk Lindemann’s advisory focus lies on the one hand in the field of financial services, particularly in the full spectrum of insurance, especially primary insurance and reinsurance, insurance brokers, national and international in-house brokers and corporate pension firms. On the other hand, his advisory activities extend into the field of professional services, with a particular focus on national and international law firms, but also into the field of tax consulting, auditing and business consulting. In addition to his 20 years of experience in executive search, Dirk Lindemann can also look back on his many years of experience as a legal advisor, followed by managing responsibilities in portfolio management in an internationally active industry insurance company.

  • nine years as partner, deputy director of Practice Groups Financial Services and Professional Services and temporarily co-Head of the Executive Search department in the Cologne offices of Kienbaum Executive Consultants GmbH and Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH
  • eleven years as consultant, of which nine as partner, at Ray & Berndtson, later Odgers Berndtson, in Frankfurt am Main, with setup and continuous development of the Legal Recruitment for Law Firms department, which was completely new at the time, as one of the first human resource consultants in the entire German executive search market; simultaneously co-Head of the European Practice Group Insurance, filling many managerial and expert positions for German and international primary insurers and reinsurers
  • 11 years of professional experience at the headquarters of the Gerling Group in Cologne, first as a legal advisor in the central legal department of the Group, followed by many years as an independent lawyer, then various managerial functions in the area of industry insurance, and finally Chief-Underwriter Marine and Aviation with global portfolio management for the global marine and aviation insurance business of the group.

Dirk Lindemann studied law in Bonn, followed by judicial traineeship in the Rhineland and at the German Embassy in Rome. He speaks fluent English and has a working knowledge of French. Dirk Lindemann is married, has two children and lives with his family in the Cologne region.
 

Phone +49 (0) 2222 . 82 89 - 464
dirk.lindemann(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Daniela Jeutter

Daniela Jeutter is responsible for project organisation and coordination for the teams of Dirk Lindemann, Senior Partner, and Petra Pavlik, Senior Client Partner, at the Board Connect GmbH headquarters. She ensures the optimal management of projects, from the preparation of the offer to the conclusion of the contract between client and candidate. She acts as a reliable contact person for all involved in the project and supports project-related schedule coordination, travel planning and settlement, and database maintenance as well as the creation of high-quality candidate dossiers and status reports.

  • eleven years as project assistant in the field of Executive Search at Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH, Hamburg;
  • three years as General Sales Assistant of the German branch of an Austrian household goods trader;
  • four years as Purchase Assistant in the textile area of an online start-up, member of the Otto Group;

Ms Jeutter is a native of Hamburg and completed an apprenticeship as a commercial clerk for wholesale and export at the mail order company Otto (GmbH & Co. KG), preceded by training as a state-recognised clerical assistant. She lives with her husband and son in Hamburg.
 

Phone +49 (0) 40 . 228 57 97 - 60

daniela.jeutter(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Dr. Olaf Scheer

Dr. Olaf Scheer is a Senior Partner at Board Connect GmbH in Munich and is one of the most established and respected top management consultants in the Federal Republic of Germany. He has been an established and respected management consultant for many years, most recently for almost 20 years as member of the management board and senior partner the management consultancy zeb (Münster), previously as a top manager in the banking industry.

Dr. Scheer brings extensive and comprehensive experience in the strategic and operational management of complex organizations and from extremely demanding consulting mandates in Germany and abroad to his project work for the clients of Board Connect GmbH. He looks back on an extremely successful professional development and substantial professional experience, which made him very interesting for our clients in his new role as Senior Partner of Board Connect GmbH:

  • Dr. Scheer has already established himself as a very target-oriented and consistent manager at a young age in renowned financial institutions such as Bayerische Vereinsbank, Dresdner Bank and HypoVereinsbank. At HypoVereinsbank he was a member of the executive board for private and commercial clients in Germany and later responsible for HypoVereinsbank's expansion in Eastern Europe. As a manager at the level below the Management Board, he was a member of supervisory boards of various group companies in Germany and abroad.
  • As a management consultant, Dr. Scheer played a key role in the successful development of zeb management consultancy. He has won important projects at large, regional and private banks in Germany and abroad for zeb and successfully guided them to the target for his clients. With his ideas and implementation competence, he has initiated change processes that have led to sustainable value creation for his clients.
  • During his time as managing partner and senior partner of the renowned consulting firm zeb, Mr. Scheer frequently considered with top management staffing issues and was a sought-after discussion partner for the members of the management boards and supervisory boards he served.
  • Dr. Scheer enjoys an excellent reputation among his clients due to his professional competence, his critically constructive and solution-oriented manner.
  • After training as a bank clerk at Deutsche Bank, Dr. Scheer studied business administration at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich and subsequently earned his doctorate at the University of Kiel. He was a lecturer for many years in the Bachelor and Master's degree programs at the LMU and currently teaches at the University of Witten-Herdecke.
  • Dr. Scheer is married, has three children and lives with his family in Munich.
     

Phone +49 (0) 151 . 67 33 74 94

olaf.scheer(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Drs. Katja de Jong

Drs. Katja de Jong is a Director at BOARD CONNECT GmbH at the West II location in Düsseldorf / Emmerich. Born in the Netherlands, she has been involved in executive search for more than eight years, has gained extensive project experience in the management of demanding mandates, stands for a high degree of internationality and manages in particular transnational, pan-European search mandates. 

Over the last eight years she has learned her "trade" in renowned management and personnel consultancies and has gained valuable experience in research / market research, project management and client acquisition and support. Her area of responsibility in the executive search team includes independent business development, process coordination for handling and filling senior expert, management and top positions. In this context, she supports her clients in the search, approach, evaluation and pre-selection of high-quality candidates. In addition, she accompanies companies in change processes regarding leadership / governance and management organization. 

  • stage as Senior Consultant at InterSearch Executive Consultants GmbH, Cologne, with independent project work and client support with a genrealistic support approach in terms of various business sectors and management positions (sales, corporate management, technology / operations, human resources);
  • several years as a Senior Associate at Kienbaum Consultants International GmbH, Düsseldorf, both in executive search and in the "Female Desk" / "Women in Leadership" area, support for numerous search mandates in various sectors and for various management functions;
  • additionally "Ambassador" responsible for internal newwork initiatives and innovative concepts for the further development of employee interaction, project coordination, cooperation across teams and locations and the promotion of diversity aspects in project work, also and especially with regard to internationality;
  • Senior Researcher for the executive search company Amrop Delta Management Consultants GmbH, Düsseldorf - market research in the sense of the preparation of target company lists, analysis of competitive environments / companies, candidate identification, candidate approach and pre-selection as well as documentation

Katja de Jong has successfully completed a comprehensive study programme in criminology with a focus on "Crime & Organisations" at the renowned Erasmus University Rotterdam / Netherlands. She is particularly committed to the advancement of women in management positions and addresses the topic of diversity in a broader understanding: gender, generations, culture, internationality, professional experience, interdisciplinary staffing.

 

Phone +49 160 96631590

katja.dejong(at)boardconnect.gmbh

 

 


Kira Westermann

Kira Westermann is a Principal in the Executive Search and Management Assessment division at the Berlin office of BOARD CONNECT GmbH and its representative in Germany’s capital city. After academic and professional stations in Madrid, London and Frankfurt, Kira Westermann, who was born in Münster, returned to her adopted home Berlin, where she is engaged in consulting with a focus on the digital and consumer goods industry and the public sector. Based in Berlin, one of the most important startup locations in Europe, Kira Westermann follows trends and developments in the entrepreneurial and startup environment with great passion and is a great advocate of diversity and new work.

  • Already during her international academic education, Kira Westermann gained concrete project experience in HR consulting as part of her commitment to the Kienbaum Group of Companies and identified this field of activity as a professional "haven".
  • Kira Westermann began her career at the international executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, where she held positions in Germany and abroad. Her main focus was on the Global Technology Practice. She managed numerous national and international project processes for filling key positions, as well as projects in the area of leadership consulting with a focus on the evaluation of executives (management audits).
  • Following her consulting activities, Kira Westermann worked for several years for one of the largest German companies in the consumer goods sector. After initially taking on sales-related roles, she spent the last few years in key account management, where she was responsible for two of Germany's largest family-owned retail companies. In this role, she placed particular emphasis on an intensive and constant exchange with the customers' purchasing and sales management in order to implement the retail interests in the best possible way and to establish sustainable business relationships in the long term.

Kira Westermann earned a "Double Degree" (Master of Science in Management & Grade de Master Programme Grande École) from ESCP Europe Business School. During her studies, she also worked for a Spanish startup to expand its digital presence and gained valuable insights into a start-up and development phase of an emerging company. Kira Westermann is fluent in German, English and Spanish.

Phone +49 (0) 170 . 931 52 52
kira.westermann(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Lea Valentina Beele

Lea Beele holds the responsible position of Senior Research Associate in the Executive Search division of BOARD CONNECT GmbH at the headquarters in Hamburg and dedicates herself with high creativity and meticulousness to market research and the identification of suitable target companies and candidates. In addition, she devotes herself to the initial telephone contact and exploratory talks with candidates from all sectors and functions in selected mandates.

Already during her more than one-year engagement as a working student at BOARD CONNECT, Lea Beele proved her passion for a determined research activity and discovered personnel consulting as her professional field. In doing so, she got to know and internalized all relevant basics of professional project work and management.

With a focus on business psychology and human resources during her studies in business administration, Lea Beele brings a clear perspective on economic contexts and corporate worlds / structures. Her deep connection to the field of Human Resources was consolidated prior to her engagement in the BOARD-CONNECT team in a renowned large hospital in Hamburg, where she gained valuable insights into the multi-faceted world of Human Resources and learned the basics of HR work. This gave her valuable practical experience.

Beyond her academic background and professional experience, Lea Beele is distinguished by her passion for sailing. She not only pursues it on a professional level in the context of international regattas, but is also committed to promoting it in a social context. As a member of the board of one of Hamburg's largest sailing clubs, she is passionate about strengthening the sport of sailing in the community and inspiring future generations for this team sport.

 

Phone  +49 (0) 151 . 724 83 830 

lea.beele(at)boardconnect.gmbh


Djamal Ali

Djamal Ali holds the significant position of Senior Research Associate in the Executive Search division at BOARD CONNECT GmbH's headquarters in Hamburg, a role crucial for every project process. He dedicates himself with great passion and precision to market research and the identification of suitable target companies and candidates. Additionally, he is responsible for initial telephone contact and exploratory discussions with candidates from all industries and functions. He has been particularly involved in search mandates in the public sector / public companies / core Administration domain, as well as in the SME / industry segments and has been able to achieve remarkable placement successes together with the project management consultants.

Throughout his extensive two-year tenure as a working student at BOARD CONNECT in Hamburg, Djamal Ali demonstrated his passion for substantive research activities and discovered executive search as his professional field. In doing so, he has gained thorough knowledge and internalized all relevant fundamentals of professional project work and project management.

 

Phone  +49 (0) 151 . 540 982 15

djamal.ali(at)boardconnect.gmbh