Indian makes to world's top 50 headhunters list

Finding the right talent may be a major concern for India Inc, especially in the IT space, but an Indian has been named among the world's 50 most influential headhunters by renowned financial publication BusinessWeek.

Dinesh Mirchandani, who heads India operations of global executive search firm Boyden World, is the only Indian on a list of the world's 50 most influential headhunters compiled by the US magazine.

Mirchandani specialises in technology sector, besides hiring for financial services, real estate and infrastructure, manufacturing and consumer products areas, all of which are highly dependent on right skill sets.

Mumbai-based Mirchandani is the Regional Director (APAC region) and President (India) of Boyden World and is considered to be a specialist in hiring C-level executives, R&D chiefs and HR professionals.

The BusinessWeek list also has three other executives from the US-based Boyden World Corp - its Global President and CEO Christopher John Clarke, Chairman Trina Gordon and Senior Partner Pasi Koivusaari.

Other names on the list include Ulrich F Ackermann, managing partner of Transearch International Deutschland, Robert L Benson of Slayton Search Partners, Jay Gaines, who is the President and CEO of Jay Gaines & Co and Roger M Kenny, the President of Boardroom Consultants.

BusinessWeek said these 50 headhunters together "recruit the lion's share of CEOs, presidents, and board members at the world's largest and most prestigious corporations. They exert massive influence the world over."

These headhunters include former management consultants, authors, board advisers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

"They are almost universally workaholics and globetrotters with a passion for the business of executive matchmaking, an affinity for socialising and peering deep into the human psyche, and a finely-honed instinct for fitting candidate and company," the magazine said.

On the list, there are seven headhunters from NYSE-listed Korn/Ferry International (KFY), while 31 hail from North America.
BusinessWeek quoted Dinesh Mirchandani advising on career development as: "Expose yourself to as wide a range of experiences, academic knowledge, and cultures as you possibly can. Challenge yourself to raise your game in everything you do."

"Fail often, but only if you can extract a lesson from each of your mistakes; otherwise try not to fail too much or you will be out. Be not a slave to technology, but its best customer," Mirchandani added.

BusinessWeek said that qualities sought in candidates by Mirchandani, who has over 13 years of experience in executive search consulting, are credibility, charisma, resilience, the ability to connect with a wide range of people and a healthy sense of humour.

The headhunters were selected for the list based on various factors such as their individual reputations, their years of headhunting experience, the global scope of their recruiting practices, their accessibility and responsiveness and the recognition they enjoy within their firms.