Worldwide, the profession of executive search and leadership consulting reflects the economy, culture, and characteristics of each market in which it operates. To understand the profession in Canada, one must first consider its geography.
While I agree that there are many regional differences across the country, one thing that is consistent is the need to provide clients with the right team of experts to meet their specific needs, says Carl Lovas, Chair and CEO of Odgers Berndtson in Canada. For instance, we may be working on a technology search in Vancouver that brings together a local partner on the ground, our CFO practice leader and our National Diversity Leader.
An additional layer of complexity for the profession in Canada is that some placements require candidates to be bilingual. More than 20 percent of the population of Canada speaks French as their first language.