Thought Leadership

Crisis Is No Longer an Exception, It’s the Operating Environment

Daniel Whitehead — Fri, 15 May 2026 08:30:42 +0000

Crisis Is No Longer an Exception, It’s the Operating Environment Daniel Whitehead

“Flexibility and capacity to adapt are valuable in an environment where constant change is the only certainty.” I recently read this from Christine Lagarde, and it has stayed with me. Not because it was surprising, but because it articulated something more fundamental than uncertainty itself: the idea that there is no clear return to stability.

In conversations with board members, CHROs and executive leaders, this rarely sparks debate. Instead, it prompts recognition. The challenge is no longer how to manage through a crisis and return to normal. It is how to make critical decisions when there may be no clear return to stability at all.

Seven Years of Crisis… And Counting

Since 2019, organisations have moved from one disruption to another with little opportunity for recalibration. A global pandemic. Geopolitical tensions. Economic volatility. Technological acceleration. Supply chain pressures. Shifting workforce expectations.

While the nature of each challenge has differed, the cumulative effect has been significant. Organisations have become highly skilled at responding to immediate pressures. Yet many continue to operate under an assumption that stability is just around the corner and that long-term plans can simply resume once the current disruption passes.

That assumption is increasingly becoming the risk. And from what I observe advising senior leaders and boards globally, the issue is rarely a lack of capability. If anything, leadership teams have become remarkably adept at managing uncertainty. The greater challenge is that the conditions under which decisions are made have fundamentally changed.

Interestingly, our Executive Compensation & Talent Trends 2026 research reveals that just 60% of executives believe their organisations can effectively adapt to change. The question is no longer whether another disruption will occur; it's whether organisations are building the capability to operate effectively when disruption is the norm rather than the exception.

The Cost of Waiting for Certainty

One of the most consistent patterns I observe is the tension between reaction and response. When organisations are in constant flux, decisions become necessarily short term. Hiring plans are accelerated, then paused. Strategic roles are approved, then frozen. Entire workforce strategies shift within weeks. This is understandable. But over time, it creates structural fragility.

I recall a recent mandate within a global luxury group. A maison required highly specialised, strategic talent, roles that could not be filled internally. The need was clear, the business case strong. And yet, due to an unrelated M&A process elsewhere in the group, all hiring was suddenly paused. The consequence was not just delayed recruitment, but delayed transformation.

This is not an isolated case. It’s increasingly the norm. Organisations are making the best possible decisions in the moment, but without the confidence, or sometimes the capacity, to anchor those decisions in a longer-term view.

The Talent Implication: From Workforce Planning to Workforce Resilience

If uncertainty is now a permanent operating condition, then talent strategies designed for stability will consistently struggle to keep pace.

The challenge is not simply that organisations face more disruption. It is that the capabilities required to lead through disruption are evolving faster than many leadership pipelines and succession plans can adapt. The conversation therefore needs to move beyond workforce planning and towards workforce resilience.

1. From Precision Hiring to Strategic Optionality

Traditionally, organisations have hired for clearly defined roles with carefully scoped responsibilities. In a rapidly changing environment, those requirements can evolve far faster than expected.

Leading organisations are increasingly prioritising:

• Transferable leadership capabilities
• Learning agility
• The ability to operate in ambiguity

In other words, hiring not just for the role, but for the unknown future of the role.

2. From Workforce Efficiency to Workforce Elasticity
Efficiency remains important. However, efficiency alone does not create resilience.

Many organisations are now recognising the value of workforce elasticity: the ability to adapt capacity, capabilities and leadership structures without creating instability.

This may include:

• Accessing external talent when internal capacity is constrained
• Building more flexible leadership models
• Creating succession plans that allow for multiple future scenarios rather than a single expected outcome

In uncertain environments, adaptability often becomes as valuable as optimisation.

3. From Experience-Based Leadership to Readiness-Based Leadership

Perhaps the most significant shift concerns how organisations define leadership readiness.

Historically, leadership selection has often prioritised experience navigating familiar challenges. Today, leaders are increasingly required to address challenges they have never encountered before.

The most effective executives are often those who can:

Make informed decisions without complete information
Balance immediate pressures with long-term direction
Maintain organisational alignment during periods of ambiguity
Adjust course without losing strategic focus

These are not reactive skills. They are developed capabilities. And yet, many leadership teams are being tested on them without having been intentionally built for them. All of this may seem like common sense. We are not reinventing the wheel. And yet, it is often what we overlook.

Why This Conversation Matters Now

Across many discussions, a recurring sentiment emerges: a clear sense that something fundamental has shifted, paired with uncertainty about what comes next. Organisations recognise that traditional models are no longer sufficient. They are adapting constantly, but without the opportunity to step back and redefine their approach.

In the absence of that reflection, the risk is clear: operating perpetually in reaction mode, without regaining strategic altitude.

Rethinking Leadership Pipelines

One consequence of continuous disruption is that leadership requirements are changing faster than traditional succession plans. Roles that were critical three years ago may look very different today. Capabilities that were once considered desirable have become essential. New leadership demands continue to emerge before organisations have fully adapted to previous ones.

This is where HR and executive search play an increasingly strategic role. Not simply by filling vacancies, but by helping organisations challenge assumptions about what future leadership should look like.

That includes:

Reassessing role definitions that may no longer reflect future needs
Identifying leadership capabilities that support long-term adaptability
Anticipating talent requirements before they become urgent business priorities

In many ways, the role is not only to find talent, but to help organisations prepare for leadership challenges that have not yet fully materialised.

Succession planning also needs to shift. It should be treated as a strategic risk, not an administrative task. No organisation is immune to losing key leaders, whether through external competition or unexpected departures. The question is whether credible successors are ready to step in.

Too often it is pushed aside during periods of disruption as attention shifts to short-term priorities. That creates one of the most avoidable risks to performance. A lack of leadership continuity when it matters most.

Moving Forward: From Recovery to Readiness

If there is one shift in thinking I would encourage organisations to embrace, it is this: the objective is no longer recovery. It is readiness.

In an unstable world, the real question becomes: what leadership can simultaneously drive immediate results and sustain long-term transformation?

The most successful organisations will not necessarily be those that predict every disruption correctly. They will be the ones that build the leadership capability, organisational flexibility and talent resilience to navigate whatever comes next. That requires making space for strategic thinking, even when immediate pressures demand attention. It requires investing in leadership and talent decisions before they become urgent business problems. And it requires the discipline to look beyond today’s disruption and prepare for tomorrow’s.

There is a risk that organisations become trapped in a cycle of responding to what is urgent at the expense of what is essential. When the urgent consistently outweighs the essential, we lose focus on what truly matters and forget that the essential is in fact urgent. In an environment where disruption is continuous, that may be one of the most important leadership lessons of all.

If this is a conversation you are already having internally, or one your organisation needs to begin, now may be the right moment to pause and reflect. We are regularly engaging with leaders globally who are rethinking how they define, assess and secure executive talent in an environment of constant change. We'd love to talk to you.

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Is Senior HR Leadership at a Crossroads in 2026?

Daniel Whitehead — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:12:25 +0000

Is Senior HR Leadership at a Crossroads in 2026? Daniel Whitehead

The mandate of the senior HR leader is being redefined. Titles have become broader, reporting lines have shifted and traditional layers are being reconsidered. In this conversation, Lorena Gutierrez shares what she is seeing in senior HR hiring, and how both organisations and candidates can respond to a more demanding and strategic market.

Lorena, is senior HR leadership at a strategic inflection point in 2026?

Yes. What we are seeing is a clear separation in how organisations position the role. In some businesses, the Chief People Officer, or CHRO, sits at the centre of transformation, AI adoption and enterprise risk. In others, the role remains heavily operational and process driven. The title has become more senior, but the mandate has not always evolved at the same pace.

Boards are making an implicit choice. The scope, strategic approach and authority given to HR leadership shape its long-term impact. The position HR is given reveals how the organisation truly views its people. Is people strategy central to enterprise value, or primarily a support function? What role do employees play in the company’s strategy? That decision ultimately defines the influence and value creation potential of the role.

What is the biggest misconception senior HR leaders still have about today’s market?

That experience alone protects them. It does not. Tenure, global exposure and brand pedigree are no longer enough. Boards are asking direct questions about measurable outcomes. How did this leader improve productivity? Where did workforce decisions protect margin? What commercial risks were mitigated?

HR leaders who describe their impact only in terms of engagement initiatives or policy improvements struggle in this market. The language of the board is growth, capital allocation and return on investment. In 2026, credibility comes from commercial fluency, evidence of impact and the confidence to challenge peers at board level when needed.

Are organisations genuinely elevating HR or simply expecting more for less?

Both dynamics are present. Growth stage and private equity backed businesses are investing in senior HR talent because they recognise that workforce design, leadership capability and AI integration determine scalability. At the same time, cost pressure remains real across listed and mid-market organisations. Many are flattening HR structures, removing layers and expecting leaner teams to deliver broader mandates.

However, this is not a universal rule. The reality is increasingly shaped by the CEO’s vision. Where leadership sees people strategy as a driver of value creation, HR is empowered. Where it does not, expectations may rise without equivalent influence.
As workforce complexity increases, tolerance for inefficiency decreases. That raises the bar for senior HR leaders. If you are not driving measurable value, your contribution will be scrutinised.

You mentioned flattening structures. What are you seeing globally?

We are seeing deliberate removal of traditional HR Director layers. Some organisations are moving from VP directly to CHRO or Chief People Officer. Others are embedding senior HR leaders more deeply within commercial units rather than maintaining strong central hierarchies. This is partly about cost, but also about speed and accountability.

Flattening only works when capability rises. When layers disappear, there is less buffering and greater exposure to executive scrutiny. Functional managers find it harder to progress in this environment, while enterprise thinkers with board level confidence are in higher demand. The middle tier is where we see the most disruption. The strategic tier is where we see the greatest opportunity.

What capabilities are boards prioritising in 2026 that were not critical five years ago?

Three areas stand out. First, workforce transformation aligned to AI and automation. Boards expect HR leaders to understand how technology reshapes job architecture, skills strategy and long-term planning. Second, advanced people analytics. Data fluency is essential, not optional. HR leaders must interpret workforce data with rigour and translate it into business decisions. Third, geopolitical and regulatory navigation. Cross border employment law, ESG requirements and social risk demand executive level judgement.

This shift invites us to rethink the traditional business partner approach. It is no longer about serving the business from the side lines, but about being fully part of it. Operational execution is assumed. Strategic foresight, commercial awareness and cultural intelligence are evaluated.

Where do senior HR leaders get stuck in their careers?

They often remain operationally excellent but commercially peripheral. Compliance, policy and employee relations are important, but they do not secure board influence. The leaders who break through place themselves at the centre of business strategy. They frame talent as competitive advantage, quantify leadership risk and challenge executive peers when workforce decisions undermine long term performance.

Interestingly, this is often overlooked because it sounds like common sense. Yet common sense is frequently underestimated and not emphasised enough in practice. Courage is an underrated differentiator. In 2026, passive partnership is not enough. Strategic challenge is part of the role.

If someone is stepping into a top HR role now, what do they need to unlearn?

They need to unlearn the idea that HR exists primarily to support the business. At senior level, HR shapes the business model and contributes directly to value creation. Major people decisions should link to growth, productivity, innovation or resilience.
Having a seat at the table does not automatically mean having influence. Leaders must continually ask themselves what impact they are creating and how their role supports organisational success through human capital.

There is also a need to move past the false distinction between soft skills and commercial impact. Culture influences execution speed. Leadership capability determines transformation outcomes. Trust affects retention and performance. These are economic variables.

For organisations hiring in 2026, what should they be asking themselves?

The most important question is simple. What strategic problem are we hiring this person to solve? What do we expect from this role and how will it support the company’s success through human capital?

If the mandate is unclear, even a strong leader will struggle. Boards need clarity around priorities, whether that is AI enabled workforce redesign, post-merger integration, global expansion, cultural reset or succession risk. Alignment between authority and accountability is equally important.

And for senior HR leaders positioning themselves for top roles?

HR executives and senior leaders need to position themselves as drivers of enterprise value rather than guardians of process. That means being explicit about outcomes and demonstrating how they influenced revenue, protected margin, reduced risk or accelerated transformation. It also means showing the ability to operate across regions and manage complexity with agility and empathy while engaging confidently with boards. The senior HR market in 2026 is selective, but it is not shrinking at the top. It is consolidating around measurable impact.

Looking ahead, what will define successful HR leadership by 2030?

We are likely to see fewer traditional layers, broader mandates and greater scrutiny alongside greater influence. Hybrid titles that combine people, transformation and strategy will become more common. What will matter is the ability to integrate workforce strategy into every significant business decision. This does not mean abandoning the core of HR. Empathy and humanity are not in opposition to business performance. They are a strength. Organisations that treat people leadership as central to competitive advantage will be better positioned to navigate technological change, talent scarcity and regulatory pressure.

HR leadership in 2026 is not facing decline. It is facing elevation. For boards and candidates alike, the question is whether they are prepared for the level of accountability that comes with it.

Every senior HR hire in 2026 is a strategic decision. The mandate you define and the capability you prioritise will shape business performance for years to come. If you're evaluating your current structure, planning succession or hiring a Chief People Officer, we are advising organisations globally on how to align people leadership with enterprise strategy and long-term value creation. Our global team of HR experts is always open to a discreet, insight led discussion.

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Marloes Halkes: A Journey of Purpose Driven Leadership

Luciana Casado — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:59:59 +0000

Marloes Halkes: A Journey of Purpose Driven Leadership Luciana Casado

In executive search, success isn't just about filling roles; it's about shaping careers and building trust that lasts through life's transitions. For businesses, this means partnering with an executive search firm that understands leadership beyond the CV, ensuring cultural fit and long-term impact. For candidates, it’s about having an advocate who sees you as more than a job title and helps you navigate choices that align with your values and aspirations.

Marloes Halkes’ journey with PageGroup illustrates this perfectly. Across continents and career stages, the partnership wasn’t transactional; it was transformational. This story shows how listening, empathy, and strategic insight can turn global moves into grounded purpose, and why the right search partner matters whether you’re hiring or being hired.

From Global Moves to Grounded Purpose: Marloes Halkes’ Journey with PageGroup

For Marloes Halkes, Global Director Continuous Improvement at SHV Energy, leadership has never been about titles. It's always been about transformation. Over a 25-year career in research labs, logistics hubs and executive boardrooms across Europe and Australia, Marloes has led with curiosity, empathy and a relentless drive to improve. And PageGroup was proud to support several important transitions throughout her journey.

This a story about growth, trust and the power of being seen, not just as a CV, but as a whole person. A noteworthy detail: Marloes’ career was shaped by many influences, and the roles we partnered with her on were among the chapters that helped define her journey; moments where her strengths aligned with opportunities she was excited to pursue.

A Career Defined by Curiosity, Courage and Connection

Marloes has built a career rooted in transformation and purpose. With a foundation in physics and chemistry, she began her professional journey in research at Shell. While she enjoyed the intellectual challenge, she found herself craving more human interaction and a deeper understanding of business.

This led her to a traineeship in logistics, where she discovered her passion for change management and influencing without authority. During this time, as she explored new opportunities beyond research, she found a new project with Michael Page’s support. That initial experience not only helped Marloes transition into a new industry but also marked the beginning of a long-standing partnership.

Global Experience, Local Impact

Marloes’s journey then took an international turn, relocating with her husband to Australia. While the move was exciting, it also came with its challenges; most notably, arriving without a professional network. Drawing on her earlier positive experience, Marloes reached out to Michael Page Australia. That connection proved pivotal. Michael Page didn’t just help her find a role; we helped her find her footing in a new culture and market.

The new project expanded her leadership lens, exposing her to diverse perspectives and deepening her understanding of how values and norms vary across cultures. Marloes reflects: “I learned that being right isn’t the point. It’s about understanding belief systems and building bridges across them.”

Eventually, after an amazing career in Australia, the decision to start a family prompted Marloes to return to the Netherlands. While she loved living in Australia, she noticed that work-life balance for young mothers wasn’t ideal. She turned once again to PageGroup – this time in the Netherlands – with a clear request: a permanent role close to home, without international travel. The result? A position in her hometown, where she could ride her bike to work. It was more than a job; it was a lifestyle fit, and testament to the power of listening and understanding personal priorities.

Leadership Through Listening

Over the years, Marloes evolved from a logistics expert into a transformation strategist and servant leader. Her third placement with the support of PageGroup, leading a team of IT professionals, was especially formative. Without technical expertise, she leaned into listening, inquiry and collaborative decision-making. The result was a thriving team built on trust and shared purpose.

Full Circle, Forward Momentum

Now, in 2025, Marloes has come full circle. With the support of Natasja Sweep, Head of Research at Page Executive Netherlands, she’s stepped into a senior leadership role that reflects the depth of her experience and the clarity of her values.

After 25 years of experience, Marloes knows what gives her energy, and that is what she has chosen to prioritise: “Success is about impact and doing what you love, in a way that’s sustainable”.

Marloes' journey with PageGroup has spanned continents, career stages and life chapters. As Natasja told her during this most recent mandate, “As soon as you’re at the interview table, you’ll be hired.” That confidence, paired with honest conversations about self-promotion and negotiation, helped Marloes step into this next chapter with clarity and conviction. PageGroup didn’t just open doors; it helped her walk through them with purpose.

A Partnership That Grows With You

Across four placements and two continents, PageGroup has been more than a recruiter, we have been a strategic partner who has consistently championed her growth.

PageGroup consultants and experts never made me feel like I had to sell myself. They listened to what I value in a role, in a team, in a company, and they helped me see possibilities I hadn’t considered. They didn’t just match me to roles; they advocated for me. They understood that my impact couldn’t be captured in bullet points and helped me navigate negotiations and found opportunities that aligned with my purpose and lifestyle

Marloes Halkes,
Global Director Continuous Improvement, SHV Energy

Marloes is the kind of leader whose impact speaks louder than her words. You won’t see her shouting her achievements; but they’re there, and they’re powerful. With someone like her, cold applications don’t work. You need to go beyond the script, build warmth and trust, with the client and the candidate. That’s where the real story unfolds. That’s where she shines

Natasja Sweep,
Associate Partner, Netherlands

Advice for Women in Leadership

To women navigating international careers, Marloes offers this wisdom: stay curious and keep learning. Don’t rush to solve; understand first. And if you are balancing a career with a family, read “Couples That Work” by Jennifer Petriglieri. It helped Marloes and her partner have the conversations they needed to make decisions that worked for both of them, and for their children.

Final Reflections

Through her partnership with us, Marloes Halkes didn’t just build a career. She built a legacy of purpose-driven leadership. Her story reminds us that the right support can turn transitions into transformations and unlock doors we didn’t even know existed. And that sometimes, success begins with remembering a name; and making the call.

Marloes Halkes

Global Director Continuous Improvement, SHV Energy
Marloes is a seasoned transformation leader with international experience across Europe and Australia. With roots in science and a career shaped by change management, cultural adaptability and purpose‑driven leadership, she is known for guiding teams through complex transitions with empathy and clarity.

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The Strategic Power of Interim Leadership

Luciana Casado — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 12:11:24 +0000

The Strategic Power of Interim Leadership Luciana Casado

By Alexis Soudoplatoff, Senior Partner at Page Executive

In an era marked by rapid change and market turbulence, organisations are looking for agile solutions to address growing recruitment complexities faster and more efficiently. With the post-pandemic hiring rush tapering off and the need for flexibility more prominent than ever, interim management has come to the fore as a strategic move for businesses looking to navigate uncertainty and drive sustainable growth.

Interim leadership fills a crucial need in today's business landscape, providing a temporary solution for pressing organisational challenges. A role that can be summed up as a temporary solution for a big issue - whether it’s covering key executive positions, bringing in a specific skill set needed for a fixed period, or managing a company restructure, including merger and acquisitions, divestitures, carve outs, and new activities like greenfield or brownfield projects.

This recruitment style prioritises issue resolution, temporarily placing an experienced project specialist at the top end of a workplace hierarchy, where they’re expected to hit the ground running. When done correctly it provides stability, issue resolution, and pays for itself in savings, offering organisations a dynamic approach to talent management.

Agility from the outset

One of the advantages of interim leadership placements is that they can fill senior-level gaps quickly and effectively. Interim hires are selected based on their project experience, meaning that they tend to be incredibly quick to onboard, providing continuity and stability as soon as they are in place. This can be particularly beneficial when they are covering a role the company needs to fill permanently further down the line.

In this scenario, having the interim leader steer the ship of their project or department can reduce the urgency for the permanent role to be filled, meaning less pressure for the company to compromise on the profile of the person they’re looking for long-term. With so many sectors being candidate-driven in senior leadership recruitment, this ability to wait for the right permanent appointment is particularly vital.

Often, an interim manager can prove to be such a good fit that the company decides to offer them a permanent role. This is the case for a significant number of Page Executive interim manager placements – in some regions it happens with around one in three positions.

A project-focused truth-teller

One of the most significant benefits of interim leadership can be the perspective it brings to the table. Successful candidates often have strong convictions and decision-making skills, based on their built-up project management experience, empowering them to make bold business decisions and challenge the status quo.

It's this focused view, where their priority is the main project and task rather than internal progression, that so often leads them to be open and honest about business decisions and recommendations.

To find an effective interim leader, organisations should take a strategic approach. Partnering with a specialised recruitment agency like Page Executive can streamline the process and ensure access to top-tier interim talent. Here are a few key considerations to keep in mind when working with an agency:

Ready to deploy

Seek out agencies with a proactive mindset. Look for a partner who has someone ready to step into a role before the need for that job even arrives. Agencies that analyse potential roles for interim managers across multiple sectors can swiftly deploy the right candidate when the need arises. This proactive approach minimises downtime and enables organisations to address critical leadership gaps without delay.

Classification

The most important element of an interim manager’s work profile is their experience with, and ability to manage, specific types of projects. The recruitment agency should classify candidates not only on their sector experience but also on their project expertise. This ensures the specific function of the placement is always at the forefront of the recruitment process.

Streamlined approach

Organisations may feel it’s logical to search separately for interim and permanent positions, however, the agency you partner with should provide an integrated approach to recruitment where interim and permanent recruitment consultants work closely together to simultaneously search for both positions. By having a more in-depth understanding of both the short- and long-term requirements, it’s more likely that successful candidates will be found and placed.

Global reach

An agency with a broad international network has access to interim managers with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Working with a global agency ensures that your organisation can find the best talent, regardless of geographical boundaries.

With more companies looking for more flexibility when managing big business projects and scenarios, interim hiring is set to become even more popular as a solution.

For more information, please reach out to myself or one of our global Page Executive team.

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Leading Women: Sustainability starts with purpose and values

reikochew — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 16:34:21 +0000

Leading Women: Sustainability starts with purpose and values reikochew

As part of our Leading Women series, we want to highlight the professional challenges and career aspirations of women we work with here in Asia.

In this feature, Sophia Lim, CEO of WWF Malaysia, shares leadership learnings during the pandemic as an NGO, and how individuals and corporations can do their part to integrate sustainability into their business goals.

Q: What leadership lessons did you learn when managing the organisation during the pandemic?

These three years have passed by so fast. Like everybody else, the pandemic came out of nowhere. Nobody expected it. When the pandemic hit, one of the key learnings was taking stock. How do we continue to do our job in a landscape that has changed?

The key thing is, being an NGO, we still have to work on conservation on the ground. At the same time, the challenge is keeping our donors engaged and funds coming in, so we can carry out conservation work. So, the keyword for us is pivoting.

We had to be very quick on our feet. First, we must be able to communicate digitally, drive our fundraising programs digitally, and constantly engage with our staff. The way we pivoted and at the speed that we did were vital. However, pivoting on my own was not enough. I had a good team supporting me in navigating the pandemic. Also, our staff were aligned with the same purpose and values.

I'm very proud to say that despite the pandemic and having to work from home, we improved our engagements twofold. This is in ways of reaching out to all our stakeholders, our webinars, and direct communication online with our donors and network offices. So, I hope that gives you a perspective on what the two years meant to us, and I'm very proud.

This is an abridged version of the full interview with Sophia Lim. For the full version of the interview, click here.

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