Executive Trends

The highest paying jobs in the Chinese Mainland for 2026

Polaris Xing — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 02:28:58 +0000

The highest paying jobs in the Chinese Mainland for 2026 Polaris Xing

Economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts, and technological disruption are reshaping China's executive talent market. Companies no longer seek leaders who simply manage at scale—they need executives who can navigate complexity, spearhead transformation, and connect cultures across borders to drive sustainable growth.

This ranking, drawn from Page Executive's industry experts, highlights the 10 highest-paid roles across Industrial and Manufacturing, Tech, Finance, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Consumer, and Going-Global sectors. As Jesaline Huang, Managing Partner at Page Executive China highlights, the pattern is clear: premiums go to those who combine breakthrough innovation with execution, shape capital narratives while defending value, and connect China's story with global resources.

Here are 2026's best-paying executive positions in the Chinese Mainland. This resource is designed not only for those eyeing executive positions but also for job seekers at various stages of their careers, offering insights into sectors known for their competitive compensation packages.

Note: Salaries on the list only refer to annual cash salary (unit: RMB), excluding non-cash compensation such as stocks, options, and equity. Salaries can differ from one company to another, depending on your skills, knowledge and experience.

Top 10 best-paying jobs in the Chinese Mainland

1. Capital Market Strategist CFO (RMB 2 million–5 million)

As China's capital markets evolve, the CFO role is splitting. The highest-paid are no longer defined by scale alone, but by their ability to shape capital narratives and drive long-term value under uncertainty.

The "IPO CFO" has moved on. Compliance and reporting are table stakes. Today's sought-after CFOs are capital strategists who translate complex businesses into compelling equity stories across A-shares, Hong Kong, and overseas markets. They own the full lifecycle—from pre-IPO structuring to post-listing valuation and investor confidence.

What sets them apart? Jesaline Huang shares that first, they think beyond the IPO—boards pay for CFOs who actively manage market cap through disciplined IR and valuation defense. Second, they bring industry depth first, finance second; the best come from hard tech, new energy, and life sciences, turning R&D pipelines into investor-ready narratives. Third, they've proven themselves in high-difficulty deals—counter-cycle listings, cornerstone raising in weak markets, and complex Red-chip or VIE structures.

2. Chief Executive Officer / President (RMB 1.5 million–6 million+)

Economic downturn and rising local competitors—this is the reality most foreign-invested enterprises in the Chinese Mainland face today, and why many are now replacing their China heads.

As Peggy Zhu, Partner at Page Executive China points out , companies need leaders who understand China's current business challenges, have a proven track record of driving breakthroughs—gaining market share while staying profitable, executing second growth curves, or turning losses into profits—and can effectively "tell the China story" to secure resources from headquarters while driving local strategies with full compliance.

Private equity adds another layer of demand. Geopolitics, poor performance, and second-generation succession reluctance have pushed more capital firms into buyouts, creating acute scarcity for business leaders with strong post-investment management skills.

Meanwhile, domestic companies are also in the hunt. Founding teams are retiring, and second-gen heirs are building their own leadership benches, seeking professional executives to drive second and third growth curves. Three fronts, one conclusion: battle-tested CEOs remain the highest-paid, most sought-after talent in industrial China.

3. Global Operations & Supply Chain Head (RMB 2 million–6 million)

As Asia solidifies its position as the world's manufacturing hub, Global Operations and Supply Chain Heads have become one of the highest-paid roles in industrial China.

This is no longer just logistics or procurement—it now demands leaders who master both factory management and end-to-end supply chain integration. From production planning to global distribution, they must balance efficiency, cost, and resilience. Peggy notes that those who combine shop-floor expertise with global supply chain strategy are the rarest.

Equally critical is stakeholder management—coordinating across regions, balancing market demands, and bridging cultures. Companies need operators who can connect global strategy with local execution.

With Chinese firms going global and multinationals deepening their Asia footprint, supply chain leaders with both global vision and local delivery capabilities will remain at the center of the talent war.

4. AI Algorithm Director / LLM R&D Director (RMB 3 million–5 million+)

AI Algorithm Directors and LLM R&D Directors are the highest-paid technical roles in the tech sector today. With large model development, inference optimization, and multimodal algorithms at the core of the AI race, AI unicorns, internet giants, and intelligent manufacturing firms are competing fiercely for this rare talent.

From the perspective from Celest Wen, Associate Partner at Page Executive China, the scarcity of algorithm leaders far exceeds that of general algorithm engineers. What companies value most is no longer just academic credentials or publication records, it's the ability to lead teams through core technical breakthroughs and drive algorithms into production. Those who can bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and engineering execution are the ones commanding top dollar.

Despite a continuous wave of overseas PhD returnees, supply still falls far short of demand. This imbalance keeps pushing up the value of algorithm leaders with both technical vision and battle-tested execution skills, placing them firmly at the top of the talent pyramid.

5. China / Greater China CEO – Consumer Sector (RMB 2 million–5 million+)

The China/Greater China CEO in the consumer sector ranks among the highest-paid executive positions in the Chinese Mainland, particularly for multinational FMCG brands, luxury and beauty groups, global F&B giants, and large domestic consumer conglomerates.

These leaders oversee one of the world's most competitive markets, often managing revenue portfolios exceeding USD 1 billion, which justifies their premium compensation. But the role has grown increasingly complex, shaped by macroeconomic pressures, digital disruption, and rapidly shifting consumer behavior.

As Samantha Li, Partner at Page Executive China notes, these changes are directly influencing how companies hire and select CEO and GM-level leaders. First, "stock replacement" is driving CEO turnover—companies to bring in new leaders to address performance and share price pressures. Second, demand for transformation-focused CEOs is rising; the market no longer rewards those who simply maintain the status quo but seeks leaders who can strategically reshape the business. Third, cross-cultural and global leadership skills have become critical—CEOs must bridge headquarters and the China market, effectively telling the "China story" while securing resources in global negotiations.

It is this ability to drive growth amid complexity that keeps consumer sector China CEOs firmly at the top of the compensation pyramid.

6. Regional Commercial Director / VP (RMB 1.5 million–5 million+)

As multinational companies restructure their Asia operations, a growing number are integrating China businesses into broader APAC markets. This shift is creating a wave of new Regional Commercial Director and VP positions across Asia Pacific, North Asia, and South Asia.

These roles demand a unique combination of capabilities: deep understanding of each market's nuances, ability to tailor strategies for individual countries, and the leadership to guide cross-cultural regional teams. Soft skills are no longer nice-to-have—they are essential.

However, most candidates who built their careers locally lack cross-cultural leadership experience. They may have managed teams in Southeast Asia or Northeast Asia, but rarely an entire APAC region spanning markets as diverse as New Zealand and Australia. This gap makes truly regional leaders highly sought after—and highly compensated.

7. Growth-Oriented CEO – Asia Pacific / Greater China (RMB 2 million–4.5 million)

CEO roles are always in high demand, but the emphasis on "growth" has intensified significantly heading into 2026. Accelerating AI disruption, rising geopolitical uncertainties, global supply chain restructuring, and increasingly rigid ESG requirements are converging to reshape expectations, making "maintaining" equivalent to slow decline. Companies urgently need leaders who can create new growth opportunities, not just protect existing ones.

As Maryann Wang, Associate Partner at Page Executive China notes, the most sought-after CEOs demonstrate strategic agility, navigating uncertainty while balancing short-term performance with long-term growth engines. They possess learning agility and cognitive flexibility, the meta-competency to learn quickly across industries and adapt thinking models through rapid change. They remain emotionally stable under pressure, steadying their teams while guiding them toward progress. And with AI and data reshaping every industry, driving digital transformation is now a core requirement. CEOs who can turn disruption into direction are exactly what companies are betting on—and paying a premium to secure.

8. Chief Medical Officers (RMB 1.8 million–3 million)

In China's Healthcare and Life Sciences sector, Chief Scientific Officers and Chief Medical Officers rank among the highest-paid executives, leading innovation in drug development and clinical strategy.

Maria Karp, Partner at Page Executive China, highlights that the CMO hiring landscape is seeing a notable revival but required skill sets have evolved. Demand is shifting from late-stage oncology trials toward earlier-stage experience—Investigator-Initiated Trials, Phase I/II studies—and broader therapeutic areas including immunology, metabolic diseases, rare diseases, and CNS disorders.

Across both roles, potential alone no longer commands top salaries. Employers now prioritize tangible, proven results—leading an IND filing, launching a commercial product, or closing a successful cross-border BD deal. Professionals with FDA/EMA regulatory experience or English fluency for global collaboration command a 30–50% premium over those with only local expertise.

9. Managing Director – Europe / Southeast Asia (RMB 1.5 million–2.5 million+)

This is a high-value position in Chinese private enterprises' overseas expansion, targeting manufacturing companies with strong technical expertise and surplus production capacity, domestic industrial component suppliers, and private new energy and industrial equipment companies. These roles focus on core overseas markets, exporting domestic excess capacity, building localized operations, and driving second-curve growth—hence the competitive compensation.

Chinese private enterprises are accelerating overseas expansion as domestic growth slows. Europe and Southeast Asia are now key strategic markets for capacity output and market expansion. This shift is redefining regional MD and GM roles, as pointed out by Tina Lv, Principal at Page Executive China.

Domestic growth bottlenecks are driving demand for overseas talent. Capacity output and localization capabilities have become core competencies. Cross-border compliance and cultural integration skills are now essential.

10. Chemical R&D / Advanced Materials Process Engineering Director (RMB 2 million+)

Surge in semiconductors, robotics, and low-altitude economy drives demand for materials experts with molecular design and process scale-up capabilities.

The critical gap is moving from lab to mass production. Leaders mastering high-purity synthesis, continuous flow reactor design, and crystallization determine import substitution success in high-performance materials like PEEK, PI, LCP, and solid electrolytes.

Anne Xu, Principal at Page Executive China, highlights that most sought-after should be T-shaped talent combining reaction kinetics with automation systems. Private firms offer "high salary + equity" for overseas 10,000-ton production line experience; "Sci-Tech Reform Enterprises" use market pay to lure back core experts.

Geopolitics and domestic substitution redefine value—next-gen material definers win. Overseas Chinese scientists from Europe, US, and Japan fill critical gaps in semiconductor materials, advanced lubrication, and lightweight composites.

How to break through as an executive candidate

For executive candidates aiming to harness opportunities, drive value, and forge a resilient career path in the coming year, our specialists at Page Executives offer strategic guidance to navigate your career towards uncharted territories.

Embrace innovation and breakthroughs while honing fundamental competencies. Challenge traditional methodologies, stay abreast of industry trends, pinpoint and address critical business challenges, contribute performance enhancements, create value, and create new opportunities for your organisation.
Move away from a traditional employee mindset, embracing a posture of ownership and risk management. In a market filled with uncertainties, it is difficult for executives without a clear path and entrepreneurial spirit to lead their teams to break through. The market will gradually abandon executives who cling to the old mentality of professional managers.
Cultivate self-awareness, distinguishing your inherent capabilities from those augmented by your current role and understanding the skills you possess independently of your organisational position.
Embrace the growth (and most of the time, discomfort) that comes from navigating the unknown. Develop the acumen to manage complex situations and relationships, eschew perfectionism, avoid oversimplification and premature judgments, forge diverse professional networks, and sustain a global outlook.

These principles equip executives with the mindset and strategies to excel in dynamic markets, ensuring leadership resilience and sustained career advancement.

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Legal Executive Trends – North America

Luciana Casado — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:53:01 +0000

Legal Executive Trends – North America Luciana Casado

Legal Leadership in 2026: What’s Emerging?

AI governance and data privacy could reshape priorities.
Commercial leadership and client experience may gain weight.
Talent mobility and compensation strategies under pressure.

Curious about the full picture?

Download the Full Report: Trends & Predictions for 2026

Inside you’ll find:

Roles expected to rise in demand
Insights from senior consultants across North America
Salary benchmarks for top legal positions
Strategic advice for hiring and retention

Download now

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A guide to evaluating and negotiating multiple C-Suite job offers

Jay Shah — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 09:48:06 +0000

A guide to evaluating and negotiating multiple C-Suite job offers Jay Shah

Receiving multiple job offers from different employers is flattering as a C-suite executive – it’s a recognition of your capabilities and achievements. However, handling these offers appropriately and effectively requires careful evaluation to ensure that you make the right choice for your career.

Here we’ll be discussing all the key considerations that will help you through dilemmas and onto the best possible path forward.

Dealing with multiple offers

Any time you receive an interesting job offer, be sure to ask: will it help you meet your goals? If not, you should be prepared to reject the offer.

Before you start your search for a new role, take the time to decide what is important to you. This will usually be a combination of factors, including values, culture, development, and compensation. When you receive an offer, I advise that you look at it in isolation and consider it based on its own merits. If you are happy with the offer and it delivers what you are looking for, the best option is to accept the offer. You are better off doing this than getting into conversations about counteroffers and playing potential job offers off against one another.

Tara Bagley
Partner

It’s especially important to make a thorough appraisal when dealing with multiple job offers at the C-suite level. Factors like salary are, of course, important. But there are many other considerations that could prove more impactful in the long run.

Here are a few to think about for each offer on the table:

1. Will it help you reach your goals?

Workplace satisfaction is an important driver for executives – that’s why when a leader makes a career change, they almost always have a clear goal in mind. Before you decide which offer to accept, think about what your key push and pull factors, personal aspirations, and drivers are. This will help you to identify the opportunity which truly helps you on the way to your next big achievement.

2. Is the company’s employee value proposition (EVP) competitive?

A company’s EVP is everything it offers to its people and to prospective new hires to attract and retain them. Consider whether they are offering enough to edge out other employers who may also want to hire you for the same role. Find out whether the remuneration, from salary and equity to benefits and bonuses, meet your expectations and compare favourably with industry benchmarks for your experience levels.

3. Does it suit your experience and expertise?

Leaders have distinct experiences and skillsets, and different jobs will compliment and build on them to different extents. Is the prospective employer’s strategy and vision aligned with your aspirations? Will the role help you build the legacy you want to leave?

4. Does it meet your work-life balance criteria?

We all have different lives and personal factors to consider when evaluating a job offer. If you need specific allowances like flexible or remote working, now is the time to ensure that you get them.

5. Do you like the company culture?

To achieve long-term success with a company, you will need to feel that you share common values and ethics, as well as having comparable ways of working. Are you on the same page when it comes to issues like sustainability, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I)? Is the culture of the company a good fit for your preferred style of operating and leading? All of these are important questions to run through before accepting an offer.

Doing your due diligence

Given the fluidity of the economic and political landscape, it is critical to give the right level of attention to the details of all prospective roles. A fundamental aspect of a leadership appointment is the structure, chemistry, vision, and strategic priorities of the board in question. That’s why you must undertake a thorough due diligence process for a successful transition.

To provide yourself with the stability and security you need, we have laid out some terms to seek from each company:

Target bonuses. In addition to your base salary, you should receive a performance-related bonus for the value you bring to the company in your role. It is also important to understand when bonuses are paid, and the exact composition thereof. For instance, what percentage is cash, deferred cash, and shares, and what is the timeline of the payment of deferrals?

Sign-on or guaranteed bonus and other benefits. This should make up for the compensation you will lose by changing companies. Most employers will require you to show evidence of your previous bonus figures to justify your sign-on or guaranteed bonus. As well as this, consider benefits like private healthcare, insurances, and holiday allowance.

Meaningful equity stake. Not all companies offer equity, and the percentage of your equity interest in the company will vary based on the company’s maturity. However, it should be reflective of the value you bring. This is particularly important for start-up firms and heavily growth- or transformation-focused roles.

A buy-out of unvested deferred compensation. In many cases, especially in finance and financial services, the hiring company will ‘buy out' deferred bonus awards, which will have been cancelled by the current/former employer upon resignation.

If the recruiting firm is PRA- (Prudential Regulation Authority) regulated, they will require you to provide evidence via a 'remuneration statement' from your previous employer. This will be particularly important for ‘material risk takers’ (MRTs) at PRA-regulated banks.

Termination of contract and severance pay. In the event that the company terminates your contract without a suitable reason, or breaches of your contract by the employer lead you to terminate your position, your contract should contain means for you to recoup lost value. 

It is therefore worth considering the potential financial costs to you of leaving the company. Will you need to pay back any costs, like guaranteed/buyout bonuses, shares, or other costs associated with your hire, such as relocation?

Other considerations. Will the new firm allow you to join or continue other executive board positions or do executive consulting? If you are joining an FCA regulated firm, will you and your family members have potential conflict of interests and therefore need to sell security holdings or resign from board positions?

What if you receive a counteroffer?

We are in a competitive recruitment market, especially for executive positions, and companies are working hard to cling onto their best people. After accepting an offer and signing the contract, many candidates receive counteroffers of higher salaries from their soon-to-be former employers.

Our advice in this instance is to remember that while the company may truly value you, your reasons for wanting to leave likely have not changed. By staying, you will lose the opportunity you are currently presented with. And, more importantly, you could lose credibility with your current company, while your long-term loyalty may be questioned.

Our experience indicates that most candidates who accept counteroffers leave within a year anyway. And, though you may be tempted to use that counteroffer as leverage with your new company, such a tactic will often have negative consequences – your future employer may even go as far as rescinding the offer altogether.

Simon Lindrea
Senior Partner

If you handle the situation well, you can ensure that your relationships with both your new and former employers remain strong, placing you in the most advantageous position for the future.

What next?

At Page Executive, we take the time to truly understand the priorities and ambitions of all the candidates we work with. This allows us to provide expert guidance during complex negotiations and career transitions.

If you are looking for a new role, please get in touch today on the details below:

Tara Bagley, Partner, Page Executive
E: tarabagley@pageexecutive.com

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Download: Healthcare and Life Sciences Trends Talent Mobility

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 07:38:02 +0000

Download: Healthcare and Life Sciences Trends Talent Mobility

Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/22/2021 - 08:38

https://www.pageexecutive.com/healthcare-life-sciences-trends-talent-mobility-hls21

Leadership Without Borders

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 08:33:17 +0000

Leadership Without Borders Anonymous (not verified)

Meet the New Health and Life Sciences Executives

Few of us will ever forget this year. As I re-read the Remote Leadership trend from our Eight Executive Trends for 2020, and ring the changes I’ve seen in the Health and Life Sciences sector, it’s clear that much of what was foreseen at the beginning of the year has come to pass… and more.

In many ways, the HLS sector has always been in a league of its own when it comes to international hiring. Ours is a dynamic sector, and one in which our clients lean towards a diverse workforce, and recruit internationally, organizing by country cluster. It’s also a sector in which leaders are accustomed to relocating in order to pursue the most rewarding career opportunities.

Supply And Demand

If we take a glance at Europe, Belgium and Switzerland are thriving hubs for the pharmaceutical industry, and companies often look beyond their own borders to recruit the volume of well-experienced executives they need.

In these two countries, it is common to recruit internationally, so you will find strong expat communities in the Headquarters of International Groups there.

In France and in Germany, we are seeing an increase in interest for international profiles to fill Pharmaceutical roles. This brings in fresh perspectives, especially in executive roles.

A Renewed Sense Of Purpose

Like every other sector, HLS has experienced a major recalibration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and Life Science companies have had to adapt to an ever-changing reality. They’re finding themselves at the heart of prevention and treatment and under the world’s microscope as we work towards a COVID-free future. With this comes an enormous sense of purpose and a pressure to constantly evolve and adapt.

While pharma professionals are accustomed to working and recruiting digitally, there are still major changes to navigate. Recruitment has become a much longer process. It’s not uncommon in our industry for leadership candidates to have 7 or 8 interviews, and in the final stages, regardless of location, a face-to face meeting traditionally sealed the deal. Now, candidates and companies are having to find ways to express themselves digitally rather than make that all important final handshake.

“You're Not Alone”

In a time of great uncertainty, pharma has a vital role to play in putting minds at rest. This starts within a company. Leaders are being challenged – like never before – to communicate supportively and sincerely with their teams. It is also a crucial time to reassure clients. Hospitals and healthcare providers are stretched beyond belief and it’s up to business leaders to show clients that despite the imposed distance, they are not alone. Creating proximity transcends masks and screens, and create a sense of community. We must never forget our closeness, while we fight the virus that has brought with it a reality few of us could have imagined.

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences

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I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’d like to talk about hiring trends in HLS, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Pierre-Yves Grangier
Senior Partner, France
PierreYvesGrangier@pageexecutive.com

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Remote Working and Automation: The future of Manufacturing and Recruitment in Leadership

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:39:26 +0000

Remote Working and Automation: The future of Manufacturing and Recruitment in Leadership Anonymous (not verified)

The Future for Manufacturing Lies in Remote Working and Automation

Our 2020 executive trend, Mobile Leadership is Going Local, highlighted that the number of expat and globally-mobile employees was set to surpass one million by 2021, according to a Finaccord study. In such a fast-changing market, and as business complexity, speed, and global coverage grows, so too does the need for leaders with the right skills and capabilities to drive business performance.

In some business functions, however, the ability to work remotely is limited and this is especially true for those in manufacturing. In light of the Covid-19 global crisis, there has been a significant shift in attitude towards the idea of mobile or remote leadership.

In most cases across the UK, if remote working has been possible, people have been quick to adopt it. But how is this likely to evolve in the future, and could it see the rise of mobile leadership in manufacturing?

Remote Working and Global Leaders: Key Skills for Executives

In the UK, demand for executive talent, both local and global has shown a decline. While a more virtual way of working can support leaders who are operating globally, the focus for businesses hiring has been on finding the right person for the job, regardless of their location.

But what does ‘right’ look like? Business leaders are pondering how to maintain operational readiness, in the event of a future lockdown. Industry 4.0 is upon us and some businesses are embracing new technological investment; in particular, the digitisation of manufacturing processes. Harnessing the effectiveness of this technology will be key, alongside strong leadership.

Whilst there are and will continue to be exceptions, industrials have tended to favour executives with STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The demand for these skills is likely to remain strong and has been consistent for those individuals with high-functioning learning styles, who are able to adapt quickly to changing events in an unpredictable world.

Businesses need to consider how they evolve their operations leadership and harness connected technologies to remain competitive. Similarly, executives need intellectual acuity and to be able to embrace new technology and handle whatever curveball new technology throws at them.

A True Partner in Recruitment: Increased Diligence and Assessments

When hiring in the current climate, providing a comprehensive brief to your search partner is imperative. As face-to-face contact is limited, paying careful attention to candidate ‘due diligence’ is key.

Practicing diligence through increased testing and assessments, regular conversations with candidates, focusing on background and experience, whilst supporting individuals through their notice period, and providing aftercare in onboarding, are now fundamentals to a successful executive search.

Executive search firms need to provide holistic solutions – and businesses need to rely on these resources much more.

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences

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If you would like to discuss this topic further, or find out more about current market trends, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Welcome to the World-wide Office: Embracing the new normal in the Healthcare and Life Science sector

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 12:31:21 +0000

Welcome to the World-wide Office: Embracing the new normal in the Healthcare and Life Science sector Anonymous (not verified)

It’s impossible to talk about this year without mentioning the “C” word. Each sector has faced collective and unique challenges. As I look through the lens of the Healthcare and Life Science sector for 2021 – I see an acceleration, rather than an alteration of all we envisaged.

Location, location, location?

The HLS sector has long embraced leaders and team members of multiple nationalities. Candidates – especially those from EMEA – have been able to choose where they work based on their career goals and lifestyle preferences.

Let’s take Switzerland as an example. My country is home to major market leaders in the HLS sector; the local workforce, despite being highly qualified, is simply not sufficient in quantity to cover the needs of the all the multinationals within the Swiss borders. The upshot has been the growth of a sustainable international community, as expats from around the globe make Swiss cities their home. It’s a win-win situation for the industry and inhabitants, as the country – and the sector – become more dynamic and diverse.

Confronting Covid-induced challenges

With travel heavily restricted and quarantine in place in many European countries, the HLS sector is rapidly revising and revamping its recruitment and communication strategies.

At a virtual HLS congress I recently attended, Human Resource managers addressed these challenges head on. A key takeaway was that whilst incoming new team members can always pick up systems, information and projects, a main factor for joining a new company is the culture and immediate team– in fact, these are key reasons candidates choose a company. So, how do we replicate this when we’re socially and professionally distanced? This may remain the biggest challenge in maintaining employee engagement for new and existing employees.

Here in Switzerland, many employees are going back to the office, even if some HLS firms are keeping office work to a minimum and avoiding external visitors. Nothing is certain, and evaluation is ongoing. Meetings must be prescheduled, and spontaneous interactions have disappeared. The litmus in all this… is how companies have set themselves up to respond.

Action vs. Reaction

A silver lining to this surreal situation has been the proactivity of HLS companies in promoting employee wellbeing. People are clearly feeling stressed and at times non-aligned with their governments’ reactions. The workplace has become a place where people feel cared for, as savvy HLS firms place focus and priority on their people, rather than on their problems.

In recruitment, there’s an element of courage involved on both sides: candidates are often digitally onboarded and meet their colleagues, weeks – or even months – later. Companies want to look candidates in the eye and processes have naturally been slowed down. This makes flexibility and the ability to find mutual workarounds, essential.

“A” is for adaptation

In the HLS sector, digital dexterity was a prerequisite long before the pandemic. Companies and professionals were already gravitating to working remotely. Ultimately, we are still tribal. We love to congregate in physical or digital realms. Companies that maintain their culture and spirit will thrive. Success now depends on our efficiency to maintain and measure employee engagement whether we’re 100%, 50%, or 10% in the office.

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences

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If you’d like to chat about the future of remote work in the HLS sector, please feel free to contact me. I’d be delighted to share insights.

Dr. Louise Duerr
Partner, Switzerland
LouiseDuerr@pageexecutive.com

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Is it possible to mitigate the impact of external events?

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 16:22:41 +0000

Is it possible to mitigate the impact of external events? Anonymous (not verified)

I was about to give some observations on one of our 8 Executive Trends for 2020, talking about areas of change as regards to corporate leadership, when I realised the Coronavirus would impact how all elements of leadership functions.

As always, external events are a touch paper that can light change, and they accelerate the importance of proper and correct planning so that companies and individuals can cope with a changed world – and recover.

The changes we identified in this year’s trends highlight the importance of understanding planning and leadership:

Change & Transformation
Technology
Distance Leadership
Adaptation
Collaboration
Inclusiveness

As you can see, the topics and themes for this year’s trends almost perfectly reflect the needs and wants the world has been looking for since the start of the crisis. This terrible event has already put incredible strain on people, businesses and governments alike.

On people to preserve physical, emotional and mental health. On governments on how to keep the economy functioning and the people safe. And, on business to preserve as many jobs as possible, and more, to look at their people and see how they can keep performance front of mind.

Flexibility and remote work

So how can companies and organisations make themselves more adaptable to unprecedented change? By reflecting on how they are managing the current situation and how they could have approached it differently. Remote work and flexibility, for example, have been on the agenda for years, and after this event will both make incredible leaps forward.

Leaders and companies that have organised efficiently through established KPIs and objectives, who use collaborative tools constructively, and who have maintained a caring culture will protect employees well during times like these. And because these types of companies care about their employees they will ‘thrive’, because in the end, it is up to the employee themselves to ensure flexibility and remote work succeed.

While the company can provide the framework for engagement and the drive for it, the employee needs to be a self-starter with a mid- long-term view. Planning and proactive thinking – instead of a reactive attitude – becomes important to reaching objectives.

Building remote relationships

When the wider economy opens, companies will put even more focus on the collective impact of behaviours, both digital and non-digital. Digitalisation will become even more paramount. On this topic, Page Executive have prepared an eBook Remote Recruitment: Search, Selection and Success to help you implement a fully digital recruitment process, including information on onboarding a remote hire.

Why mention this eBook, and specifically talk about onboarding and remote processes? Because all buyers (consumer and corporate) will need to prioritize purchases with more detailed attention to budgets, focusing more on the real-world value the service, product or person can bring.

My prediction is that buyers will only purchase things that have more meaning (and implied quality) for their specific needs.

This means that all companies need to reposition their brands to reflect real and truly applicable values, forgetting opportunistic approaches and low value transactional exchanges.

In short, we all need to provide real value for money to our clients, even more so than the past.

What does competence mean today?

Everyone will put more attention on information and competence.

Many people will read more and try to gain valuable skills during this period. Many will continue to work in unexpected circumstances, in difficult situations. Competence, therefore, will become something we are judged on – how did we manage the current situation, how did we prepare for the next ‘phase’, how did we view and approach our competitors?

In a world with (possibly) fewer players, that is more complex, that is faster changing, competence is key.

It is fundamental to understand how the regulatory and demand environment will shift in each industry, so that we can better prepare to prevent the impact of risk – with resilience front of mind.

Finally, what matters the most beyond an effective business model and an authentic value-added proposition is the personal aspect – so focus on your personal relationships!

If you have any questions about any topic I cover in this article, please do not hesitate to get in touch for a chat with me.

---

Max Redolfi
Senior Partner
T: +39 02-806800512
E:maximilian.redolfi@pageexecutive.com

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Leading Across Cultures: Learn To Adapt Your Style

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:48:24 +0000

Leading Across Cultures: Learn To Adapt Your Style Anonymous (not verified)

To succeed in international business, leaders need the flexibility to adapt their management style to the cultural context.

The degree of respect we show to authority is deeply rooted in the culture in which we are raised. As Erin Meyer, Affiliate Professor at INSEAD business school and expert in the area of organisational behaviour explains, later in business, this impacts how we view the ideal relationship with our boss or subordinates.

How do cultural differences manifest themselves in the workplace?

When you visit the headquarters of Heineken, the Dutch brewing company, in Amsterdam, you will find a lot of tall, blond Dutch people and a lot of... Mexicans. In 2010, Heineken purchased a substantial operation in Monterrey, Mexico, and now a large number of head office employees come from northern Mexico.

Among them is Carlos Gomez, who describes his experience a year on from moving to Amsterdam: “It is absolutely incredible to manage Dutch people and nothing like my experience of leading Mexican teams, because, in my experience, the Dutch do not care at all who the boss in the room is.”

For someone such as Carlos, who has learned to lead in a culture where deference to authority is relatively high, it is both confusing and challenging to lead a team where the boss is seen as just one of the guys. In this case, the challenge was particularly strong, as the Netherlands has one of the most egalitarian cultures in the world.

He explains: “I will schedule a meeting in order to roll out a new process, and during the meeting my team starts challenging the process, taking the meeting in various unexpected directions, ignoring my process altogether, and paying no attention to the fact that they work for me. Sometimes I watch them, astounded. But often I just feel like getting down on my knees and pleading with them, “Dear colleagues, in case you have forgotten, I.....am...... the boss.”

‘Power distance’

Geert Hofstede, one of the first researchers to look at the idea of what good leadership looks like in different countries, coined the term ‘power distance’, which he defined as: ‘The extent to which the less powerful members of organisations accept and expect that power is distributed unequally’.

Subsequent research into this topic brings to the fore questions such as:

How much respect or deference is shown to an authority figure?
To communicate a message to someone two levels above or below you, should you go through the hierarchical chain?
When you are the boss, what gives you your aura of authority?

Who has the answers?

The answers to these questions vary dramatically depending on the country. Professor André Laurent of INSEAD polled hundreds of managers, asking: “Is it important for a manager to have at hand answers for most of the questions subordinates may raise about their work?”

While 45% percent of the Japanese sample claimed it was important for the boss to have most of the answers, only 7% of Swedes thought the same way.

One Swedish manager commented, “Even if I know the answer, I probably won’t give it to my staff... because I want them to figure it out for themselves!” Conversely, one Japanese respondent said, “I would try not to ask my boss a question unless I was pretty sure he knew the answer.”

What happens when different cultures converge?

Most East Asian countries are high-power-distance cultures. One of the many reasons for this is the strong impact of the Confucianism belief system, whereby mankind would be in harmony with the universe if everyone understood their role in society and behaved accordingly. Confucius devised a system of interdependent relationships, in which the lower levels are obedient to the higher, while those who are higher in the hierarchy protect and mentor the lower.

In order to understand many East Asian hierarchies, it is important to think not just about the lower level person’s responsibility to follow, but also about the responsibility of the higher person – whether father, boss or elder – to protect and care for those lower down – whether children, staff or youth. And although Confucius has been dead for centuries anyone leading a team in China can benefit from understanding these principles.

An Australian who lived in China for many years reflects: “In China, the boss is always right, and even when the boss is very wrong, he is still right.”

Gradually, he had learned to understand and respect this system of reciprocal obligations: “Your team may follow your instructions to the letter, but in return, you must understand your role to coach and take care of them.”

In a hierarchical culture, protect your subordinates, mentor them, look out for their interests, and you may reap many rewards. The same Australian notes: “There is great beauty in giving a clear instruction and watching your competent and enthusiastic team willingly attack the project without challenging you every step of the way.”

What are the main traits of a successful leader?

In today’s global business environment it is not enough to be either a low-power-distance leader or a high- -power-distance leader. Managers may find themselves leading a team with both Dutch and Chinese employees (as well as Italians, Swedes and Mexicans).

Managers must develop the flexibility to manage up and down the cultural scale. Often this means going back to square one. It means watching what makes local leaders successful. It means explaining your own style frequently. It may even mean learning to laugh at yourself.

But ultimately it means learning to lead in different ways in order to motivate and mobilise groups who follow in different ways from the folks back home. That’s exactly what cultural intelligence means.

What practical steps can managers take to avoid the pitfalls when leading a global team?

Erin Meyer explains that you might sit down for a morning of annual performance reviews and as you Skype with your employees in different cultures, your words are magnified or minimised significantly, based on your listener’s cultural context.

So, be aware and work to understand how your own way of giving feedback is viewed in other cultures. Then you can experiment a little to adjust your words, to suit the context.

As you better understand these cultural tendencies, you can make a concerted effort to soften the message when working with cultures less direct than your own.

Meyer references Marcus Klopfer, a German client, who uses specific vocabulary to soften the message when working with such cultures: “I start by sprinkling a few light positive comments and words of appreciation. Then ease into the feedback with a few small suggestions. And add words like “minor” or “possibly.” Then wrap up by stating that this is just my opinion, for what it’s worth, and that they can take it or leave it.”

Such an approach is a quick and effective way to help with cultural understanding and achieve the desired results.

Key takeaways

The degree of respect shown to authority in the work-place reflects the prevailing culture
East Asian hierarchies are reciprocal: with power comes responsibility
In today’s global business environment, leaders must be prepared to adapt their management style
With multicultural teams becoming the norm, a mix of management styles may be required

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Leading Across Cultures: Learn To Adapt Your Style

How do cultural differences manifest themselves in the workplace?

‘Power distance’

Who has the answers?

What happens when different cultures converge?

What are the main traits of a successful leader?

What practical steps can managers take to avoid the pitfalls when leading a global team?

Key takeaways

Looking to hire your next leader?

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences

Executive Trends
in Healtcare & Life Sciences