Odgers Berndtson sets up India operations

Odgers Berndtson, one of the world's largest executive search firms, is making a foray into the Indian market with the establishment of its first office in the national capital and plans to expand its reach to other metros in the future.

Established in 1965 and with global revenues in excess of $245 million, the group has over 210 partners supported by more than 380 consultants and researchers in 29 countries worldwide.

"The really important region in executive search has historically been the US and the UK, but increasingly, the really important economies are India, China and other South Asian economies. So it is not just exciting, but almost obligatory for serious executive search firms to be here and to be here in a big way," Odgers Berndtson India Managing Director Alasdair Spink told PTI.

Odgers Berndtson plans to expand to Mumbai and Bangalore by the end of next year.

"We will have three offices by 2013. By the end of this year, we will have another office in Mumbai and next year, we will have one office in Bangalore," Spink added.

Asked when he expects the Delhi office to break even, Spink said it would be "fairly quickly", without giving a specific timeline.

While retaining their global appeal, the firm is building a strong local team and has hired Gitanjali Gandhiok as its principal consultant.

"The pace at which India has become integrated with the global economy is testament to this and provides Odgers Berndtson with an opportunity to support Indian companies seeking the best talent regardless of borders," Spink added.

The establishment of an India office enables Odgers Berndtson to support existing global clients as they expand their India businesses and serve Indian corporations as they build their domestic business and expand globally.

In India, the company sees significant opportunity to add value to its clients in a variety of sectors, including retail, infrastructure, healthcare and education -- areas in which it is a market leader in many countries.

Odgers Berndtson recruits for a wide range of industry sectors and management functions and also helps to build leadership teams for bodies of international importance, including governments, NGOs, schools, universities and major international charities.

Odgers Berndtson is also a leader in sports recruitment and has worked for organisations such as Manchester United and for the Olympic Games, in London, Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro.