Futurestep Expands EMEA Leadership and Operations to Address Growth in Demand

LONDON, June 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Futurestep, a Korn/Ferry Company (NYSE: KFY) has announced advancements and additions to its EMEA organization to address growing demand for its solutions in the region. Mark Lee has been appointed Managing Director, EMEA RPO, Cathy Desmedt as Managing Director, EMEA Project Recruiting and Jonathan Brown has joined the company as Director, EMEA Solutions Architecture. In addition, Futurestep has formally opened an office in Geneva.

As Managing Director, EMEA RPO, Mark Lee oversees all facets of Futurestep's RPO business across EMEA, including execution of local RPO strategies, and expansion and optimization of Futurestep's business portfolio in the region. Over the past two years, he has led the growth of Futurestep's U.K. RPO operations, drawing on his deep experience in the industry to drive business growth. Prior to Futurestep, he served as a business leader for a major U.K. provider of consulting and outsourced services in recruitment and RPO.

Complementing its RPO business and leadership expansion, Futurestep has appointed Cathy Desmedt as Managing Director EMEA Project Recruiting. In her role, Mrs. Desmedt will oversee the continued development of Project-Based Recruitment solutions and related search projects, talent pooling, and graduate recruiting offerings. Mrs. Desmedt has more than 15 years experience in the HR Consultancy business, developing and managing large and complex talent acquisition solutions across continental Europe. Prior to joining Futurestep, Mrs. Desmedt was a consultant with the Havas Communication Group, advising global customers in designing and implementing assessment and recruitment solutions for MBAs and international talent. She is fluent in French, English and Dutch and holds a Master in Political Sciences from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium.

Based in London as Director, EMEA Solutions Architecture, Jonathan Brown will focus on the identification, design and acquisition of RPO contracts for the region. Before joining Futurestep, he was head of assessment & selection and head of client services at global RPO provider Alexander Mann Solutions (AMS), where he led solutions delivery for a number of multi-national organizations. Prior to AMS, Mr. Brown worked as an associate director at RPO and talent management specialist Reflect, part of The Hydrogen Group. In addition, he spent five years at the management consultancy SHL Group where he delivered consulting to public and FTSE 100 companies. Jonathan holds a Masters of Science (MSc) in Organisational Psychology from the University of London.

Finally, to support the growth of its solutions business in the region, Futurestep has opened an office in Geneva. In addition to his current role as Director of the Futurestep Lyon office, Jean-Christophe Puget will oversee the opening and operation of the Geneva location.

"Futurestep is experiencing significant demand for its RPO and Project-Based Recruitment solutions across the EMEA region," said Joel Perrenoud, President, Futurestep EMEA. "The growth and advancement of our leadership and operational team addresses that demand, and it enables us to deliver the business impact that our clients come to expect from a world-class provider of recruitment solutions."

About Futurestep

Futurestep is a Korn/Ferry Company and a leading provider of high impact recruitment solutions, helping companies build and implement strategies for improving their talent acquisition operations. Key areas of focus include Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Project-based Recruitment, Talent Acquisition Consulting and Mid-Level Recruitment. With operations on four continents, Futurestep provides the experience and expertise to address the most pressing talent acquisition challenges facing companies today. To learn more, visit http://www.futurestep.com.

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn/Ferry International, with a presence throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to attract, deploy, develop and reward their talent. Visit http://www.kornferry.com for more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies, and http://www.kornferryinstitute.com for thought leadership, intellectual property and research.