Per Ardua Associates has attracted new senior talent to build out Per Ardua Associates and Pantheon Leadership. George Davies and Maaike Kitsantas join to strengthen the Per Ardua Associates management team and Anna Hope has joined the Pantheon Leadership team.
Simon Hearn (Chair); “I am very proud of the shareholders and directors of the firm. These are three very high quality senior hires. George, Maaike and Anna will prove critical to our strategic growth ambitions, combined with the continuation of our collegiate and professional culture.”
Jamie Risso-Gill (Managing Director and Head of Banking & Consumer Financial Services); “I am delighted to welcome George and Maaike to the Per Ardua Management team. This is an exciting new chapter for the firm, and we are looking forward to working with them both, as we continue to grow and develop our business.”
George Davies joins as Executive Consultant and brings a wealth of experience. Most recently he was a Senior Client Partner with Korn Ferry in London where he was a member of their Global Financial Services Market as well as leading the Insurance Practise across EMEA. He has led global advisory assignments for both Carriers and Intermediaries at Board, line and senior functional roles including both public and private equity owned assets working on Top Team Development, Board Advisory and M&A services. Prior to this he served as Executive Chairman of Eliot Partnership a global executive search firm dedicated to the Insurance industry for three years. He had previously spent 36 years with Marsh a leading global Insurance Broker in various leadership positions at both Regulated Board and Executive Committee levels.
Harry Hearn (Director and Head of Insurance); “To have someone of George’s pedigree and calibre joining the team is hugely exciting. As we look to support the strategic ambitions of our global (Re)Insurance clients, from the UK/London to the US, EMEA and Asia Pac, George will play a critical role in supporting us on the next phase of our growth and delivering at the very highest of standards to our clients.”
George Davies; “I am delighted to be joining Per Ardua – a firm with such a strong and established reputation for Executive Search and to be closely aligned with Pantheon Leadership, their established senior level assessment, coaching and wider leadership advisory services. I am looking forward to working alongside their extensive international client portfolio and to support its ambitious plans for growth.”
Maaike Kitsantas joins as Chief Operating Officer with 30 years of management experience having worked across London, Amsterdam, Brussels, New York, and Scandinavia. Most recently she was a Managing Partner with Sousou Partners where she managed the operations globally in addition to the Hospitality search practise. Prior to that she was Deputy Managing Director with Carlson Marketing Group a global marketing agency. She started her career at British Airways. She has managed large diverse teams covering Operations, Client Services, Marketing and HR as well as leading executive search. Maaike has an MBA from the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from Middlesex University.
Maaike Kitsantas; “I am excited to join Per Ardua at a time where the company is expanding. Using my general management experience and over a decade of managing executive search, this is a unique opportunity.”
Anna Hope joins Pantheon Leadership as Principal to help oversee and deliver all aspects of the practice. An experienced coach, she works with senior leaders seeking to increase their performance and teams to build greater cohesion and effectiveness.
Anna spent over 20 years in professional services in New York and London having worked at Morgan Stanley in equity research and sales and trading before she joined McKinsey as a consultant followed by executive and board search. She has extensive experience in both senior executive and non-executive appointments, and leadership assessments. She has spent over a decade focusing on talent and succession challenges in, and on the way to, the boardroom. She brings an understanding of the commercial dynamics across a wide variety of industries and ownership structures, having worked across listed, privately owned, and private equity-backed environments. Anna holds a Master’s in Economic and Social History from Oxford University and a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia. She has a Master’s level qualification in coaching from Meyler Campbell (EMCC and AoC accredited). She is also a CFO Charterholder and a certified Hogan practitioner.
Jennifer Jones (Director and Head of Pantheon Leadership); “As Pantheon Leadership continues to grow both in the UK and internationally, we are delighted to welcome Anna to the team. The calibre and quality of experience which Anna brings will enhance the team dynamic and allow us to contribute even more thoughtfully to our clients.”
Anna Hope; “I am excited to be joining the Pantheon Leadership team and to be able to bring my professional services and coaching experience to the organisation during such a dynamic time of growth.”
