Charting the Course: What the Talentor Global Summit 2026 Revealed About the Future of Executive Search

That was the backdrop when more than 62 participants from across the Talentor network came together for the Talentor Global Summit 2026 on 24 and 25 September, on board a cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki hosted by our Swedish partner Capus AB - Talentor Sweden, led by Thomas Lindquist. Two days, two themes, AI & technology and sales, and one conclusion that ran through every session:

In a crowded market, the firms that win are not the ones who promise the most reach. They are the ones who bring real insight, act as advisors and can prove what makes them different.

The summit opened with a warm welcome and an introduction to the newest members of our network and our guests, including Paul McArdle from The Panel (Ireland) and Adriána Kalocsa from Kalocsa Consulting (Hungary).

• The Panel: Founded in 1987, one of Ireland's most trusted professional recruitment consultancies, with deep expertise across finance, IT, legal and funds, and a strong track record supporting international companies entering the Irish market.
• Kalocsa Consulting: Budapest-based and led by founder Adriána Kalocsa, who brings 18+ years in talent acquisition, the firm places professionals from specialist to top management level, with particular strength in financial services, shared service centres, engineering and IT.

We were also delighted to welcome partners who travelled from the other side of the world to be with us, from Australia (Sachin Khisti), India (Pritul Sanghavi) and China (Michael Wang). Their presence was a reminder of what makes Talentor unique: a network that is international in reach, yet built on personal relationships.

The AI & technology focus of day one started with a keynote by Daniel Marwan (epunkt) on how to bring AI into recruiting without getting lost in the hype. His message was refreshingly practical: start with the problem, not the tool. He walked partners through how to evaluate recruiting technology, what a solid tech stack really costs and returns, and which use cases are already proven, regardless of company size.

Partners then shared AI and technology initiatives they have built themselves. Among them, Anneli Salminen (Talentor Estonia) presented AITa, an AI-powered HR knowledge centre that answers employees' HR questions, and Petter Heggelund Gjølme and Christer Sandorf Engh (Capus AS, Norway) presented Xcruiter, their own solution for accelerating the recruitment process. Michaela Moser (Talentor International) presented two network initiatives developed together with partners: the new Talentor AI Bot, built with CarringtonX Associates (Australia), and the website relaunches of Talentor.com and Opera International (France). Daniel Marwan (epunkt) closed the session with the Hearing App.

The session showed how much innovation already happens inside the network, and how valuable it is to share it rather than build everything alone.

In the "Ask the Expert" tables that followed, partners moved freely between the previously mentioned presenters for live demos and in-depth questions. And in a light-hearted Prompting Hackathon, teams used AI to write job ads for roles such as "Chief Sauna Officer" or "Head of Meatball Quality Assurance", a fun way to test prompting skills under time pressure.

AI is making the administrative side of search faster and more transparent, so consultants can spend more time where it matters: understanding your organisation and the people who will lead it.

Day two focused on sales & business development. It built on Sales4Tomorrow, a practical sales programme for the Talentor network led by sales trainer Wolfgang Depauli, for more than 15 partner organisations across four guided sessions.

The programme's core ideas resonate far beyond our network: start with the client rather than your credentials, naming their real challenges and the alternatives they have already tried; and more.

Partners shared how the programme has changed their own approach. Barbara Hansen (Talentor Czech Republic) described how her team shifted its pitch entirely. Thomas Lindquist (Capus AB - Talentor Sweden) spoke about cross-border sales and pushing international opportunities, while Olfertjan Niemeijer (Independent Recruiters, Netherlands) was candid that the real challenge is to keep applying the learning every day.

One of the most discussed sessions was a partner panel on differentiation. Four firms, four different answers to the same question: how do you stand out in a market where many providers sound the same?

• From supplier to advisor: Denise Stuker (Coopers Group, Switzerland) reflected on what it takes to move from supplier to advisor: a clear brand, a focus on exclusive partnerships with clients, and the confidence to position executive search as strategic advice rather than a transactional service.
• The power of a niche player: Anne Selbenbacher and Gunnar Mayr (Constares, Germany) made the case for depth over breadth. Deep sector expertise builds credibility with clients and candidates alike, and can attract clients from far beyond a firm's home market.
• Generalist meets niche player: Benoit Charasy (Opera International, France) showed how generalists and specialists can complement each other. Partnering with a niche firm opens new conversations with clients, often long before a vacancy exists.
• Differentiation through service: Doug Mackay (Collingwood, UK) shared how broadening the offer beyond search into talent advisory can set a firm apart in a highly competitive market, and bring consultants closer to the boardroom.

Four different paths, one shared conclusion: clients increasingly value partners who understand their business, not just their vacancies.

The summit closed with a hands-on workshop. In mixed teams of partners from different countries, participants chose an actual prospective client and built the pitch they would actually deliver together, under two rules. First, "we are in 50+ countries" is not an answer: it is a fact every network claims. Second, every team had to answer the uncomfortable question: "Convince me not to just use my local supplier in each country."

The results were remarkably consistent. Clients expanding across borders do not need more suppliers. They need one framework and one point of contact across several markets, local consultants who know each market from the inside, specialist depth that large global firms often lack in smaller markets, and a low-risk way to start: one priority role in one market.

The summit also celebrated the partners who make that collaboration happen every day. Our Talentor Cooperation Champions 2026 are Pritul Sanghavi (India), Client Relations Champion; Barbara Hansen (Czech Republic), Cooperative Partner Champion; and Henrik Myllenberg (Sweden), Selling Globally Champion.