Global Summit
2026
From Stockholm to Helsinki: Highlights of the Talentor Global Summit 2026
The first day was all about technological innovation. After boarding and a warm welcome, we were introduced to our new partners and guests, and we were delighted to have partners traveling all the way from Australia (Sachin Khisti), India (Pritul Sanghavi), and China (Michael Wang). After that, we jumped right into the Prompting Workshop, a Hackathon in groups, to ensure a good WiFi internet connection before the cruise set sail and for the group to proceed with the activity well.
After our group picture on the cruise's promenade and lunch, Daniel Marwan (epunkt) kicked off the afternoon with a session on AI in recruiting, from evaluation to implementation. He shared best practices and lessons learned on the tools that matter regardless of company size, the real cost and ROI of a solid tech stack, and the use cases that are already state of the art. Next, five keynotes on AI and tech initiatives they implemented in 2026:
- Michaela Moser (Talentor International): Talentor AI Bot in collaboration with Sachin Khisti (Australia).
- Michaela Moser (Talentor International): Website relaunch for Talentor.com and Opera International (France).
- Petter Heggelund Gjølme and Christer Sandorf Engh (Capus AS, Norway): Xcruiter. More information about Xcruiter.
- Anneli Salminen (Talentor Estonia): AITa
- Daniel Marwan (epunkt): Hearing App
Each of them then hosted an "Ask the Expert" table, where attendees could move between tables for in-depth Q&A to close the day. We enjoyed the buffet dinner, and the Karaoke Bar proved that we can still sing without AI!
The second day focused on sales. Talentor International opened the morning with the network update and the recognition of the Talentor Cooperation Champions. Partners who live every day the cross-border collaboration effort that makes our network strong: Pritul (India), our Client Relations Champion, Barbara Hansen (CZ), our Cooperative Partner Champion, and Henrik (Sweden), our Selling Globally Champion. Followed by a 1-hour bus sightseeing tour of Helsinki. After lunch, we followed up on Sales4Tomorrow with a session on business development excellence: how top search firms win business today, how to turn relationships into mandates, and how partners can boost cross-selling. Insights on how the S4T program influenced their sales from partners: Barbara Hansen (Talentor Czech Republic), Thomas Lindquist (Capus, Sweden), and Olfertjan Niemeijer (Independent Recruiters, Netherlands).
A panel of Talentor partners presented what differentiation will look like in the future: moving from supplier to advisor, generalist versus niche, and adding services such as assessments, talent mapping, and outplacement.
- Denise Stuker (Coopers, Switzerland): From Supplier to Advisor
- Anne Selbenbacher & Gunnar Mayr (Constares, Germany): The power of a niche player
- Benoit Charasy (Opera International France): Generalist Meets Niche Player
- Doug Mackay (Collingwood, UK): Differentiation through service
Then, in the Joint Pitch Lab, small groups chose a real potential client and built a step-by-step guide to identifying the value we bring as a network and creating a joint pitch. The results are shared below. We closed the summit together over a final dinner on board.
A heartfelt thank you to all our partners for making this journey so special. See you in Madrid on 18 & 19 March 2027!
Revisit the sessions from each day of the summit:
Day 1: Thursday, September 24th
Theme of the day: Technological innovation - Case studies from evaluation to implementation
New partners introduction:
- Paul McArdle (The Panel, Ireland) and Adriána Kalocsa (Hungary), presentations previously shared with the group.
- Janne Karlsson (Finland): Le Ka HR Presentation
- Guest introduction (Interpres BV, Belgium): Patrick Van Lijsebetten Presentation
Keynote: Daniel Marwan (epunkt): AI in recruiting: from evaluation to implementation - best practices & lessons learned
Tech Case Studies: AI & Tech Initiatives and Hackathon Instructions
Day 2: Friday, September 25th
Theme of the day: Sales
Talentor International Status & Marketing Updates
Pre-Summit Materials
Missed something from our pre-summit emails? Here are all the documents we shared with you before setting sail:
From setting sail in Stockholm to arriving in Helsinki, here are the moments that made this year's summit. Browse the album, download your favourites and feel free to share them on LinkedIn with #TalentorGlobalSummit.