Kilpatrick is a renowned international company, specializing in People Solutions, that was founded in 1997. The company is currently led by the owners and CEOs Jaap Hoekstra and Cristina Spagna, along with Managing Partner Claudia Paoletti, who celebrate 25+ years of Kilpatrick and 20+ years of ownership. With a focus on delivering efficient and agile executive search services at a global level, Kilpatrick is a remarkable player and became an expert in: recruiting for overseas branches.
Very few companies have built a capacity to seamlessly deliver a range of services, including Executive Search, Dedicated Recruitment Services, Human Capital Development, and Digital HR Services and Technology with One Team working across 18+ different countries.
The early years
After acquiring Kilpatrick in 2002, Jaap Hoekstra brought with him a wealth of experience in the recruitment sector, having previously climbed the ranks from junior consultant to country manager within Start People. Similarly, Cristina Spagna was no stranger to the recruitment industry, having held various positions as an HR manager within Fujitsu Siemens. Claudia Paoletti, on the other hand, had started her career in HR and recruitment and gained valuable in-house experience at companies such as Pirelli and Cisco.
In its early years, Kilpatrick was already focused on the international market, while being part of a network of international recruitment companies. Despite facing significant challenges, such as major cultural differences, salary gaps and local labor laws, Kilpatrick has always stood for offering the same quality of service anywhere in the world. With this vision in mind, the company decided to exit the network, to be able to guarantee the same quality and experience globally and continue as an independent player in the international market.
Growth and expansion
Over time, Kilpatrick has grown and expanded significantly, establishing 6 hubs and operating from 18+ different locations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with its headquarters located in Lugano, Switzerland. Our efforts in several countries, among them Mexico, Turkey, India, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Romania have all shown remarkable growth and success, thanks to the exceptional work of our talented teams.
The Mexican hub targets the Americas – with a mixed team of 10+ people located between New York, Miami and our Latam team in Mexico City – all under the leadership of Marco Fasiolo. Turkey is growing rapidly, the Istanbul Team covers the Middle East and Africa, with 6 different language skills. We expect the ASEAN team from Bangkok to outperform in 2023 serving all ASEAN countries while China – after almost 3 years of Covid slow-down – will definitely grow rapidly over the next few years.
Kilpatrick continues to grow rapidly every year and has so far managed to engage more than 80 employees worldwide, including several senior recruiters with deep experience in various industries. Together, this group has successfully filled 4000+ (c-level) positions for clients. Kilpatrick developed a strong belonging culture where internationally, people really work together as one team, with passion, perseverance and teamwork as key internal values. What does ‘one team’ mean for our client? Our client always retains one point of contact / Client Manager for the search and the same quality of service regardless of where the search is conducted.
HR and Technology
As technology plays an increasingly pivotal role in today’s world, Kilpatrick recognizes the importance of embracing technological innovation. Accordingly, we are dedicated to utilizing cutting-edge technology to enhance our people solutions. To this end, we have developed four proprietary digital tools that can be customized to meet the unique needs of our clients, thereby streamlining processes and improving overall efficiency.
● oneApp
An assignment management system, to keep 24/7 track of the search progress.
● Digital Assessment
Understand strengths and weaknesses of the team to guide training strategies.
● Check it Easy
Fast and reliable background checks to make the hiring process seamless.
● Video Interview
Automated video interviews to speed up the candidate screening process
Current status and future plans
Kilpatrick takes pride in its 25 years of experience in the industry, with a dedicated team of 80+ professionals. In 2022, Kilpatrick successfully completed multiple assignments, achieving a significant growth rate compared to the previous year. With active clients in numerous countries, Kilpatrick is continuously expanding its reach and increasing its global footprint.
In addition to its commercial objectives, Kilpatrick is committed to making a positive social impact. Kilpatrick has taken to heart the challenge of intergenerational communication in the workplace, and is committed to addressing this issue through meetings and training sessions. Our goal is to create a culture of understanding and collaboration within companies and schools, while also providing support and guidance to young people as they navigate the professional world.
Conclusion
As a prominent player in the People Solutions industry, Kilpatrick has firmly established itself as a global leader since its inception in 1997. Under the guidance of its esteemed leaders Jaap Hoekstra, Cristina Spagna, and Claudia Paoletti, the company has surmounted significant obstacles to achieve rapid growth and expansion across 18+ different locations worldwide. With a dynamic corporate culture that fosters a shared sense of identity and values, Kilpatrick has successfully developed four innovative digital tools to optimize its people solutions, demonstrating a resolute commitment to positive social impact. Kilpatrick’s commitment to making a positive social impact is reflected in its efforts to address the challenge of intergenerational communication in the workplace through meetings and training sessions. As it looks to the future, Kilpatrick is poised to extend its reach into new markets and countries, leveraging its hard-earned success and reputation as a trusted partner in the field of people solutions.