“No other platform combines the power, flexibility, reach, and network effects”
C-level Executive Search &
Organizational Consulting
We combine our deep experience with AI-enabled search and advisory excellence; we are your strategic partner in identifying and building high-performing leaders through a seamless, efficient and transparent process. Let us help you unlock your full potential and achieve lasting success.
Our Roots
CIVITAS, founded in Munich and London in 1971, is one of Germany’s most established executive search firms. With a strong foundation of professional expertise and deep market insights, we provide comprehensive advisory services tailored to our clients’ needs. Operating from offices in Hamburg, and Munich, CIVITAS stands as a premier leadership consulting firm, trusted by organizations across Germany for over five decades.
Our International Partners
Zavala CIVITAS Executive Search
Zavala CIVITAS, established in 2002, specializes in executive search and organizational consulting services, delivering transformative results for global businesses. With over 1200 successfully completed projects, Zavala CIVITAS aims to help clients enhance and expand their businesses across markets. The firm operates through its offices in North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Athena Executive Search & Consulting
In numbers
Positive Performance
Customer Retention Rate
Years of Experience
Our Team
Germany
Christian Hirsch has specialized on advising clients in all segments of media & entertainment, e-commerce and digital business for a period of more than 20 years. Besides working for international corporations and large privately owned companies he has built a strong focus on searching for portfolio firms of private equity companies.
In addition, Christian has broad experience in searches for Board Services, e.g. Members of the Advisory Board. Being a certified Business Coach he supports companies in building strong and effective management teams.
Christian had worked for Burda Media as a Managing Director focussing on digital products and print, as Engagement Manager for McKinsey&Co., Inc. in different European countries and as a Brand Manager for Unilever.
christian.hirsch@civitas.com
+49 172 9017636
Christian G. Hirsch
Managing Partner | Munich
Christian Keyser is a Managing Partner Civitas International in Hamburg. He advises companies across all industries, and is predominantly active in the Financial officers practice, executing C-level CFO positions as well as senior finance positions. Christian's clients include private equity portfolio companies as well as MDax companies and larger family businesses. Following his own professional career as a CFO, he has now been active in executive search for several years and has a unique network of CFOs and entry points into the CFO space throughout Germany. Christian has a strong professional background as an entrepreneur, line manager and consultant which puts him in an excellent position to deliver excellent search results.
christian.keyser@civitas.com
+491795046190
Christian Keyser
Managing Partner | Hamburg
Magnus Graf Lambsdorff is a Partner at Civitas, advising companies—mainly Private Equity and Venture Capital funds—on executive searches for C-level positions. He also supports DAX corporations and family-owned businesses during generational transitions. Previously, he was a Partner at Egon Zehnder, leading their Technology and Global Leadership Services practices, advising clients like Deutsche Telekom, Google, and Facebook. He later joined Finleap and the Venture Capital fund Lakestar. He also assisted the Viessmann family with their generational handover. He studied at the University of St. Gallen and earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Additionally, he is a member of the German Unicef committee, the board of the Elbphilharmonie Friends Association, and the economic forum of the FDP in the Bundestag.
magnus.lambsdorff@civitas.com
Magnus Graf Lambsdorff
Partner | Hamburg
Dr. Caspar Schauseil is a Partner of CIVITAS in the Munich office and Chief AI Officer. He advises small- and mid-sized businesses, often family owned, and investor clients - specializing in the placement of CEO, COO as well as digital, IT and transformative C-Level roles. Caspar is passionate about the application of technology, data-driven decision making and customer experience to drive ultimate client success. He has worked for Knauf Group building up and managing its Digital Office, for Amazon in the execution of a series of international, special projects and for Altman Solon in M&A advisory. As an active investor himself, Caspar has been working closely with several family offices. He is a graduate of Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, Bocconi and HEC.
caspar.schauseil@civitas.com
+49 163 4513137
Dr. Caspar Schauseil
Partner | Munich
Europe
Mr. Zavala brings a global background of experience with +11 years of experience in the Americas, 12 years in Europe and 7 years in the Asia Pacific region. His career has been focused mainly on the HR industry. He launched the Zavala Civitas Executive Search’s office in both Shanghai and Barcelona. Before that, he founded IntuuChina, an award-winning placement agency in China. Graduated from the University of Otago in New Zealand he earned a full scholarship to Georgetown University for postgraduate studies.The Choiseul Institute recognized him as a high-potential young leader in Spain, and Nova Talent named him a top 10 Management Consultant in the country. He speaks fluent Spanish, English and Portuguese.
fz@zavalacivitas.com
+34 659 56 60 62
Fernando Zavala
Partner | Madrid
Pedro Gasset has a decade of expertise in business development and sales strategy to the forefront. Pedro’s dedication is focused on placing executive-level professionals. His strengths encompass C-level partnership management, adept consultative selling, navigating complex deal negotiations, and orchestrating comprehensive sales strategies and operations. Backed by proficiency in data and analytics and people management. He has held significant roles, including Senior Associate Director of Business Development at IE Business School, and Principal in Tech & Digital at Robert Walters.
pedro.gasset@zavalacivitas.com
+34 610 60 32 33
Pedro Gasset
Partner | Madrid
Ivan Rodríguez brings to the table an international background of expertise in both HR and Psychology, boasting over four years of specialization in talent acquisition, with a particular focus on Executive Search. His comprehensive experience extends to spearheading executive search projects on a global scale, while concurrently leading the Research team across diverse regions, including Spain, Canada, LATAM (Brazil & Mexico), and China. His bilingual fluency in Spanish and English further bolsters his ability to navigate varied contexts.
ir@zavalacivitas.com
+34 650 58 29 35
Ivan Rodriguez
Partner | Madrid
A Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance and Reinsurance executive with a clear exposure to Latin America and Mexico; a truly multicultural executive that understands local business traditions while representing stakeholders and protecting their interests. Known for successful turn-around and acquisitions of insurance companies and bancassurance deals in the Region. Conducted successful mergers of companies in Chile and Mexico. Innovation and constant product improvement helped achieve growth and dividends. He is fluent in Spanish, English, German and Portuguese.
sergio.bunin@zavalacivitas.com
+351 914 595 840
Sergio Bunin
Director | Lisbon
With over six years of experience living and working in London, Jorge has developed his career in financial services, standing out as Associate Vice President at the investment firm iM Global Partner. Throughout his career, he has worked with global international firms in key markets such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe and Asia, specialising in the sectors of Asset Management, Wealth Management and Private Equity, acquiring a deep knowledge of the financial sector and corporate banking. He has a degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Madrid and a postgraduate degree in Economics and Business from the University of London. In addition to his native language, Spanish, he is fluent in English.
jorge.ramos@zavalacivitas.com
+34 659 56 60 62
Jorge Ramos
Principal | Madrid
Andrea has built an impressive career across multiple industries, specializing in the pharmaceutical and automation sectors for the Italian region. His expertise includes technical executive recruitment, with a focus on life sciences and automation industries. Andrea holds a master’s degree in Law from Università degli Studi di Pisa and has pursued advanced studies in law and economics. Fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish, he embodies a truly international profile.
48leonor.pablos@zavalacivitas.com
+34 629 1869
Andrea Molinas
Principal | Madrid
Leonor has been the HR Director of three of Ferrovial's most global business areas (Services, Construction and Toll Roads). In recent years, Ferrovial has undergone a major transformation of its business model and a major internationalization of its activities. With dual Mexican and Spanish nationality, Leonor has worked in a special way in the important expansion of the company in North America. Before her time at Ferrovial, Leonor worked as HR Director in various sectors, with the most notable being Technology (Bull), Television and Media (Televisa), and Banking (HSBC Bank).
leonor.pablos@zavalacivitas.com
+34 629 1869 48
Leonor Pablos
Senior Advisor | Madrid
Beatriz has 40 years of experience advising corporations and boards of directors on corporate governance, with a focus on stakeholder governance, ESG, and sustainability issues. She was a partner at Baker McKenzie, where she led the firm's Corporate Governance team, recognized as top-tier by Legal 500. Additionally, she served as co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Responsible Investing and was part of the Climate Governance Community of Experts within the same organization. She is currently an independent director on several boards.
Beatriz holds the INSEAD IDP-C Certificate in Corporate Governance and has been featured in Yvonne Thompson OBE’s book, 7 Traits of Highly Successful Women on Boards. She has received significant accolades, including Euromoney’s Best in Corporate Governance and Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer.
Beatriz.baker@zavalacivitas.com
Beatriz Baker
Senior Advisor | London
Americas
Mr. Zavala brings over 30 years of executive search and leadership consulting experience advising multinational corporations aiming to expand operations into other countries and business sectors. Mr. Zavala is the founder of Zavala Civitas. Previously to that, he was a partner at Russell Reynolds, where he led as Managing Director and launched the Mexico, Argentina and Brazil offices. Over the past five years, Mr. Zavala has regularly lectured on the topics of leadership, influence and power at ESADE Business School in Madrid and Barcelona and IUE in Florence. He is is fluent in Spanish, English, German and Portuguese.
lz@zavalacivitas.com
+34 637 59 04 74
Lorenzo Zavala
Managing Partner | Mexico City
José Carlos (Joey) Hassan Suarez launched the firm’s Canadian operations and office from Toronto. Mr. Hassan Suarez brings a truly global background with experience in the Americas, Europe and Asia. His career has been focused mainly on the Executive Search and Private Banking industries. He co-founded travel company Mondevia and worked for BNP Paribas and JP Morgan. He graduated with a double master's degree in business administration and law from University San Pablo CEU. He speaks fluent Spanish, English and French.
jc.hassansuarez@zavalacivitas.com
+1 647 564 9028
Jose Carlos Hassan
Partner | Toronto
Marsha is based in Washington, D.C. She specializes in executive-level commercial real estate searches, placing key executives in public and private real estate and construction companies. She helped found Equinox Search, a boutique search firm, after working with Russell Reynolds Associates, where she co-managed the firm's global real estate industry practice. Marsha co-founded Russell Reynolds Associates Mexico City Office, its first in Latin America. She is fluent in Spanish, and grew up internationally living in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
marsha.pearcy@zavalacivitas.com
+1 202 296 7900
Marsha Pearcy
Director | Washington DC
Her distinguished career spans over two decades. She served as a Partner at Equinox, completing numerous real estate searches. Prior to that, she spent eight years as a Principal at Rhodes Associates, a renowned retained executive search firm in real estate. She also held key roles in the financial sector, contributing to talent management initiatives at Mutual of New York and Bankers Trust Company. Barbara's educational background includes a BA from Hood College, an MA in Educational Psychology from Northwestern University, and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.
bbeck@zavalacivitas.com
+1 212-660-7455
Barbara Beck
Director | New York
Aura Gomez is a seasoned professional with a remarkable trajectory in the field of executive search and talent acquisition. Her expertise is deeply rooted in her academic foundation, including a Master’s Degree in People Management for Organizations from the University of Navarra and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Universidad de Los Andes. Aura further fortified her skill set through a Project Management program at CEF Centro de Estudios Financieros. With a holistic approach encompassing executive search, talent acquisition, and Human Resources, Aura’s contributions resonate across a range of professional contexts.
ag@zavalacivitas.com
+1 626 61 69 30 1
Aura Gomez
Principal | Los Angeles
Juliana Camargo is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of expertise in executive search and talent acquisition. Her extensive knowledge encompasses executive recruitment, project management, business development, client relations, and leadership. With prior roles including Principal at NGS Global, Associate Principal, Research Associate at Korn Ferry, and Independent Consultant, Juliana’s expertise shines through each phase. Juliana’s educational journey is marked by dedication and excellence, graduating from the University of Ribeirão Preto with a degree in Psychology. Fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
jc@zavalacivitas.com
+55 16 98842-2318
Juliana Camargo
Principal | Sao Paulo
APAC
Bhavishya Sharma is a visionary leader with over two decades of expertise in executive search and leadership advisory. Renowned for his ability to identify, assess, and recruit top-tier leadership talent, he is a trusted advisor to global clients for C-suite and board-level roles. His comprehensive consulting expertise spans strategic talent management, including market entry advisory, HR due diligence, board advisory, leadership assessment, and compensation benchmarking.
In addition, Bhavishya provides specialized M&A advisory services to leading organizations in the Technology and Professional Services sectors. An alumnus of the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, he merges his engineering acumen with an insatiable curiosity and a commitment to delivering transformative corporate solutions.
+91 9810268983
Bhavishya@aesc.co.in
Bhavishya Sharma
Managing Partner | New Delhi
Barry Kirkwood, Zavala Civitas' China Director, has 15 years of leadership experience and a decade dedicated to China's market. His roles prior to Zavala include General Manager at Gemini Personnel, Shanghai, and key positions within the British Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and Guangdong. Barry holds a BA (Hons) from Loughborough University and an ICF Certified Coach, blending strategic insight and international business acumen.
barry.kirkwood@zavalacivitas.com
WeChat: Barrymk81
Barry Kirkwood
Director | Shanghai
Flora is a seasoned HR professional with a strong focus on executive search in Shanghai, China. With expertise in finance, fintech, and legal sectors, she has excelled in roles such as the Executive Recruitment Partner since February 2017. Flora's strategic initiatives have significantly improved recruitment processes, reducing time cycles, costs, and attrition rates across various Asian markets. Her comprehensive experience also includes successful stints at American Express by Allegis Group and Morgan McKinley, where she was recognized for her exceptional ability to secure and manage high-profile financial clients.
flora.shi@zavalacivitas.com
WeChat: FsFenfe
Flora Shi
Research director | Shanghai
Ekta comes with around 15 years of experience in the search industry having worked in both India and Hong Kong. She has led tricky Talent advisory assignments and searches across the globe for clients in the Fintech, Power & Mining, FMCG, Media industry etc. She is methodical and keeps a constant communication channel on-going both with her clients and candidates, ensuring a constant flow of information. Being a people's person, she has a natural flair of connecting with stakeholders and understanding their problem statement. Having a Master's Degree in Administration, she is also a certified Cognitive Behaviour Coach. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music.
ekta@aesc.co.in
+91 9540073278
Ekta Wadhwa
Principal | Gurugram, Haryana
“No other platform combines the power, flexibility, reach, and network effects”
+86 186 1680 047 2F, No.15, Lane 523, Middle Fuxing Road, Huangpu District, 200025, Shanghai, P.R.C
+34 659 566 062 C. Velázquez 50, 28001 Madrid, Spain
+1 647 564 9028 Queen St W, Toronto, M5V 0P5, ON, Canada
+55 16 988 422 318 Tower Funchal Regus- Rua Funchal, 418, 34º andar, Sao Paulo, Brazil
