Forme Partners

365 days later... In a moment of much needed reflection, and as I look back on 2024, from a work perspective, the following phrase comes to mind - Same Same, But Different. The challenges have been real, almost as expected when scaling a business working across different time zones; tough, transformative, enlightening - and as we continue to pave our way as one of the trusted search partners in Europe it will continue. You always hope that you can step change your business year on year but these changes are often too subtle to notice and it is only when you look back, you see how far you have come. This year we have come a long, long, way. Some highlights and Thank You's: ▶ Partnering with brilliant founders, CEOs, boards and teams, backed by the best VC and PE funds in the world - thank you for trusting and partnering with us. ▶ Connecting with exceptional people—the kind of people who don’t just lead businesses but are shaping the future. ▶ Launching the Forme Advisory Board—Rohan N. Pradhan, STELLA PENSO, Beatrice Askaner, Veronica Diquattro, Claire Valoti, Simon Belsham, Pamela Brown, and Paul Heywood, your advice and support have been invaluable. ▶ Building deeper connections across the VC & PE landscape, as well as with fellow headhunters—always learning, supporting, and growing. ▶ Kicking off the InForme Leadership Series—hearing from bold, bright leaders has been nothing short of energising. Thank you so far to: Christof Schminke, Laurabeth Harvey, Monica Visconti-Patel (MVP), Claire Valoti, Mehul Garg, Alexandar Vassilev, Jolawn Victor, Simon Belsham, Tom Richardson, Kruti Patel Goyal, Rohan N. Pradhan, Richard Wazacz and Pamela Brown ▶ And, of course, the Forme team—Jonathan Zatland, Emma Gonnella, Simin Gorgulu, Beth Ireland, and Elinor Hope— great work which I couldn’t do without you. Here’s to a moment of rest (give me sunshine...!) before we go again in 2025. Forme Partners #YearInReview

How do you scale marketing in a fast-growth company? We asked Monica Visconti-Patel (MVP), CMO of Ardoq, to share her approach: ▶ Let data guide you: Build data into your daily rhythm to focus on what really drives impact. ▶ Be smart with tech: Use AI and automation to work more efficiently without losing the personal touch. ▶ Invest in community: Turn your audience into advocates through authentic engagement and user-driven content. Scaling is all about focus and adaptability.   Forme Partners EQT Group One Peak #ScalingStories #MarketingLeadership #GrowthStrategy

Given all the 2025 M&A conversations and speculations—whether from discussions with investors in our network or headlines in the news—it’s a timely moment to reflect on the possibility of navigating these transitions.   We asked Alexandar Vassilev, ex-CEO of WeTransfer to share his top leadership lessons from leading an acquisition.   Top takeaways: ▶ Focus is key. Keep teams small to avoid distractions. ▶ Stay engaged. An acquisition isn’t the finish line—keep the business thriving. ▶ Balance stakeholders. Aligning employees, shareholders, and users is critical. ▶ Think beyond price. Culture, strategy, and long-term vision matter too. Alex’s reflections are invaluable for any founder considering or going through a sale. We’d love to hear any other important leadership lessons our network has.   Bending Spoons #LeadershipLessons #MergersAndAcquisitions #FounderInsights #ScalingSuccess

Speaking with CEOs/Founders daily, I’m curious to understand - “Why this business”? One yesterday said - simple: to do good in the world. The below story is exactly this.    Virraj Jatania made it his mission to create a financial services business to serve the underserved. After having experienced second-hand how factory workers in his family's business were paid and living, he knew there was something he could do through technology and products to address the poor experience that people, as example, with low credit scores or no credit history, had. Concentric, a long-term investor partner to Virraj, had the long view - being recently part of their investor day, I got to hear of how the deal was struck between Pockit and Monese to become one of the largest players in this space across the U.K. and Europe. Another great lesson in how good partners to founders, in this case his investors, can be key to unlocking strategic deals and, in turn, growth! Forme Partners #StrategicPartnerships #GrowthStrategy #PurposeDrivenBusiness

Rocks vs. Sand framework… As businesses scale, keeping GTM teams aligned can be a complex challenge. We asked Laurabeth Harvey, former President of Lattice and Intercom, how she prioritises and maintains focus across functions to sustain momentum. She introduces us to the “rocks versus sand” framework—a powerful tool for prioritising what truly moves the needle while managing the day-to-day noise. Forme Partners #Leadership #GrowthStrategy #ScalingStories

Why does brand-building matter for growth? In our latest InForme series, Christof Schminke—Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Job&Talent, trusted advisor to Atomico, and an expert in brand and growth within hyper-growth environments—challenges major misconceptions around branding and shares how the strongest brands become a company’s true north star.  Curious about how to turn a brand into a true growth engine? Give the below a listen.   Forme Partners #BrandBuilding #GrowthStrategy #B2B #B2C #ExpertInsights

As part of #StressAwarenessWeek, it's important for all to reflect on the importance of managing stress in leadership roles. As one of the great people I lean on, Simon Belsham has been truly invaluable for us and our founders in sharing leadership lessons. His experiences and insights both here and in the US have been instrumental in helping shift the dial on how we think and approach leadership with our client teams.   Top 3 tips he lays out: ➖ Find ways of managing your bad days - teams need consistency in leadership ➖ Managing your energy - delegation is key ➖ Remain optimistic and realistic Give it a listen – if you're a Chair, CEO, Founder, or any future leader – perhaps you need to hear this today.   Forme Partners #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #CEO #Founders #ChiefPeopleOfficers 

Check out Kate's thoughts below on recent #HiringTrends 🇪🇺 🇺🇸

A timely post from me today... No, I’m not here to weigh in on the US election…but it’s got me thinking. Just last week in my company update, I flagged the continued/rising hiring trend we’ve been seeing at Forme Partners this year: a real surge of American talent flocking to the EU. With the US election happening today, it begs the question—will this trend hold, or will the US make moves to keep its top talent at home? Despite lower pay (which in our experience is becoming more of a level playing field) and a so-called “business-unfriendly” environment, the EU is a hotspot for seasoned US operators, drawn by the rise in unicorns and the promise of high-growth opportunities. It’s a fascinating shift, and as the election unfolds, I’ll be watching to see if Europe’s appeal continues to win over top talent or if the landscape shifts again. #TalentTrends #HighGrowthMarkets #CrossBorderOpportunities

Founders, what’s your playbook for global growth?   In our latest InForme series, Alexandar Vassilev, former CEO of WeTransfer, shares how the company scaled thoughtfully, even with 80 million users across 190 countries. Instead of rushing in, they evaluated each market’s fit, timing, and competitive landscape—proving that smart growth starts with asking the right questions.   Give the below a listen.   Forme Partners #ExpertInsights #SaaS #GrowthPlaybook #FounderConversations