At Beyond Borders Consulting we offer unparalleled expertise and experience in executive search and business advisory in the emerging markets.
Beyond Borders Consulting is a boutique service based in Paris, London, Istanbul and Johannesburg, with our expert consultants in these jurisdictions anchoring our presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
What differentiates us is our deep knowledge of complex emerging markets, where issues such as corruption, economic sanctions and security concerns can create exceptionally challenging business environments.
Years of experience in these jurisdictions have allowed us to develop an unprecedented network of contacts on the ground, providing an in-depth appreciation of the intricate workings of these markets. This knowledge enables us to truly understand our clients’ needs and how they operate in these countries, allowing us to help them identify the right people and partners discreetly, accurately and efficiently.
Developing the correct staff and skill mix in an organisation is only one aspect of achieving sustainable growth. The other is entering new markets and steadily growing the company’s footprint, reach and influence. We help our clients successfully achieve these objectives by identifying legal and ethical opportunities in new markets, and by developing sound strategies that maximise these prospects. Our extensive local knowledge informs our expert analysis and insight in this regard, enabling clients to expand their operations in line with their existing company aspirations, values and purpose.
This knowledge further underpins our understanding of both the nuances of operating in foreign markets as well as the innate workings of particular sectors in these regions. This allows us to identify reliable distribution partners, and to advise on a broad range of commercial and strategic issues within the countries we operate.
For businesses looking to expand into Europe, the Middle East or Africa, our specialised senior advisors at Beyond Borders Consulting offer a comprehensive range of professional services.
We help our clients build sustainable, growth-focused businesses in emerging markets, while empowering people in these communities to achieve their aspirations.
Our exclusive, on-the-ground network of highly trained professionals with extensive emerging market experience differentiates us.
Our ability to intuitively place the best talent; to conceptualise the most robust new market entry strategies; and to forge the strongest distributor partner introductions defines us.
And our inherent desire to empower local communities drives us.
This is what makes Beyond Borders Consulting different.
Why Beyond Borders Consulting? Quite simply, because we solve challenges in complex emerging markets
We have extensive experience operating in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and a solid track record of success in some of the most complex markets, including Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
We have a comprehensive network of reliable, trusted professionals working on the ground across these regions. This provides us with a constant source of current information in these jurisdictions, informing our insights and underpinning our strategies for maximum success.
We work tirelessly to assist our clients in growing their businesses, and are relentless in our pursuit of achieving excellence in every project we undertake. To this end we proudly boast an outstanding track record, with our executive search services having a 100% success rate and Beyond Borders Consulting enjoying a repeat business rate in excess of 90%.
Beyond Borders Consulting was founded on the premise of not merely operating in emerging markets, but having a positive impact on these countries as well.
With our entire executive team having extensive emerging market experience, there was a prevailing awareness of the dire need to do more than just assist and grow these regions’ corporate structures. We saw the incredible work being done by local NGOs and everyday citizens to improve the world around them, and wanted to be part of this proactive and constructive social investment.
Today we support charities in war-torn areas like Syria and support NGOs at the frontlines of protecting endangered species.
Most rewarding has been the opportunity for Beyond Borders Consulting staff to personally give their time, knowledge and expertise to empower and inspire others. Through workshops hosted in local communities, we assist graduates with mapping their entry into the world of business, from compiling effective CVs and preparing for interviews to business mentorship.
We use our expertise in executive search at board level to network across blue-chip companies and find exceptional mentors for young people, giving them a head start on their professional journey. We work with our clients in this endeavour, who generously offer up their office space as workshop venues.
Through this initiative, we have had the privilege of seeing young adults – some of whom are the first in their family to graduate from university – go on to do great things.
Ultimately, we don’t just want to just help, we want to make a difference. Because we truly believe that empowering others to help themselves creates real change.
For our tight-knit team, open communication and collaboration are at the heart of what we do. So, when the time came to articulate our company values, rather than have one senior partner dictate our team’s values, we chose to collaborate as a team. It quickly became apparent that we were already on the same page about our beliefs and goals in our dealings with clients and colleagues.
Committed to being ethical operators, who act with integrity and professionalism at all times
Loyal to our clients, who empower us to achieve the best for them through putting their trust and faith in us
Discreet and disciplined in how we approach each assignment entrusted to us
Humble but industrious, like the honey bee that represents our company
Firmly focused on working in collegiate partnership to benefit the community as a whole
There’s an energy about emerging markets found nowhere else in the world; an energy that often defies traditional business boundaries.
At Beyond Borders Consulting we thrive on this energy. As an agile, responsive organisation with extensive experience and a strong on-the-ground presence in eastern Europe, the middle east and Africa, we have our finger firmly on its pulse.
This allows us to gather accurate market insights and determine positive opportunities in identifying high-calibre executive talent, advising businesses on sustainable growth prospects, and investigating and facilitating reliable distribution partnerships.
It also enables us to help our clients navigate the challenges that come with operating in or entering these uncharted territories, including working within political, geographical and societal constructs.
We are truly rooted in the local communities of the emerging markets we service, it also informs our approach towards empowering people.
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FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GLOBAL STRATEGY ADVISOR
SENIOR ADVISOR
BOARD MEMBER
SENIOR ADVISOR
Beyond Borders Consulting was founded on the premise of not merely operating in emerging markets, but having a positive impact on these countries as well.
The world’s largely over-saturated developed markets are increasingly forcing multinationals to look to emerging countries to bolster revenues. Brazil, China and numerous African markets are all on the radar…
Relocating to newer pastures to boost your career prospects is
The East African market has attracted high volumes of investment
3 rue de Grenelle, 75006 Paris France
No 1, Palace Gate, London W8 5LS United Kingdom
No 30 Baltalimanı Caddesi, Lalezar D2, Baltalimanı, Sarıyer 34470 Istanbul Turkey
Epsom Downs Office Park, No13 Sloane Street 2019 Bryanston South Africa
Globally renowned luxury group successfully introduced to an African distribution partner with distribution capability in Francophone and Central Africa.
Advised an SME on talent strategy & succession planning. Subsequently conducted a pan EMEA talent mapping exercise.
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Country Manager identified for a leading cosmetics group
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Business transformation conducted for an SME
Executive Search mandates
Executive Search mandates
Lagos
Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola & Madagascar
Johannesburg
Cape Town
Executive Search mandates
Africa expansion strategy for an Industrial Services Company. Conducted strategic market research and country visits to African states for an industrial services company.
Deeply passionate about the emerging markets, Eylem has built her career on delivering first-class services to clients across the globe, most notably in Turkey, the CIS countries, the Middle East and Africa. Years of partnering with global powerhouses have provided her with unparalleled experience in some of the world’s most complex countries, augmenting her first-hand knowledge of, and enhancing her proficient skills in working at board and executive levels in these markets.
This strong executive background combined with her love for the emerging markets prompted Eylem to establish Beyond Borders Consulting, with the idea of bringing together high calibre people to work, and make a tangible difference in developing countries.
Central to her way of working is the belief that local cultural, political and economic knowledge is vital to ensuring the best hire for her clients. She invests considerable time and resources in gaining hands-on experience within the territories she operates, which in the past have included Iran, Russia, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. This invaluable local knowledge connects her to an ever-expanding network of current, market-leading talent.
For Eylem, having a positive impact on emerging markets is a crucial facet of her work. To this end she uses her specialist expertise to train and mentor talented young individuals within the communities she works – many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. She is also an avid champion of women in business, holding regular networking events and using her influence with her clients to achieve meaningful change.
Hesham is a highly skilled business leader with deep-rooted experience in the competitive environments of Southern and West Africa as well as Eastern Europe. His powerful strategic focus, inherent entrepreneurial thinking and ability to proficiently manage complex business scenarios in equally complex markets have driven his success in working with distributors and establishing sustainable new businesses.
Having been with the L’Oreal Group for more than 20 years in a number of board-level assignments, Hesham has developed a solid solutions-driven approach to business. This is fuelled by his innate curiosity; determination to explore, unpack and solve complicated challenges; and venture into uncharted territories.
As the Head of Business Advisory, he advises our clients on a range of strategic growth issues, including new market entry strategies; acquisition target identification; commercial and marketing activities; and supply chain and operations. He is also instrumental in conducting technical interviews with candidates, and facilitating distribution partnership introductions on behalf of our clients.
In addition to these advisory roles, Hesham is currently engaged in the development of several start-ups and micro enterprises in a diversity of fields ranging from traditional FMCG to micro finance.
Guy was a member of the Executive Committee of the global Danone Waters Division for 10 years, as Regional Vice President Europe Middle-East Local Sources & Development Director Africa for Waters, and previously as Chief Marketing Officer of the Waters Division. He has been a General Manager at various levels for 20 years.
As Global Strategy Advisor, Guy advises our clients on their growth strategies, such as new market / new category entry strategies, brand innovation, route to market optimisation initiatives, as well as identifying acquisition or investment targets. He combines top-level business expertise and pragmatic, hands-on field experience. He understands cultural differences and their implications. Together with his high level of integrity and gravitas, this enables him to create meaningful business options for clients, and deliver tangible results.
He is also a member of the Executive Search team and actively delivers on board-level assignments.
In private, Guy has a keen interest in history of France and of the Middle-East, in geopolitics and in great French wines. He is married to a psychoanalyst. He lives in France and Italy.
Kanayo is one of our Senior Advisors, responsible for new market strategies, acquisition target identification and advising on private equity planning.
An experienced executive with multi-geography expertise in leading consumer businesses, Kanayo is well versed in strategy, start-up, multi-channel sales, marketing, and operations and transformation.
He demonstrates a rare and unique mix of both strategic and operational capabilities. This is evident in his strong marketing, commercial, finance and consulting abilities combined with his inherent skill to quickly adapt as a pioneer business leader in complex, emerging, culturally diverse and highly competitive markets.
Kanayo has significant emerging markets experience, specifically in the consumer goods sector. This is largely due to his 12+ year tenure in the L’Oreal Group in various leadership posts, including as GM of the Consumer Products Division for Sub-Saharan Africa.
His positions in top global growth, venture and capital companies have also evinced a sound knowledge and understanding of the private equity sector.
Thomas is a Paris-based lawyer who joined Beyond Borders Consulting’s Board of Directors in September 2017. He heads up the white-collar crime practice of a magic circle law firm in France. Thomas predominantly acts in criminal and administrative investigations, representing individuals and companies facing allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption, money laundering, and other types of offences. Thomas also assists clients in pre-contentious and litigation matters in civil and commercial law.
Thomas has advised numerous clients on how to safely operate in emerging markets where risks of corruption and bribery are high. Through his experience, Thomas is able to advise Beyond Borders Consulting’s management on a wide range of issues from legal requirements faced by the company around the world to strategic advice on its future development.
Koos is a business improvement specialist with extensive experience in formulating and implementing innovative and practical business solutions for organisations across a wide range of industries.
His background in chemical engineering combined with strong business acumen provide him with the unique ability to simplify complex challenges into workable solutions.
He has achieved significant success in managing multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams in world-leading FMCG, mining and financial services organisations in both developed and developing markets.
As a Senior Advisor, Koos is able to effortlessly transform our clients’ strategic visions into clear, detailed implementation plans that deliver results.
As one of our Senior Advisors, Mark focuses on the beauty sector. With over 25 years’ experience of working with some of the world’s best-known mid-range and luxury brands, Mark has a successful track record of business and brand development. As a person who seizes opportunities and sees possibilities that may not be obvious, he has achieved substantial revenue turnaround. Taking an omni-channel approach, he works in close partnership with a range of actors, including spas, hotels, department stores and brand stores.
Animated by a passion for driving product innovation and boosting performance, Mark strives to give companies the brands and products that create a meaningful connection with the self-conscious consumer of the twenty-first century – something that he achieves by striking a balance between B2B and B2C sales. Having lived and worked on all continents, Mark values culturally diverse teams and has a vast business network across EMEA, Canada and Asia.
In his spare time, Mark appreciates art, wine and cooking, and has a keen interest in classic and modern cars. In addition to business journeys, Mark is an avid traveller privately as well and enjoys encountering new countries and cultures.
Henri is an accomplished Management Consultant with his success founded in his work ethic discipline and in-depth applied knowledge of improvement methodologies. His unique ability to lead and manage teams has been gained over 25 years as a Management Consultant. Through his tenacious attitude, applying experience and knowledge, practical sustainable improvements are implemented.
Henri holds a National Higher Diploma in Industrial Engineering. He joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research after completing his in-service training and working in industry for several years, during which time he also worked as an associate consultant with well-known Management Consultant firms.
This was the start of a career focusing on continuous improvement. During this time the revolution in improvement and management methodologies gained momentum. Being part of the research council, Henri was exposed and contributed to the development of improvement methodologies.
After his time at the CSIR Henri worked with numerous consulting firms within the improvement field and over the next 17 years conducted projects for his own and for other consultants’ client base. The focus had always remained on practical sustainable improvement. In two instances during the 17 years Henri returned to the corporate environment:
In 2019 Henri took up an assignment to bring an African organization to world class standards
Dilan heads up the research and business intelligence function at Beyond Borders Consulting and has facilitated a number of local and cross border C-Suite and board level assignments. Especially excited by the automotive sector, she has experience across a wide range of industries ranging from FMCG and building materials to the financial industry.
Prior to joining the firm, Dilan spent the majority of her career in the legal sphere working with both corporate and private clients. Motivated by the technical detail in her work, Dilan also enjoys engaging with people from different cultures and backgrounds. She brings passion and a wealth of commercial knowledge to her role.
