We are pleased to welcome Ann de Grave to the Borderless team as an executive search consultant. Ann joined us on 5 October and brings considerable experience in shaping organisations, leaders and cultures across many markets and industries to our global executive search work.
Ann is a respected international business and people leader. She has held senior roles at HEINEKEN, Tetra Pak, Borealis and other international companies, working where business strategy, people, culture and organisational performance meet. Her geographical experience covers North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, the UK, Russia, Africa and the Middle East. Having lived and worked in Austria, Turkey, the UAE, the Netherlands and Belgium, she understands the cultural, commercial and organisational forces that shape international businesses and the people who lead them.
This experience has shaped Ann’s understanding of how business strategy translates into organisational capability, how leadership requirements change as a business evolves, and why the right combination of experience, mindset and leadership style is central to sustainable performance.
“I have always believed that bringing together people with different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences leads to stronger teams, better decisions and better results,” said Ann. “What has interested me most in business is people: why some leaders thrive in a particular environment, how they make a difference, and what sets them apart when an organisation is going through change. I am delighted to bring that experience and curiosity to executive search at Borderless.”
“Ann brings a rare breadth of business, organisational and people experience, and her understanding of our sectors will make a real difference for our clients,” said Els De Cremer, Founding Partner and Managing Director of Borderless. “Her energy and curiosity are exactly what this work demands. We are pleased that she has chosen to add her experience to our 25 years in executive search, and we are confident she will bring the same leadership to this role that she showed for many years as an industry executive.”
We began with a line from one of our conversations: “If leaders do not like the speed today, they may not like what comes next.” We do not see that pace slowing down. Experience still matters, obviously. The more useful question is which kinds of experience prepare someone for problems nobody has faced before.
Modern workplace demands require leaders to continuously update their skills rather than rely on past successes. Artificial intelligence and organizational complexity mean leadership effectiveness is not a permanent achievement. According to Microsoft and Zenger Folkman research, leaders face significant penalties for lacking digital fluency.
While nearly a quarter of employers say they consider AI fluency an unrewarded baseline skill, the majority of workers disagree. More than half of the employees surveyed by compensation software company Payscale said they should earn more for developing AI skills, according to a recent report.
