Global Connectivity and Leadership with Heart: Highlights from the 2026 Kestria Global Conference in Singapore
The global executive search industry is undergoing significant change, driven by a shifting technological environment and a growing demand for authentic human leadership. To examine these developments, delegates from six continents gathered in Singapore for the 2026 Kestria Global Conference, organized around the theme “Beyond Growth: Leading with Authenticity. Building with Trust.” The three-day event illustrated how boutique search firms can use global connectivity, shared sector expertise, and strong client relationships to provide valuable services to clients across markets.
Day One: Establishing Global
Expansion through Trusted Partnerships
The conference began with a welcome address by Katerina Meimaroglou, President of the Kestria Executive Board, who outlined the direction of the event. While highlighting Kestria’s commitment to expanding its international presence and maintaining quality standards, the alliance formally welcomed its newest member firm from Kestria Portugal, represented by Joao Miguel Antunes.
The first plenary session, From Hire to High Performer, Key Insights from Hogan’s Global Leadership Effectiveness Study, introduced conference partner Hogan Assessments. This session examined how data-based personality and leadership frameworks assist consultants in assessing candidate risk and long-term cultural alignment.
The day concluded with an Asia Pacific member panel titled Trusted Advisory: Executive Search in Asia Pacific, led by Monicca Yan. The discussion placed global search methods within the cultural and economic context of the Asia Pacific region.
Day Two: Strategic Operations and the Role of Authenticity
The second day focused on the operational and strategic structures required to sustain the alliance over time. Stepan Motejzik, Global Alliance Director, opened the morning with Kestria 2030: Strategy Building Blocks, presenting a roadmap for the coming years. This was followed by an interactive session organised by the Cross-border Business Development Task Force,
Enhancing Cross-border Business: Rise of New Concepts, which introduced updated approaches to cross-border talent acquisition.
Following a practice group session, Strengthening Our Vertical Expertise, led by Global Practice Leaders, and an operations update from technology partner Ezekia, the afternoon featured a client event titled The Power of Being Authentic: The Currency of Modern Leadership.
Two keynote presentations were delivered during this session. Steven McKinney (Kestria South Korea) presented Proactive Agility: Leading with Foresight and Authenticity in a Changing World, in which he introduced the 72-Hour Agility Sprint Blueprint. Norman Chua followed with The Authenticity Advantage: Being Real is No Longer an Option, arguing that vulnerability and transparency have shifted from soft skills to commercially significant attributes.
Day Three: Recognising Excellence and Future Direction
The final day opened with a session titled Beyond Growth: The Moments That Define Us, in which selected alliance members shared personal accounts of resilience and leadership. Attention then turned to organisational infrastructure, where the global team introduced the upcoming Kestria Communications Plan and Kestria Web Templates 2.0, presented by Global Operations Manager Irena Galova. The new templates, scheduled for release in late May 2026, are intended to unify the digital identity of member firms.
Following an afternoon discussion exploring the relationship between technology and human judgement, the conference concluded with the presentation of the Kestria Excellence Awards by Katerina Meimaroglou, recognising notable contributions across the network. The Executive Board also announced that the 2027 Kestria Global Conference will be held from 19–21 May 2027 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Conclusion
The 2026 Kestria Global Conference in Singapore highlighted that the executive search industry is being shaped by stronger global collaboration and a renewed focus on authentic leadership. The discussions across the three days showed that, while international growth remains important, the lasting value of boutique search firms lies in combining global reach with trust-based client relationships. The announcement of the 2027 conference in Rio de Janeiro reflects the alliance’s continued commitment to leadership grounded in trust rather than scale alone.
Team CnetG
The global executive search industry is undergoing significant change, driven by a shifting technological environment and a growing demand for authentic human leadership. To examine these developments, delegates from six continents gathered in Singapore for the 2026 Kestria Global Conference, organized around the theme “Beyond Growth: Leading with Authenticity. Building with Trust.” The three-day event illustrated how boutique search firms can use global connectivity, shared sector expertise, and strong client relationships to provide valuable services to clients across markets.
Day One: Establishing Global
Expansion through Trusted Partnerships
The conference began with a welcome address by Katerina Meimaroglou, President of the Kest
Kestria Executive Board, who outlined the direction of the event. While highlighting Kestria’s commitment to expanding its international presence and maintaining quality standards, the alliance formally welcomed its newest member firm from Kestria Portugal, represented by Joao Miguel Antunes.
The first plenary session, From Hire to High Performer, Key Insights from Hogan’s Global Leadership Effectiveness Study, introduced conference partner Hogan Assessments. This session examined how data-based personality and leadership frameworks assist consultants in assessing candidate risk and long-term cultural alignment.
The day concluded with an Asia Pacific member panel titled Trusted Advisory: Executive Search in Asia Pacific, led by Monicca Yan. The discussion placed global search methods within the cultural and economic context of the Asia Pacific region
Day Two: Strategic Operations and the Role of Authenticity
The second day focused on the operational and strategic structures required to sustain the alliance over time. Stepan Motejzik, Global Alliance Director, opened the morning with Kestria 2030: Strategy Building Blocks, presenting a roadmap for the coming years. This was followed by an interactive session organised by the Cross-border Business Development Task Force,
Enhancing Cross-border Business: Rise of New Concepts, which introduced updated approaches to cross-border talent acquisition.
Following a practice group session, Strengthening Our Vertical Expertise, led by Global Practice Leaders, and an operations update from technology partner Ezekia, the afternoon featured a client event titled The Power of Being Authentic: The Currency of Modern Leadership.
Two keynote presentations were delivered during this session. Steven McKinney (Kestria South Korea) presented Proactive Agility: Leading with Foresight and Authenticity in a Changing World, in which he introduced the 72-Hour Agility Sprint Blueprint. Norman Chua followed with The Authenticity Advantage: Being Real is No Longer an Option, arguing that vulnerability and transparency have shifted from soft skills to commercially significant attributes.
Day Three: Recognising Excellence and Future Direction
The final day opened with a session titled Beyond Growth: The Moments That Define Us, in which selected alliance members shared personal accounts of resilience and leadership. Attention then turned to organisational infrastructure, where the global team introduced the upcoming Kestria Communications Plan and Kestria Web Templates 2.0, presented by Global Operations Manager Irena Galova. The new templates, scheduled for release in late May 2026, are intended to unify the digital identity of member firms.
Following an afternoon discussion exploring the relationship between technology and human judgement, the conference concluded with the presentation of the Kestria Excellence Awards by Katerina Meimaroglou, recognising notable contributions across the network. The Executive Board also announced that the 2027 Kestria Global Conference will be held from 19–21 May 2027 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Conclusion
The 2026 Kestria Global Conference in Singapore highlighted that the executive search industry is being shaped by stronger global collaboration and a renewed focus on authentic leadership. The discussions across the three days showed that, while international growth remains important, the lasting value of boutique search firms lies in combining global reach with trust-based client relationships. The announcement of the 2027 conference in Rio de Janeiro reflects the alliance’s continued commitment to leadership grounded in trust rather than scale alone.
Team CnetG