Abhishek Vats new Middle East leader of Sheffield Haworth

International human capital professional services firm Sheffield Haworth has installed a new leader for its Middle East operation.

Abhishek Vats has been serving Sheffield Haworth for nearly six years in its Dubai office, and has now been handed responsibility for leading the local office. 

Globally, Sheffield Haworth has over 140 professionals based in 12 offices. The firm, established in London in 1993, provides three areas of service: executive search, leadership and talent development, and human capital consulting services, serving clients including publicly listed companies, corporates, private equity groups as well as professional services organisations.

Vats brings over a decade of experience to the reins, having previously served Heidrick & Struggles in its Financial Services wing, an executive search firm in India and data analytics consultancy. He specialises in executive search, focused on (senior) leaders in the financial services space, in particular institutional investors, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, and private equity firms.

According to Alex Cormack, Group Managing Director at Sheffield Haworth, Vats’ promotion signals the “tremendous efforts made by Abhishek” over the past period including navigating a challenging landscape amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Although we have experienced challenging times recently,” admitted Vats, “I am confident that as we move through 2021, the landscape will continue to improve. I am looking forward to working with the team to bring new solutions to our clients and continuing to strengthen our relationships across the region.” 

In related news in the region, rival Russell Reynolds Associates last month installed Matthew Lewis as Head of its Dubai office, while the already crowded market saw a new player – US-based ZRG – enter the scene.

Meanwhile, in the US, Sheffield Haworth last month welcomed Georgina Harley to its ranks, a former partner at Mercer. She joined the firm’s Executive Management Committee and is responsible for driving growth in the consulting arena.