Insights

Brussels Managing Director Anna Koj sits down with Steffen Ganders, Head of Global Public Affairs at German Bionic, to discuss what it means to build a PA function from the ground up, and the challenges that senior leaders face in bringing government relations and corporate affairs into fast-changing and agile organizations, as well as the role of PA in bringing innovative technologies to market and supporting growth in scale-up companies.

Breaking into the EU public affairs world may seem interesting as a young professional at the outset of your career. The players in this industry are often global leaders with aspirations of staying on top through excellence. Many young professionals, for instance, believe that taking the first step starts with a Bluebook or a Schuman traineeship. However, not all career paths look alike. Climbing the career steps in the EU Bubble can look different to everyone. One sure thing is the fact that the candidates who manage to secure their positions and grow in the “Bubble” will be the ones who understand it.

Breaking into the EU public affairs world may seem interesting as a young professional at the outset of your career. The players in this industry are often global leaders with aspirations of staying on top through excellence. Many young professionals, for instance, believe that taking the first step starts with a Bluebook or a Schuman […]

A look back on the highlights our Brussels - EU team delivered from 2022 to 2023, alongside continued international growth and all new insights on evolving topics in the field of recruitment, talent management, and strategic leadership in public affairs.

You recently joined Mavence to drive development across Belgium. Given your extensive background in Public Affairs, we’d love to dig deeper into how you see the field, and what kind of unique perspectives you bring.   Q: To start off, can you share some insights on the Belgian Public Affairs market in particular?   A: Of course. […]

Many commentators are already remarking on how 2024 is set to be an unprecedented year in global democracy. There is more than just institutional or political change on the horizon, however with cycles of political and professional turnover often mirroring each other. With approximately half the global population participating in elections, this colossal democratic exercise is also creating ripples across various sectors, notably in recruitment and hiring cycles. 

Many commentators are already remarking on how 2024 is set to be an unprecedented year in global democracy. With more than 4 billion people across 60 countries going to the polls in the next 12 months, the potential for change is high. The outcomes of these elections will be pivotal in determining the political priorities […]

In this interview, Mavence Brussels Managing Director Anna Koj sits down with Anna Holmberg, Head of EU office at SFIF - the Swedish Forest Industry Federation to discuss a range of topics reflecting unique perspectives on PA in Brussels and beyond, from diverse professional backgrounds in public affairs, different pathways into policy and engagement portfolios, and where public affairs fits within the broader ecosystem of social and business functions.

In our latest interview with senior leaders from across the Brussels Bubble and beyond, Mavence Managing Director Anna Koj sits down with Andrew Manasseh, Managing Director at Formative Communications and a leading practitioner and trainer, in a broad and insightful discussion on communications skillsets across sectors and organisational backgrounds, artificial intelligence (AI), and the intersection of both in EU affairs.

Career Development is taking on a new dimension in the workplace and in the context of long-term professional growth through dedicated coaching programmes. This trend is emerging not just in the “Brussels bubble” – an insight captured in the recent 2023 ESAE-Mavence joint leadership study – but across competitive and fast-moving professional ecosystems internationally, including key advocacy hubs. Individuals […]

This is probably a sentence we, as recruiters in Public Policy & Government Affairs, find ourselves saying at least once a week when asked the question “do I need to write a letter of motivation?” by candidates we’ve approached. From experience, most candidates find it reassuring and a source of confidence to know that we […]

Virtual interview featuring Nadim Hasbani, Head of Government Affairs at Microsoft UAE, in conversation with Mavence Global CEO Jason Descamps

Senior leaders from diverse backgrounds and across this field seem to share the belief that, beyond a certain level of seniority in their careers – usually “Director” titles and above – it is no longer their job to… well, find jobs. “If a company wants to hire someone like me, they should come talk to me” is a typical attitude that experienced consultants in the executive search industry will recognize as all too familiar from this kind of profile.

Part 2 of the discussion between Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO, and Anna Koj, Managing Director of Mavence Brussels.

Managing Director of Mavence Brussels Anna Koj sits down with Joost Vantomme, CEO of ERTICO, in this first of a two-part discussion.

What does work/life balance mean for Public Affairs professionals? What insights can you share?

“A high degree of flexibility” is an increasingly more important requirement when recruiting new employees. This is particularly the case for public affairs positions, and has been reinforced in recent years. Committee meeting dates cannot be influenced, as agendas are typically set by regulators or by the rules governing key working bodies, and across their […]

On November 22nd, Mavence, the executive search & talent solution firm specialized in public affairs, hosted a new virtual panel event across our Brussels and Paris offices featuring a high-level panel exchange on EU & national trends for the near future.

Discover our latest two-part interview, an insightful discussion between CEO of Trianon Scientific Communications & President of The Brussels Binder Audrey-Flore Ngomsik, and Managing Director of Mavence Brussels Anna Koj.

Discover our latest two-part interview, an insightful discussion between CEO of Trianon Scientific Communications & President of The Brussels Binder Audrey-Flore Ngomsik, and Managing Director of Mavence Brussels Anna Koj.

As we come out of the summer break, the Brussels public affairs job market remains as dynamic as ever. While an increased pace of talent turn-over sees organisations continuously trying to adapt, growing recruitment needs and evolving employee expectations add new layers of challenge and opportunity. And all the while, a new trend is taking […]

In this latest interview, Managing Director of Mavence Brussels Anna Koj sits down with Vidhya Sampath, Head of EU Corporate Affairs and Public Policy at TCS, for an in-depth, 2-part discussion on talent and leadership.

In this latest interview, Managing Director of Mavence Brussels Anna Koj sits down with Vidhya Sampath, Head of EU Corporate Affairs and Public Policy at TCS, for an in-depth, 2-part discussion on talent and leadership.

Our team of Mavens share what's on their summer reading list this year to help you relax, get inspired, and enjoy the weeks ahead.

In this latest interview, Mavence Senior Consultants Sergey Golyshin and Sebastien Bechara sit down with Eleonora Varntoumian, Health and Policy Manager at the European Cancer Patient Coalition and President of the European Health Parliament.

Mavence – 2022 competitiveness study – infographic report

On April 27, Mavence hosted senior organizational leaders from across the international public affairs sector for a virtual Executive Roundtable, focused on organisational leadership, talent management, and resilience during times of crisis.

Mavence Managing Director for Brussels, Anna Koj, sits down with Jelmen Haaze, Secretary General of the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil, in our latest installment from our interview series with senior organisational leadership and PA experts.

In the current and future job market, highly driven by candidates on the one hand and greatly impacted by increasing complexity of issues on the other, strategic recruitment is becoming an imperative for organisations not only to flourish but to survive. Failure to modernise and adapt talent structures and management practices will lead to the loss of a competitive edge in the short term, and an increasing inability to integrate and leverage new skills and perspectives from the broader job market. Ultimately, leadership needs to connect with talent at the intersection of these trends, or their organisations will struggle to thrive.

In the current and future job market, highly driven by candidates on the one hand and greatly impacted by increasing complexity of issues on the other, strategic recruitment is becoming an imperative for organisations not only to flourish but to survive. Failure to modernise and adapt talent structures and management practices will lead to the […]

Part 2 of the interview between Olivier Boutellis-Taft, CEO of Accountancy Europe, and Anna Koj, Managing Director Brussels at Mavence.

Anna Koj, Brussels Managing Director at Mavence, sits down with Olivier Boutellis-Taft, CEO of Accountancy Europe, in a two-part interview. In this first part, both discuss leadership in EU affairs, the importance of building bridges and two-way communication in advocacy, and combining technical expertise with values-based objectives.

At the start of 2022, Mavence Director Cynthia Fürste sat down with Secretary General of the European Open Science Cloud Association, Ute Gunsenheimer, for a brief but focused exchange on her experiences setting up an association and the challenges that public affairs professionals can face in building something from scratch.

The job market for public affairs has undergone significant change in recent years, as it has for many sectors since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. While many changes have been provoked or accentuated by the global pandemic – such as conversations around remote work or hybrid office arrangements – other trends and developments can […]

Chief Executive of the European Copper Institute (ECI) Bernard Respaut joins Mavence Managing Director for Brussels Anna Koj for a face to face interview on leadership, professional growth, and talent retention in a dynamically changing job market.

Since our global relaunch as Mavence in 2020, we've come a long way - from international recruitments across Europe and a new office in Paris, to community building and thought leadership, our team of Mavens has continued to grow as we look to open new doors for clients and talent alike.

Grace Nicola, Co-Founder of ABLED, the specialized consultancy firm specifically focused on helping disabled university students in search of employment, joins Anna Koj, Mavence Managing Director Brussels, for the latest interview on talent, inclusion, and mission-driven people management.

In his latest Insights article, Public Affairs Maven and Chairman of Mavence Forum Paul Adamson examines the evolving nature of the talent market in a post-Covid world, with a particular focus on shifting generational perspectives and what it means to feel connected and engaged in the workplace.

On September 30th, Mavence hosted senior organizational leaders from across the international public affairs sector for a virtual Executive Roundtable, focused on the evolving nature of work and the emerging trends and expectations that are remaking the talent landscape.

Whether it is a gradual evolution around changing policy priorities, or a sharp response to unforeseen crises, the legislative agenda and the PA talent market are deeply interconnected. Mavens Sergey Golyshin and Sebastien Bechara explore how cycles in one affect the other, and how organisations have responded over recent years to changing needs and circumstances.

It is no mystery that the political agenda in Brussels, as in many capitals, works in cycles. While the nature of the EU is such that these policy cycles tend towards longer time horizons than is common at the national or local levels, they are integral to the focus of the institutions and European decisions […]

In this article, Mavence talent finder and newest member of the team Clara Jorgensen shares her reflections on early experiences in executive search, the changing nature of recruitment, and what makes talent a dynamic field in the current public affairs ecosystem.

Modern executive search is a multifaceted field, and one with much more complexity than may originally meet the eye. While many traditional recruitment firms continue to subscribe to an HR-centric “master of one” methodology, a Maven headhunter needs to have more than just a working knowledge not only of the “human” side of identifying talent […]

In this episode of the Persuaders Podcast, hosted by Anders Kopp Jensen and presented by ULobby, Anders talks with Anna Koj, Managing Director for Mavence in Brussels, on the headhunters perspective on the state of Public Affairs and how 1) the demand for PA pros is increasing and many are currently being approached, especially from consultancies, 2) due to COVID-19 some PA pros in Brussels have moved back to their home countries and now want to stay there, 3) COVID-19 has changed some of the skills in demand - maybe for the better, with a bit more openness to diversity, as well as how PA pros are working closer to the C-suite and what this requires from the modern PA pro.

On May 27th, Mavence hosted senior organizational leaders from across the international public affairs sector for a virtal Executive Roundtable, focused on leadership, management, engagement, and team culture during and after Covid-19. Held under Chatham House rules, the collected insights and key takeaways from the discussion capture valuable lessons learned from diverse corners of the industry.

In the latest two-part interview from Mavence, Managing Director for Brussels Anna Koj and Director Cynthia Fürste sit down virtually with Agnes Uhereczky, Executive Director of the WorkLife HUB, to discuss mental health and well-being, employee engagement, organizational transformation, and growth with an eye on the pandemic and on the future.

In the latest two-part interview from Mavence, Managing Director for Brussels Anna Koj and Director Cynthia Fürste sit down virtually with Agnes Uhereczky, Executive Director of the WorkLife HUB, to discuss mental health and well-being, employee engagement, organizational transformation, and growth with an eye on the pandemic and on the future.

Interview with Dr. Seán Byrne, President of the 6th edition of the European Health Parliament Conducted by Sergey Golyshin, Mavence Consultant   *** Sergey Golyshin: The 6th edition of the EHP took place during an particularly difficult and unique moment – in the midst of a global pandemic. What motivated you to get involved, and […]

It has been more than a year since the global Covid-19 pandemic disrupted both our habits and our assumptions centered on professional life. The consequences have been far-reaching and few features or former fixtures have gone untouched, if any. At the intersection of work and people, talent management has been particularly impacted, as every change […]

Nearly one year on from the beginning of the pandemic, our international public affairs network reflects on the way in which our personal and professional practices and expectations have changed day to day: discover what nearly 300 people across diverse sectors and levels of seniority have said about motivation and performance in times of crisis.

Measuring Public Affairs 2020: Study Launch & Panel Webinar Introductory Remarks by Anna Koj, Managing Director Brussels Moderated by Paul Adamson, Chairman - Mavence Forum Panel: Jill Craig, Managing Director - Hume Brophy Erik Jonneart, Special Advisor Transport & Mobility - FIPRA Mike Morrissey, CEO - European Cancer Organisation; Board Member, European Society of Association Executives (ESAE) David Earnshaw, Associate Vice President - MSD

Mavence is proud to present its Measuring Public Affairs 2020 Study Report, capturing cross-sectional perspectives and front-line insights on how advocacy is practiced, measured, evaluated, challenged, and improved from senior Public Affairs executives working at EU level and beyond. To receive your copy of the full study report, please fill out this quick request form […]

Mavence Director Cynthia Fürste and Paul Adamson, Chairman of Mavence Forum, discuss the year ahead and some of the key geopolitical issues to watch in 2021, including the newly inaugurated Biden administration in the U.S., global action against climate change, China, and shifting relationships within - and beyond - Europe post-Brexit.