dnd consulting china - Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce

F C C C M E M B E R S ’ P O R T R A I T
IN CHINA
DECEMBER 2009
DND CONSULTING CHINA: CONVINCING BRIGHT
MINDS TO MAKE A CLEVER CAREER MOVE
Finding that special person
DND Consulting China is an executive search
firm with offices in Beijing and Shanghai. It
specialises in finding managers and highly
skilled professionals and convincing them to
join one of DND Consulting’s customers. The
company has four partners, three Chinese
and one Belgian, the Managing Partner Christophe
Ruyssen. “The fact that I am a partner
of the firm makes it ideal for Flemish companies
looking to attract top managers. Flemish
companies are not that well known in the
world market, so sometimes it takes some
persuasion to convince executives, managers
and skilled technicians to make an important
career move and join one. Our track record
proves we are up to the task, as the many
Flemish companies we have worked with can
attest,” said Christophe Ruyssen.
Ruyssen discreetly declined to name his firm’ clients, as that information has to remain confidential.
Many of DND Consulting China’s clients are already established in China and have their own Human
Resources Department. So why are they not hiring staff themselves? Ruyssen explained that “HR
directors or managers have far more pressing tasks than hiring staff and usually focus on promoting
the respective corporate culture in their Chinese subsidiaries. They are not specialists at searching for
top personnel. We can assist them. We have managed to find the right person in a matter of days or
weeks in cases where the HR manager had been looking for years, without any success”.
“Say you need a Chinese national with an internationally acknowledged PhD in physics who is a
specialist in particle acceleration. Such persons do exist, but there are not that many. The extensive
network of contacts that we have built up and our experience in executive search since DND Consulting
was founded in 1997 enable us to quickly find potential candidates anywhere in the world. A
global search may be necessary since the Chinese diaspora is so large”.
Making a decisive career move
Finding potential candidates to fill a position at a company is just the first step. Christophe Ruyssen
explained: “The people in question already have a promising job in a well-known company. They will
not move unless you convince them that doing so will benefit their career. Inter-cultural knowledge is
very important. You need to be capable of understanding what might be important to them and then
tip the balance in favour of a move to another company. Carefully explaining Flanders’ economic importance
and high technical standing in Europe and the world, step by step, gives candidates a very
different perspective”.
Commitment to getting the job done is very important to DND Consulting. As Ruyssen went on, “if
necessary we will put one of our employees on a plane on Friday evening to meet a busy prospective
candidate in the lounge of an airport in another city, and he will be back in the office on Monday morning.
There are not many human resources managers who would be willing to make that extra effort,
but if you do, things can move pretty fast and the desired result is within reach”.
FCCC Members’ Portrait in China No 14, December 2009
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One of the first executive search firms in China
DND Consulting China was established in 1997 by alumni of the University of International Business
and Economics, a top Chinese university in Beijing. At the time it was one of the first executive search
firms in China. Christophe Ruyssen joined the firm in 2002, first as an intern, but went on to become a
partner. He emphasises that the company charges competitive Chinese-level fees for its services, giving
it an edge over its international competitors pricewise. The executive search sector has developed
very fast since the company was established. The kind of personnel it seeks for its client companies
include general managers, heads of research and development centres, chief financial officers (CFOs),
mainly in sectors such as steel, electronics, energy and finance. The firm’s clients range from relatively
small companies to the largest multinationals. Although mainland China is the main market served by
DND Consulting China, the company has also sought and found personnel for posts based in Hong
Kong and Singapore.
The skills required by an executive searcher
According to Christophe Ruyssen, a range of skills and capabilities is required to do a good job as
an executive searcher and contact, select and convince potential candidates. “Firstly, you need to
have a thorough knowledge of the industrial sectors concerned. Secondly, you need to have a feeling
for what potential candidates might be thinking and what they consider to be important. You also
need advanced cultural sensibilities. If you are dealing with Chinese people who have been educated
abroad and are returning to mainland China, you must understand any potential problems and pitfalls.
Finally, you will also be well-advised to convince candidates’ future employers to make cross-cultural
efforts to integrate their new employee. Cross-cultural understanding needs to be encouraged from
both sides. It is very important to approach candidates the right way, as this is part of the client company’s
reputation on the human resources market.”
“Our firm has been in existence for 12 years now, so our database includes the names of many potential
candidates. We have helped large numbers of satisfied candidates to take a major step forward in
their career and can always ask them for recommendations“.
Christophe Ruyssen then added: “We pride ourselves on acting ethically, as this is beneficial to our
clients’ human resources reputation”.
The worst of the crisis is over
With the exception of its clients in the financial sector in Shanghai, DND Consulting has not felt much
negative impact from the global economic crisis. The worst period was from the end of last year to the
beginning of this year, said Ruyssen: “The crisis would now appear to be over in the executive search
sector – except in the financial institutions, where recruitment has slowed. We are still very busy. Most
of our clients contact us after receiving recommendations from others whom we have already assisted,
so we are not worried about competition from large executive search firms”.
Chinese employees: equal treatment and trust
Christophe Ruyssen’s main recommendation for foreign companies investing in China is to treat
Chinese staff as equals and to trust them. “Chinese employees are expected to adapt to the corporate
culture of the foreign company. Foreign employers should also make a continuous effort to bridge
the cultural gap (e.g. learn some Chinese and something about China’s history and get acquainted
with China’s many different provinces and regions). Expats should be aware that
their English pronunciation is sometimes difficult to understand, so they should be
prepared to explain a bit. Foreign investors should also stay alert and pro-active,
capable of reacting quickly. The Chinese economy is like a pressure cooker. House
prices are rising very fast and cars are replacing bicycles, making China the world’s
largest automotive market. It is hardly surprising that the expectations of potential
employees are also rising, and this should be taken on board when evaluating human
resources.”
DND Consulting’s Flemish partner in China
Christophe Ruyssen (48) joined DND Consulting in 2002. He studied law in Rotterdam
and sinology in Leiden. He started his professional career at Alcatel-Bell in
Antwerp and joined its team in China in 1991. He also took a one-year course at the
University of International Business and Economics. He left the telecom company
in 1996, but stayed on in China to seek other opportunities. He ultimately joined the
Kredietbank in Brussels and was briefly based in Dublin, before returning to China to
join DND Consulting.
FCCC Members’ Portrait in China No 14, December 2009
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Ruyssen first visited China 31 years ago on a family visit (his mother is from China, his father is from
Ghent). He has now lived in the country for many years, which has given him a deep cultural understanding
essential in the executive search field. He is fluent in Mandarin.
Christophe Ruyssen’s wife is Chinese. The couple has a son…and no plans to leave China.
Christophe Ruyssen’s favourites
Christophe’s favourite book on China is ‘Three Kingdoms’, a famous Chinese historical novel set in
AD 160 and written by Luo Guanzhong in the 14th century. The book has been translated by Moss
Roberts.
His favourite restaurant is Ba Xiansheng (Mr Eight), whose name is a reference to the Chinese zodiac
where the sheep is in the eighth position. It is a restaurant chain that specialises in serving Mongol hot
pots, where diners can order razor-thin slices of lean meat and an endless variety of vegetables to boil
in the hotpot.
Christophe Ruyssen’s favourite place is Shanghai Century Park, a green oasis with lakes and a tremendous
variety of trees, close to the Maglev Line and Shanghai’s financial centre, Lujiazui.
Contact information
Christophe Ruyssen, Managing Partner
DND Consulting China
C-1206, Yihe Yangguang Plaza; #12 East Tu Cheng Road, Chaoyang District; 1001013 Beijing
Tel: +86-10-8454 0417; fax: +86-10-6466 7091
E-mail: chris.ruyssen@dndchina.com
Website: www.dndchina.com
FCCC Members’ Portrait in China No 14, December 2009
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FCCC Members’ Portrait in China No 14, December 2009
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