+43 664 915 00 42DE
Julian Maly and Wolfgang Hank of fortalent in conversation in front of a glass wall

Personality makes the difference

In HR, what ultimately counts is access to very different kinds of people. That is why we combine more than 25 years of experience in personnel search and candidate selection with an innovative mindset.

We are fortalent

With a small, well-connected and highly committed team of proven experts, we deliver successful placements and Strategic Recruiting Advisory from our offices in Vienna, Munich and Zurich – for mid-market companies, scale-ups, family businesses, institutional clients and investment holdings. Our advisory approach is pragmatic, and we build long-term relationships with clients and candidates alike.

We combine more than 25 years of experience in personnel search and candidate selection with a strong affinity for innovative tools and methods. The result is a sound understanding of what different target groups and generations expect, and of how to approach candidates at every level of seniority. We are at home searching for personalities with a long track record – and just as committed to young professionals with high potential for development within the company.

In our business, access to people is what counts – to clients, partners and candidates. Our values are shaped by a positive view of people. We analyse thoroughly and, where needed, go several rounds – while remaining aware of how difficult it is to judge people on the basis of relatively brief encounters. Just as the foundations of assessment keep evolving, so do the rules of job interviews. Partnership, mutual respect and transparency have made us a long-standing, trusted point of contact for many candidates.

As open-minded, curious people, we are enthusiastic about the possibilities of the digital world and use new technologies in our own day-to-day work. We actively break new ground in application processes, screening tools and target-group segmentation for direct approach, testing tools and third-party services. But in client mandates we only use what adds value to your project, because not everything that is technically possible makes sense in practice.

Senior advisory end-to-end

From briefing to project completion: your senior consultant is not only your point of contact but also personally takes care, hands-on, of every step that leads to a fast, successful placement. This avoids any loss of information and ensures our expertise takes full effect. Experience shows that this set-up has clear advantages over a high division of labour, both in the personnel search and selection phase and in advisory projects.

Wolfgang Hank, Managing Partner at fortalent

Wolfgang Hank, MA (HSG)

Managing Partner

Wolfgang Hank specialises in building modern, effective corporate structures in mid-market companies. His experience ranges from investment management and M&A projects to the operational management of portfolio companies and holdings. He holds a degree in business administration from the University of St. Gallen (CH). Wolfgang Hank brings hands-on experience from management consulting as well as from private equity and scale-ups. He takes a particular interest in the impact of people decisions on business success.

Julian Maly, Senior Consultant at fortalent

Julian Maly, MSc.

Senior Consultant

Julian Maly has worked in recruitment and HR consulting since 2007. Throughout, his focus has been on personnel search and candidate selection, with lead responsibility for Executive Search mandates and for appointments to management and key roles. He is especially passionate about advising mid-market companies as a sparring partner for decision-makers. Julian Maly is also President of the Austrian Certification Board and a sought-after media expert on the labour market, innovation in recruiting and management audits.

Why we work across industries

In executive search, the main advantages of specialising in an industry lie in deeper market insight and a corresponding network. In our view, however, high data availability and digital access to talent have since rendered these advantages obsolete in most cases.

We offer our clients exclusive market coverage and clear no-touch agreements. This is only possible with a broad industry positioning combined with a selective approach to the mandates we take on. We therefore work for a chosen circle of clients from different sectors and deliver best practices that are not confined to a niche.

One partner for the German-speaking region

fortalent supports its clients as a strategic recruiting advisory across the entire German-speaking region. In recent years Austria, Germany and Switzerland have grown even closer together, although economic structures in rural areas and in the metropolitan regions still differ significantly.

The economy of the Austrian Vienna metropolitan region is strongly service- and knowledge-based: public administration and state-affiliated companies, international organisations, corporate headquarters and a broad professional services sector shape value creation. At the same time, life sciences/medtech, IT/software and the creative industries are important growth drivers, complemented by tourism, congresses and a pronounced role as a hub for Central and Eastern Europe.

The Munich area is one of Europe’s most powerful high-tech and industrial locations – driven by a mix of automotive & mobility, mechanical engineering, ICT/software, media, a strong Mittelstand and many corporate headquarters. Its research landscape (universities, institutes) and an active start-up ecosystem fuel its innovative dynamism, while trade fairs, events and international connections make the region a magnet for talent and investment.

The city of Zurich is Switzerland’s economic powerhouse, with high productivity and an international outlook – traditionally shaped by financial services, insurance and business services. In parallel, tech, fintech, data/AI and life-sciences-related activities are growing, supported by strong universities and research. The combination of stability, access to capital and global headquarters makes the region particularly attractive for scalable, export-oriented business models.

Recruiting in Zurich
Recruiting in Vienna
Recruiting in Munich

Uncompromisingly
solution-oriented

All business is people business, and the stakes are high:
finding, selecting and bringing the right key people on board is a decisive factor for success.

Proven expertise and up-to-date market know-how go without saying. What sets us apart: we make the effort to understand your business model and design an individual personnel search and selection process. Above all, we implement it pragmatically and with full commitment. And we live and breathe your business. Our long-standing client relationships and disruptive developments in HR spur us on to go the extra mile.

Our focus is on cross-industry and cross-functional personnel search for specialists, management, C-level and key functions for mid-market companies, scale-ups, family businesses, investment holdings, institutional clients and family offices.

650+ successful
placements

25+ years of senior
advisory experience

95% placement rate,
fast time-to-hire

From Vienna for
the DACH region

We know our playing field

The way candidates look for jobs and the rules of job interviews have changed substantially in recent years. In competitive candidate markets, placing job ads is therefore no longer enough. Direct approach is now the gold standard for winning the right personalities. And headhunting has long ceased to be an elite topic – it pays off for many job profiles.

For personnel search, Executive Search and online recruiting alike: in-depth market knowledge in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, individual search strategies and a positive attitude towards people are the decisive factors for succeeding even in demanding candidate markets while protecting your employer reputation in the long term.

Partnerships at decision-maker level

We have extensive experience working with entrepreneurs, managing directors, heads of HR and decision-makers at every level. We immerse ourselves in your industry segment, work discreetly and are technologically up to date. And yet, alongside modern recruiting tools, we often turn to classic, confidential direct approach, because it has proven itself over many years. With deep insight into different industries and company structures, we can often provide simple and effective best practices.

As an owner, managing director, HR decision-maker, human resources manager or head of recruiting, you can expect professionalism, commitment and priority for your project. We work as fast as possible – without compromising on quality.

The process follows the goal

After a realistic assessment of the market situation and calibration of the job description, personality and requirements profile, we combine the right channels and methods for your personnel search as needed. The jointly agreed objective is at the centre – our process is aligned with it. In confidential executive search projects you benefit from our many years of experience in direct approach, the utmost discretion and our network.

Since no two companies and hardly any two requirements profiles are alike, we offer no standard projects. We look forward to discussing your needs and will put together a tailored proposal at short notice.

What matters to us in working together

Our experience from more than 650 successful placements shows clear patterns in what effective collaboration between client and consultant requires:

  • Mutual commitment
  • Strong advice – and, vice versa, openness to expert input
  • Clearly defined decision-making processes and timelines
  • A shared view of market conditions
  • Communication on equal terms and a good flow of information
  • A decision-oriented way of working
  • Focus on the solution: results before rigid processes

What about AI?

We are convinced that hiring decisions on the employer’s side and individual career decisions alike belong in human hands. At the same time, we keep our administrative and overhead costs as low as possible so that we can offer our clients attractive terms. To that end, we make targeted use of automation and AI.

Where we use AI: talent intelligence, research, scheduling, administration

Where we do not use AI: CV screening, direct approach, interviews, advice, decision-making

Tram in front of the Burgtheater, Vienna, Austria
Julian Maly and Wolfgang Hank of fortalent discussing documents
Executive search and candidate selection in Vienna
Julian Maly and Wolfgang Hank of fortalent in conversation on the stairs