Handelsblatt – German Herrera: “It’s not about who’s the boss and who isn’t. It’s about getting things done for the better of an organization.”

Political upheaval, generational change, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping the demands placed on leaders today. In an interview with Handelsblatt, German Herrera, Chair of Egon Zehnder, argues that while technology has become a powerful enabler, it cannot replace human judgement. Leadership decisions, he says, increasingly depend on context, perspective, and the ability to navigate uncertainty—capabilities that remain fundamentally human.

Against this backdrop, Herrera explains how Egon Zehnder is evolving beyond its traditional role as an executive search firm toward a broader leadership advisory model. Growth, he notes, will come through higher productivity and deeper leadership development rather than scale alone. He also addresses the firm’s partnership culture, governance, and the strategic importance of Germany as one of Egon Zehnder’s most critical markets.

Read the full interview (in German, behind a paywall), March 25, 2026.