June 10, 2020
Against all odds
Launching a new business venture is never an easy task but when a global pandemic hits it makes the challenge ten times as difficult.
Elio Gregori
However, if handled correctly, it could also prove an even greater motivator and that was certainly the case for CNA International’s latest franchisee who had to use all of his experience and business guile to get his new strategic partnership off the ground.
Like many around the world, Elio Gregori faced his own personal battles with Covid-19, contracting the disease himself and sadly losing a relative. This devastation would have stopped many in their tracks, but Elio used the experience to give a renewed focus on the need to begin a new venture.
“A new start is a new life, a fresh motivation and also a new weapon to succeed in business,” explained Elio who has launched his CNA International franchise in Switzerland on the back of 25 years of experience in Financial, IT-Hitech, Manufacturing and Life Sciences industries.
“Announcing a new strategic partnership in a solid, large, reckoned group is a good opportunity to meet old and new clients, saying something new and different; and a way to show optimism towards the ability of succeeding for myself and the client.”
CNA International is part of the Pertemps Network Group, the UK’s largest privately-owned group of recruitment agencies. The brand has operated for over 20 years and headhunts the finest talent for clients from over 50 offices across the UK and Europe.
Elio explained how the current pandemic had created more obstacles than expected when first becoming part of the CNA empire, saying: “Do to Covid-19 situation, lots of companies in Switzerland and globally reduced their turnover heavily in the first quarter and the forecasts for the year are even worst. I didn’t suffer a true delay but, for sure, in this situation it was difficult to go ahead in a hurry with the launch.
“Everything is requiring even more attention and time to a lot of new issues or even old ones that would normally be taken in a lower priority, e.g. internal office organization, travel limitations and very important new ways of approaching and selecting candidates.
“The new situation forced me to innovate with the office organization and now everyone is 100% working at home. We have put measures in place to make sure that our practices of approaching and selecting candidates is done is the safest of ways.”
After Elio got a degree in Nuclear Engineering, he started a ten-year’s-long career within Accenture where he specialized in management consulting for banking institutions and manufacturing companies. In the 1992, he became an associated partner of Tasa International, a classical retainer Executive Search company and later founded Furman Gregori & Seltz that soon became a highly recognized executive search firm.
In turn, Furman Gregori & Seltz generated in 2010 CNA Executive Search. Finally, taking with him over 25 years of experience in executive search deployed in different locations including Rome, Milan, Switzerland and internationally, Elio joined CNA International as a franchisee.
Nick Sprang, Managing Director of CNA, said: “Elio’s story shows that despite the huge problems businesses are facing around the globe, many people still have faith in the executive recruitment industry. He has worked tirelessly to get this partnership up and running and that is to his credit as an experienced, professional and highly diligent individual. We are all delighted that he has now launched his franchise and look forward to working closely with him in the coming years.”
