JACOB HOEKSTRA

A Graduate in Economics from the Netherlands, Jacob started his career initially in ING, later joined Hotelplan and then joined the European full service HR organization Start People for over ten years. 

His main areas of expertise have been business development and general management having managed businesses in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Romania and the Netherlands. 

Jacob has had extensive experience in commercial negotiations, start ups of new companies in various countries with both private and (semi) public sectors. 

In 2003, he took over the Italian executive search firm Kilpatrick and immediately affiliated the company to a global network IESF and built up the business regionally to become a leading player in the international searches for both Italian clients abroad and Multinationals trying to define key players in Italy. 

In February 2006 the firm opened their first foreign branche in Romania (Timisoara and Bucharest) and later in the Netherlands. Kilpatrick has really become an integrated part of the global network and Jacob and his team continue their aggressive and successful development of the business. Today Kilpatrick has 15 international hubs and serve their clients in 30+ countries.

Jacob has built a reputation with both clients and candidates that are based on superior communication and project results that exceed expectations.  Working at the highest levels, he has successfully built teams for early-stage clients as well as reinvigorated established organizations with new talent. Jacob's specialty is to manage the cultural differences aiming at the best possible return on investment for both company and executive.   

His commitment to excellence, combined with extensive in depth industry knowledge, has been the driving force behind Kilpatrick's development.  

Jacob is nowadays is the Global CEO of the Kilpatrick Group to whom belong Kilpatrick Executive Search, Kilpatrick Solutions, ADK International and Gemini Executive Search and employes roughly 70 professionals between Singapore and Miami : a pocket sized multinational !