CT Executive Search: Senior Advisors
CT Executive Search is supported by an international advisory board which supports our clients through its vast network in Europe, China, India and the Middle East.
Based in San Diego, Ken Schmitt has nearly three decades of experience transforming the leadership teams within lower and middle market private companies in the U.S., with revenues between $10m and $3b. Partnering with boards, executive leadership teams, family offices, and private equity firms Ken has placed high-impact talent at the C-Suite, VP and Director level. More than 30% of Ken’s clients are headquartered outside the U.S., including Western and Eastern Europe, China, Australia, South and North America.
With a particular focus on placing C-Suite, Sales, Marketing, Operational and Finance talent, Ken has been directly responsible for leading succession plans across a variety of sectors including engineering, construction, biotech, medical device, manufacturing, technology, software, SaaS, fintech, cybersecurity, retail, CPG, EdTech, SportsTech and automotive.
His expertise stems from his tenure with the global search firm Heidrick & Struggles and mid-sized specialized firms, in addition to serving as the Founder/CEO of TurningPoint Executive Search for 18 years. In 2025, Ken executed the merger of his legacy firm with Collabrie Search, forming Ascentria Search Partners.
Georg Graf was Freudenberg Group's Regional Representative for India. With almost 3,000 employees at 50 locations, Freudenberg is one of the largest European investors on the subcontinent.
Mr. Graf has over 35 years of experience in the management of operational business units in Europe and Asia. He joined the Freudenberg Group in 1992 and moved to India in 2008. Since 2013 he has been responsible for the Freudenberg Regional Corporate Center in Bangalore. In 2016 he became a board member of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. From 2018 to 2020 he served as the association’s Vice-president and then President.
Georg Graf has extensive expertise in the areas of finance, accounting, and project management. In addition, he has excellent intercultural skills from his many years of experience in the German-Indian business.
Mr. Graf supports CT Executive Search with his large network in the European-Indian business world and his knowledge of doing business in India.
Marcus Honkanen is the Managing Partner of the international Executive Search boutique firm - Nordic Minds GmbH, with offices in Germany and across the Nordics. He has 15 years of international experience working as a Managing Director and Partner in Executive Search and HR Consulting, having gained experience with the Kienbaum Group, and in his own boutique company.
He advises and supports his clients in the recruitment of management positions in the Central European and Nordic markets, as well as conducting pan-European searches for top-tier executive positions. Marcus speaks Swedish, Finnish, German and English, and uses his intercultural insights and cross-industry expertise to source and match the most suitable candidates across markets and functions.
Marcus has a Master level degree from the Åbo Akademi School of Business and Economics as well as Georg-August University Göttingen. Furthermore, he is the co-founder of the software company FutureHunt GmbH as well as Member of the Advisory Board of the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce.
