Heidrick & Struggles Launches AI-Powered Leadership Assessment Platform
Heidrick & Struggles introduced Heidrick Immersive on June 4, an AI-enhanced platform that evaluates how leaders perform under pressure through simulated crises rather than traditional assessments.
The platform uses AI-driven simulations of strategic inflection points-market shifts, technological disruption, critical stakeholder decisions-to observe how leaders think and decide when stakes are high. Traditional assessments rely on experience, track record, and self-reported behavior. Heidrick Immersive watches leaders operate in real time.
Advanced behavioral analysis translates observations into actionable insights on decision-making, adaptability, resilience, and team dynamics. The process takes minutes rather than days.
David Peck, partner and global leader of the High-Impact Leadership Center of Excellence at Heidrick & Struggles, said the platform addresses a specific need: "Today's leaders must navigate constant disruption, shifting stakeholder expectations, and accelerating technological change."
The firm describes what emerges as a leader's "decision imprint"-the observable pattern of how judgment holds under pressure and how assumptions shift as conditions change. The platform creates enterprise-level pressure with cinematic realism, then translates observable behavior into board-level insight.
New Leadership for German Interim Business
Heidrick appointed Christian Frank and Mike Schwanke as managing directors of Atreus, its interim management business in Germany, effective immediately. They assume responsibility for in-country operations and strategy.
Founders Harald Linné and Rainer Nagel remain part of the management team through the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.
Heidrick acquired Atreus in 2023. Since then, the business has expanded the firm's interim management footprint across Germany and Europe.
Sunny Ackerman, global managing partner of on-demand talent at Heidrick, said Germany represents a core market for the firm's executive interim strategy. "Christian and Mike bring extensive experience in leadership and transformation and are well placed to lead the next phase of growth in the German market as part of our global interim offerings," Ackerman said.
Schwanke noted that demand for executive-level interim and transformational leadership solutions continues to grow across Germany, Europe, and beyond. Frank added that seasoned leadership is critical during periods of disruption, and that the firm partners closely with clients as trusted advisors.
Nicolas von Rosty, managing partner of Heidrick & Struggles Germany and cluster leader for the DACH region, said the business across the region has grown strongly in executive search, interim management, and consulting. "With this new leadership team in place, we are even better positioned to support our clients through complex leadership transformations," von Rosty said.
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