One on One with Stephen Miles

Heidrick's Miles: Global Players Challenge U.S.

Heidrick & Struggles recently released its first-ever Global Talent Index, which examined not only if the U.S. will maintain its top talent position, but what factors are simultaneously helping other countries succeed where the U.S. is failing. Stephen Miles, a managing partner in Heidrick & Struggles' leadership consulting business, spoke with Consulting about the study, and the global implications of the Chicago-based executive search firm's new data.

Consulting: What were some of the key findings from the survey?

Miles: We used to think about the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) as this grouping. And I think there are what the study demonstrated to us is that it needs to be separated with Brazil and Russia really dropping significantly. And I think there are a couple of reasons around it: Russia's education system has continued to erode from what was once I think one of the best in the world. It continues to not be invested in at the same level. Plus there's political instability there because people don't really know if it's truly an open economy or whether it's just semi-open or whether it's just going to close. From a Brazil perspective, you have language barriers and you have some mobility barriers because it's a Portuguese-speaking country and they don't have the proximity to the U.S. like Mexico does, and they don't have the free trade agreement with the U.S. like Mexico does.