Executive search and leadership consulting in China
China remains one of the most strategically important and operationally complex markets for international companies. Finding the right leaders here demands local instinct as much as global perspective — and a partner who understands how business is done, how candidates think, and how cultures intersect.
FES Partners has been supporting international mid-sized companies in China for over 40 years. Our Shanghai-based team serves clients across mainland China and Hong Kong, with deep expertise in placing C-level executives, senior managers, and technical specialists who can bridge global and local expectations.
What we do in China
We provide retained executive search, executive interim management, and leadership consulting across China. Our consultants have placed senior leaders in industries including machinery and automation, medical devices, chemicals and plastics, automotive, consumer and retail, and technology.
As the exclusive China partner of Valtus Alliance, the world’s leading interim management network, we also offer fast-deployment interim executive solutions for companies navigating leadership transitions, restructuring, or rapid growth in the region.
Industries we serve in China
Our team in China
Our Shanghai office is led by Dora Zhong, Partner, and Thaddaeus Mueller, Managing Partner.
Dora brings decades of experience placing senior executives for international companies across Greater China, with a network spanning top-level talent across industries and geographies within the region.
Thaddaeus brings over 20 years in Asia and deep expertise advising Mittelstand and family-owned companies from the DACH region as they establish and expand their presence across Asia — making him a trusted partner for German, Austrian and Swiss businesses looking to build leadership teams in China.
Thaddaeus Mueller
Managing Partner
Thaddaeus’ area of expertise is finding innovative solutions for clients seeking to establish and expand their presence in South East Asia. With his 20 years in Asia, he developed a track record in advising SMEs and large family-owned companies from the DACH region in building robust leadership teams.
Thaddaeus has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and gained experience in the Automotive sector and an American technology company before joining Fiducia in 2005 in a sales role. He quickly understood his passion is in HR and recruiting and has been leading the growth of FES Partners since its inception.
He excels in finding, assessing and placing high-performing professionals for various industry leaders from manufacturing, machinery, automotive and components. He also regularly conducts searches for purchasing offices in Hong Kong, China and SEA.
Thaddaeus is originally from South Germany. He is a father of two who enjoys traveling with family, cycling and tennis.
Dora Zhong
Partner, Shanghai
Dora has more than a decade of experience in executive search and has successfully placed hundreds of leadership candidates for clients in consumer goods/retail, industrial and the technology sector across Asia.
Her deep insights into the China talent market give her a unique ability to help organizations find the right leaders for their context, and clients praise her frequently for her candor and transparency.
One of her most notable achievements in recent years has been with New Zealand companies entering the Chinese market, including the country’s largest meat exporter.
Before joining FES Partners, Dora worked at global executive search firms for over 5 years. Previously, she led the in-house HR team of a multinational semiconductor company, which means she knows the ‘other side of the table’.
Dora leads our team in Shanghai. As a certified executive coach, she is expanding our leadership development capabilities. She speaks English and Mandarin and enjoys long distance running in her free time.
Start your China search
Tell us about your leadership challenge in China. Our Shanghai team will be in touch with you shortly to start the conversation.