Franziska Palumbo-Seidel
Partner | FinTech, Enterprise & Board Leadership
Founding Partner | C-Suite & Board Search
Franziska is the Founding Partner of Key Search and a leading C-level, N-1, and Board search specialist with 15 years of experience placing transformative leaders at Klarna, Shopify, N26, Miro, and Wise. Based in Switzerland, she personally bridges the operational and cultural gaps between European and US markets.
Specialties
Geographic Focus
Key Search is trusted by teams
that rely on clarity
Articles by Franziska Palumbo-Seidel
Enterprise AI Is No Longer Experimental - and the Leadership Talent Gap Is Showing
Enterprise AI has cleared its experimental phase. In this piece, I use Neptune Software as a lens to examine what the AI transformation wave inside legacy SAP environments means for executive hiring - and the leadership profiles boards and investors are urgently seeking.
Bridging the Atlantic: Why European Tech Founders Need to Stop Selling the 'Here and Now' and Start Selling the Future
For European founders expanding to the US, the biggest challenge isn't product or technology - it's narrative. The US market doesn't buy the here and now. It buys the art of the possible.
The Founder's Dilemma: When and how to hire your successor for an IPO or Exit
Do you step aside or stay? Franziska Palumbo-Seidel breaks down the signals, timing windows, and hiring process for founder CEOs navigating succession ahead of an IPO or company exit.
CTO Search: What Boards Get Wrong in Enterprise Software
Appointing the wrong CTO is one of the most expensive mistakes a growth company can make. Here is what we see boards get wrong, and how to avoid it.
Building a Talent Strategy for Private Equity Portfolio Companies
The first 100 days of a PE investment are critical. Here is how the best sponsors approach talent strategy from day one.
You should speak with Franziska if…
- 1You are a founder preparing to step back from day-to-day operations and need a CEO or COO who can carry the mission forward.
- 2You are a board or investor looking to professionalise the leadership team ahead of an IPO, funding round, or exit.
- 3You need a C-Level or Board hire with international pedigree across Europe and the US, delivered with Swiss precision.
- 4You value a long-term search partner who will challenge you throughout - not just deliver a shortlist.