Consumer & Retail

Manuel Clavel

Manuel Clavel joined Talengo in 2003 to lead the FMCG and Retail Practice. In 2005, he was appointed Managing Director of the Barcelona Office and since 2007 has been a Partner of the company in Spain.

Manuel began his professional career at Ernst & Young as an Auditor and Consultant specialising in Distribution and Services, where he also participated in the creation of the IT Security Systems Division. He later led the opening of the Barcelona office of a well-known executive search multinational. His experience in executive search for the FMCG and Retail sectors is both national and international, with special emphasis on the European market, and specifically covering positions in Executive Committees for companies in the food, beverage, personal care, household and textile sectors.

He has a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad de Barcelona and is a member of the Círculo Ecuestre, Barcelona Global and the AESC (Association of Executive Search Consultants). Committed to social initiatives (he is the founder and trustee of Fundación Clavel), he takes part in endurance and "ultra distance" events raising money for a variety of foundations. Enthusiastic about sport and adventure, he has competed in numerous international marathons, Ironman distance triathlons and is a "finisher" of the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert.

Sofía Said

Sofía Said manages Talengo’s senior executive search projects for the Latin American market within the FMCG & retail and healthcare sectors.

She has 10 years’ experience in the commercial, marketing and entrepreneurship areas, both in Colombia and in the United States. She began her professional career in media agencies, specifically in the design and publishing area, responsible for the creation and design of campaigns for Latin American companies located in the southern United States. She combined this experience with web content editing for large accounts such as BMW, Versace, La Riviera and Korloff Colombia. She later joined C.I. Vhera Lucci as Commercial Manager of Advertising and Marketing. In 2011, Sofia decided to make a complete change in her professional career, joining a benchmark leadership and executive search consultancy in order to specialise in positions in the sales and marketing areas.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Communication from Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Krista Walochik

Krista Walochik joined Talengo (previously Norman Broadbent) as Managing Director and Executive Board Director to found the company in Spain. In 2004 she was appointed COO and one year later CEO of the firm worldwide, as well as main Board Director of the quoted holding corporation. In 2007 she led a Management Buy-out of the business in Iberia and Latin America, rebranded as Talengo, and is partner of the company.

Krista is an expert in senior executive and board searches within the Services, Industry, Construction & Real Estate and Infrastructure sectors.

As of 2018, she is Chair Emeritus and Chairman of the Nominations and Governance Committee of the global association of the world’s leading headhunters, AESC, and has served in governance roles since 2010.

Krista is a member in good standing of the Instituto de Consejeros Administradores (Spanish Institute of Directors), International Women’s Forum and Women Corporate Directors.

She holds a B.A. cum laude from George Washington University and an M.A. with honours from Middlebury College, both in Spanish Literature and Language, as well as a Masters in Administration from the University of Maryland, with a special focus on Organizational Development. She is an accredited Master Coach of the Spanish Association of Coaching (AECOP), and is a Certified Coach of the Institute of Human Development (IHD) in the U.K.

Krista is recognized as one of the 100 leading businesswomen in Spain. She is a frequent speaker in international forums on Leadership and Corporate Governance.