In conversation with Barbara Schonhofer, Founder, ISC

Barbara Schönhofer is Chief Executive of Schonhofer and Founder of The Insurance Supper Club. She manages board and senior management search assignments. She has consulted companies internationally in all areas of the property and casualty insurance arena and also conducts strategic assignments in the life, pensions and health insurance markets. Barbara has successfully assisted leading industry organisations in the acquisition of business critical senior-level talent including Board Members, CEOs and other C-suite roles. Barbara brings 35 years of executive search and business leadership experience in financial services to our clients. She was the founder of ejsSearch, a boutique executive search and talent management consulting firm specialising in strategic search for clients in the insurance industry in the UK, Europe and worldwide. She was previously a Partner with Korn Ferry International, where she established their London insurance and reinsurance practice. Barbara Schonhofer worked for 18 years in financial services as a business strategist, developer and leader culminating in being a first mover in setting up and leading a centralised lending platform in the building society sector. Since embarking on her 21 years in executive search Barbara initially built and lead an international insurance practice over 7 years at her first search firm which had offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. She then became a partner with one KFI and for the next 2 years started up their first European based insurance practice before starting EJS which grew to be an industry recognised boutique executive search business and precursor to Jacobson and now operating as Schonhofer. Barbara has been highly influential in persuading the UK insurance industry to look carefully at inclusion and diversity and was instrumental in founding TWIN, The ISC and iWIN for the Worshipful Company of Insurers. This work has led to Barbara being awarded the “Woman of Excellence – 2014 Award” by The National Association for Female Executives. She is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.