Excellence in consulting, passionate commitment and value-oriented corporate management: hkp/// group has untied these cornerstones since its founding – implements them daily at the intersection of HR, strategy and finance. Learn more about the development of the group since its beginnings.
2010
Züriberg Manifesto
19 December 2010: Internal kick-off meeting to mark the launch of the firm with the core hkp/// team from Germany and Switzerland in Hotel Züriberg in Zurich. hkp/// values "performance – passion – partnership" approved as part of the Züriberg Manifesto.
» Our mission statement
2011
Launch in Frankfurt and Zurich
1 January 2011: The new firm begins operating in Frankfurt am Main and Zurich with its founding partners Michael H. Kramarsch, Dr. Stephan Hostettler, Joachim Kayser, Dr. Harriet Sebald, Dr. Axel May and Dirk Filbert, plus around 20 other members of staff.
» Press release (German language)
Board of Directors
January 2011: From the outset hkp/// is led by an eminent external Supervisory Board headed by Professor Thomas Gutzwiller.
» Suprevisory board
Inauguration
February 2011: Official opening of the twenty-strong Frankfurt office at Grüneburgweg 16-18 during the hkp/// Germany New Year's reception. More than 60 friends and business partners attend
» Looking back (German language)
Association for Independent Remuneration Consultancy
March 2011: Leading experts on compensation consulting in Germany found the Association of Independent Compensation Consultants (Vereinigung für unabhängige Vergütungsberatung, short: VUVB), which henceforth becomes a quality seal for the entire industry. Initiator and hkp/// Managing Partner Michael H. Kramarsch is elected Chairman of the VUVB alongside Dr. Alexander von Preen.
» VUVB Website (German language)
Alliance with Pay Goverance
May 2011: Strategic alliance with Pay Governance, a leading consulting firm specializing in executive compensation, with 20 offices in the United States, Korea and Japan.
Alliances
Acquisition of CC&T AG in Geneva
August 2011: Takeover of the activities of the Geneva-based consulting firm CC&T AG, a specialist in compensation benchmarks. Founder Jean Piere Cubizolle becomes Senior Partner at hkp/// (leaves late 2012).
» HR & Compensation Benchmarking
2012
Larger office space
After just one year hkp/// doubles the size of its Frankfurt office, creating space for 45 staff.
» Office Frankfurt am Main
German Remuneration Day
November 2012: hkp/// and Human Resource Manager – the magazine of the German Federal Association of Human Resources Managers (BPM) – organize the first German Compensation Day conference. This immediately establishes itself as the main specialist conference for compensation and related topics in HR management
» Website (German language)
2013
Acquisition of RemuNet in Amsterdam and Dordrecht
Januar 2013: Takeover of RemuNet, a specialist in participant-led global compensation comparisons (chartered networks). The company's two founders Jouco Bleeker and Ernst van der Linden become Senior Partners at hkp///. hkp/// gains offices in Amsterdam and Dordrecht.
» HR & Compensation Benchmarking
Launch of the Global Equity Insights Survey
May 2013: Working with the Global Equity Organization GEO, hkp/// initiates the first Global Equity Insights study, one of the world's most comprehensive analyses of international market practice in stock-based compensation and employee share purchase plans. The study has since been carried out annually with support from further partners such as Siemens and SAP.
» Global Equity Insights Survey
HR Forum for SMEs
October 2013: hkp/// organizes the first HR conference focusing on the Mittelstand – medium-sized, family-run companies in Germany. The annual HR-Forum Mittelstand has since enjoyed increasing popularity with decision-makers in the HR management of such companies.
» Read more here (German language)
Splitt off Swiss operations
November 2013: Co-founder Dr. Stephan Hostettler leaves hkp/// group due to differences over corporate culture and the future direction of the group. The hkp/// Supervisory Board decides to split off the group's Swiss operations under his sole leadership.
2014
Reorganisation in Switzerland
April 2014: A new name! The firm changes its name to hkp/// group, underlining its broad partnership and international activities.
» Interview with Michael H. Kramarsch und Prof. Dr. Thomas Gutzwiller
New and larger offices
October 2014: In 2014 hkp/// group moves into new, larger offices in Amsterdam, Dordrecht and from October, in Frankfurt. By late 2014 hkp/// group has a headcount of around 75.
» Office Frankfurt am Main
HR Strategy & Transformation
November 2014: hkp/// group establishes the new HR Strategy & Organization division, renamed "HR Strategy & Transformation" in 2017. It supports companies in the development and optimization of HR management tools as well as in the creation and implementation of HR strategies right up to the transformation of organizations and the HR function.
» HR Strategy & Transformation
2015
Online-basiertes Recruiting-Tool „Recruitomat“
February 2015: The Recruitomat, an innovative recruiting tool developed by Analysts and Consultants at hkp/// group, is presented for the first time to the HR community. Reviews are excellent.
» Recruitomat
Opening Zurich office
February 2015: Official opening of the new hkp/// group office on General Guisan Quai 36 in Zurich during the company's New Year's reception.
German Banking Experts Forum
April 2015: Over 120 people – a new record – attend the 5th DEFB (Deutsches Experten Forum Banken) German Banking Experts Forum, designed and organized by hkp/// group. Founded in 2011, the annual specialist conference is now the leading industry-specific platform for decision-makers in HR management at financial service providers.
2016
boardpay.com
Mai 2016: Launch of boardpay.com – a new service of hkp/// group. As Europe's leading Board Compensation Portal, boardpay.com provides advisory quality compensation data of more than 20,000 Board Members in about 3,000 European corporations.
» boardpay.com
HR Start-up Award
June 2016: Together with the Bundesverband der Personalmanager (BPM), the hkp/// group initiates the HR Start-up Award as an open competition for young companies with solutions for modern HR management. The finalists, selected by a top-class jury, present their innovations in the form of pitches at the personnel management congress in Berlin. The winners are chosen by public vote.
» Award-Website
2017
New Deal for hkp///group carreers
December 2017: Introduction of the “New Deal”: More attractive contractual regulations for career starters. Graduates are more directly supported and challenged in their first three years of work. They are promoted up to consultant level at regular intervals and receive a high variable remuneration as an acknowledgment at the end of the three-year period. If they choose to leave the company and move into industry, they can benefit from hkp/// group’s network of partners and managers.
» Carrer-Website
2018
Optimised Candidate Experience
January 2018: Introduction of a new recruiting process focusing on the optimal candidate experience: Applicants initially only provide the most important information in order to be invited to a preference test and a self-assessment – both online. This is followed by two video interviews, one live and one asynchronous. The first direct contact takes place in the hkp/// group Experience, for which candidates are invited to the company for one day. Here they get a first impression of the working atmosphere and the fields of activity, and they can talk to potential colleagues and managers. Next, a decision is made regarding the offer of a contract. Ideally, the procedure, including the submission of an offer, is completed within ten days.
Guidelines for sustainable Executive Board remuneration
May 2018: The career section of hkp.com is relaunched as a micro-site after a complete revision of the content. The site provides an even more dynamic view of working life at the hkp/// group, supported by numerous videos. The career page is also the starting point for preference tests and self-assessment within the framework of the new recruiting process.
» Visit our Career-Website
June 2018
On the initiative of hkp/// group Managing Partner Michael H. Kramarsch and Dr. Hans-Christoph Hirt, CEO of Hermes EOS, a working group of renowned supervisory board chairmen of German listed companies as well as representatives of major institutional investors, scientists and corporate governance experts publishes best practice guidelines for simple management board remuneration geared to sustainable corporate development.
» Guidelines for Sustainable Management Board Remuneration Website
Johannes Brinkkötter new hkp///group Partner
August 2018: Together with Johannes Brinkkötter, hkp/// group completes Practice HR Strategy & Transformation, its partner set. In his position as managing director of the internal service company, E.ON Business Services GmbH, the lawyer and experienced Shared Service expert was responsible for the HR services of the E.ON Group. At the hkp/// group, Johannes Brinkkötter advises companies on issues regarding to HR strategies, transformation of HR as well as Shared Services management.
» Profile Johannes Brinkkötter
Return triangle employee shares
December 2018: hkp/// group experts and Deutsches Aktieninstitut develop the hkp/// group Triangle of Employee Shares’ Return. It offers all options to simulate the effects of a wide variety of parameters in employee share programs. Additionally, the returns on employee shares resulting from different tax- and duty-free amounts can be calculated.
» Triangle of Employee Shares Website
2019
HR-Tech Ethics Advisory Board
January 2019: The Federal Association of HR Managers (BPM) and hkp/// group create the Ethics Advisory Board HR Tech. The interdisciplinary committee, made up of renowned representatives from science, start-ups and established companies, serves as a driving force for the promotion of digital solutions in personnel work. The aim is to develop ethical rules for the use of new technologies.
» Ethics Advisory Board HR Tech Website (German language)
Innovation Lab
March 2019: hkp/// group launches a new event format: the hkp/// group Innovation Lab. The focus is on the meeting of HR leaders, lateral and forward thinkers, as they discuss new ideas and solutions for disruptive challenges for HR and the effects of agile working methods on pay, performance and talent management.
Relaunch hkp.com
April 2019: Relaunch of hkp.com: hkp/// group’s website becomes a “Newsportal”. With a fresher, more modern look, the site offers visitors more comprehensive and faster access to relevant information from and about hkp/// group.
2020
guidelines for the responsible use of AI in HR work
In April 2020, hkp/// group and the HR-Tech Ethics Advisory Board launched guidelines for the responsible use of AI in HR work. The ten guidelines address the involvement of relevant interest groups in decision-making in the selection and use of appropriate technologies, the question of the final decision-making authority in use, subject quality, liability and responsibility as well as purpose limitation and duty to provide information.
» Zu den Richtlinien des Ethikbeirats HR Tech
HR Start-up Award
June 2020: The HR Start-up Award was presented for the fifth time. The audience of the Personnel Management Congress awarded two innovations: A digital solution for personnel organization, which declares war on inflexible, complex and paper-heavy HR processes, especially in smaller companies (Danielle Software & Service) and a tool that makes it easier for employees to learn new software in the sense of navigating the application (Userlane).
» Visit the HR Startup Award website
2021
Stability and growth during the pandemic
Augist 2021: Unlike other companies, the hkp/// group has refrained from business-related terminations in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic. Graduates continued to be hired, interns and working students continued to be employed. At the same time, recruiting was professionalized, not least with a revision of the career website. The activities on all existing channels were also intensified and supplemented by an appearance or profile on Instagram - with the clear signal: As an attractive employer on a growth course, the hkp/// group has a stable need for personnel. We are hiring!
» Visit our Career-Website
» Visit our Instagram Profile
2023
HR Strategy & Corporate Governance Advisory
June 2023: HR Strategy & Corporate Governance Advisory - the hkp///group will be bundling its service portfolio into these two pillars in future, marking the start of a strategic repositioning, followed by a comprehensive, step-by-step corporate redesign. This includes an update of the word/image brand, the new claim "Sustainable Performance Through People" and a new design for presentations and publications as well as for the website and social media channels.
hkp/// RemuNet turns hkp///group Amsterdam
July 2023: The hkp/// RemuNet sub-brand, previously known for the management of global compensation networks in the Netherlands, is fully integrated into the hkp/// group umbrella brand as hkp/// group Amsterdam. This step also expands the consulting portfolio in the areas of HR strategy and corporate governance advisory with a European focus.
Takeover of the European Centre for Board Effectiveness
October 2023: hkp// group acquires 75% of the shares in ECBE - European Center for Board Effectiveness GmbH. ECBE specializes in evaluating and advising on the work of supervisory and administrative bodies. The two companies had already cooperated on client projects. As part of the takeover, ECBE will remain an independent company and brand, but will be integrated into the service portfolio of hkp///group Corporate Governance Advisory.
Strategic alliance with Ellason LLP
December 2023: A strategic partnership strengthens the international service portfolio of hkp///group: Ellason LLP is one of the UK's leading independent remuneration consultants, supporting remuneration committees, management teams and investors in the design and implementation of effective remuneration strategies for executives and the general workforce. Ellason's clients include FTSE350 companies and many private companies across all sectors. The new relationship complements the existing alliance with Pay Governance as a strategic hkp///group partner for North America and Asia.
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