As an international commercial law firm, CMS provides comprehensive advice and accordingly also supports clients in all future issues. Esther Brandner-Richter recently took over as Head of Human Resources at CMS and sees one of her main tasks in preparing and supporting new and existing employees for this path in the best possible way.
Esther Brandner-Richter has many years of experience in operational and strategic HR management in national and international organisations in leading positions and is now contributing her expertise to CMS in Vienna. As in her previous professional positions, she is also working in a dynamic environment at CMS due to the industry-wide and law firm-specific transformation process. "Whether it is flex work or the general change in values of the legal profession the further development of a modern, competitive HR department ensures that changes can be implemented optimally on many levels," says Esther Brandner-Richter.
Comprehensive field of activity
As Head of Human Resources, Esther Brandner-Richter is responsible for all aspects of human resources management. Particularly noteworthy are the far-reaching high-level recruiting activities for CMS in Austria as well as at all locations in CEE. "The international cooperation between our offices is already working excellently. However, our aspiration is to promote growing together," says Brandner-Richter. "This is one area in particular that an HR department can never do enough for."
Even though CMS is considered a top employer among young lawyers (as confirmed by second place in last year's JUVE ranking), CMS also wants to set further accents here. For example, CMS is attested excellent quality in training and the compatibility of work, leisure and family. On the way to becoming an Employer of Choice, however, measures are still required to make the changing professional image visible. In this context, Esther Brandner-Richter would like not only to promote the entry of young women into the legal profession, but also to provide them with targeted support in their further career planning and thus contribute to an increase in the proportion of women within the partnership as well.
Another important area in the course of the above-mentioned transformation process is her advisory function for CMS top management. In addition to classic human resources issues and labour law agendas, this will primarily involve acting as a personal sparring partner for the firm's executives, providing input and new impetus for innovative changes.
20 years in professional service firms
Shortly after graduating in business administration from the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, Esther Brandner-Richter went into human resources development. This was followed by further positions at renowned companies, where the native of Lower Austria was active in the areas of personnel controlling, executive searches and recruiting of managers and specialists, employer branding, in numerous personnel development projects, in the context of digitalisation initiatives and strategic HR communication and accompanied change processes.
For more than 12 years, Esther Brandner-Richter held the position of Head of Human Resources at EY (Ernst & Young) Austria. During this time, the company grew from 350 to over 1,100 employees. Top rankings in BEST RECRUITERS, in the student surveys of the consulting company Universum, in the Trendence rankings as well as the award as "Great place to work" in Austria three times in a row show the success of her work.
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