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ZRG expands into Spain through the acquisition of N2Growth’s Spain business, formerly Blacksmith

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. – ZRG, the world’s fastest-growing full-service talent advisory firm, today announced that it has entered the Spanish market through the acquisition of the business formerly known as Blacksmith that had been doing business since 2023 under the umbrella of N2Growth. Through this integration, ZRG enters the Spanish market with an established local team and the goal of offering Spanish and international clients agile, high-touch advisory backed by the firm’s global platform.

Alberto Herrero will lead the firm in Spain as Managing Director of ZRG and will also take on responsibility for leading the firm’s Financial Services practice across Europe. In this role, he will help drive the firm’s growth across Europe, where ZRG expects to evaluate additional acquisitions in the coming months.

ZRG’s team in Spain includes Alberto Herrero and Eduardo Aguilar, both Managing Directors, and Pilar Muñoz, Managing Associate, with an initial focus on Financial Services. They are joined by Veronica Vaquero, Senior Associate, and Lourdes Hernández, Client Experience Manager. The firm expects to expand its Madrid team in the coming months to extend its coverage across additional sectors, consistent with ZRG’s model of pairing local senior operators with a global platform.

Larry Hartmann, CEO of ZRG: “Spain represents a strategically important market for ZRG and a natural extension of our growth across Europe. The country sits at the intersection of European and Latin American business, creating unique opportunities for organizations navigating growth, transformation, and leadership succession. Alberto, Eduardo and the broader team bring outstanding relationships, sector expertise and market credibility, significantly strengthening our ability to support clients both in Spain and globally. Their addition also reinforces ZRG’s integrated platform, which helps organizations attract, develop and retain leadership talent through executive search, interim leadership, consulting and talent advisory services”.

In its first phase, ZRG will focus on Financial Services and Private Equity, practices where the Madrid team brings a particularly strong track record. Then, the firm expects to extend its activity into other strategic practices, with a particular focus on legal, consulting & professional services; energy, infrastructure & real estate; life sciences; and consumer & travel.

In Spain, the firm will continue to support leading companies, financial institutions, private equity firms, law firms, and professional services organizations, both domestic and international, through ZRG’s combination of local market knowledge and global reach.

Alberto Herrero, Managing Director of ZRG in Spain, said: “ZRG’s entry into Spain reflects the commitment of an international firm to a market with significant potential. Spain offers a highly attractive combination of talent and companies facing increasingly complex and global leadership needs. There is no doubt that Spain is now a hub connecting Europe and Latin America, while also attracting major investors from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. We have a team with deep knowledge of the market and the ability to combine that local proximity with ZRG’s global reach and capabilities to support companies in their talent and leadership decisions. We also expect to continue investing in the team, whether through acquisitions or the recruitment of senior professionals who can deliver truly differentiated service to clients by leveraging the strengths of ZRG.”

Founded in 1999, ZRG has more than 700 professionals worldwide and an international presence spanning five continents, with more than 30 offices in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, London, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, Dubai, and Singapore, among others. Through its integrated talent platform, ZRG provides clients with access not only to executive search, but also to a broader set of solutions across the full talent lifecycle, including interim management, embedded recruiting, on-demand talent solutions, and consulting and advisory services in culture, leadership, and talent management.

ZRG is particularly active in practices including Private Equity, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Financial Services, and works with Fortune 1000 organizations and many of the world’s leading private equity firms. The firm is also backed by private equity investor RFE Investment Partners, which supports ZRG in its strategy of expansion, capability building, and international growth.

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