Mikhail
Cherepnev

Over the course of his career, Mikhail has conducted more than 10,000 in-depth interviews with senior executives. This experience shaped his own view of the executive market: who can genuinely solve a specific business challenge, what lies behind a candidate’s CV, and where to find strong leaders who are not actively looking for a new role.

At Hiring Talents, Mikhail is personally involved in key assignments — from the first conversation with the client and defining the role profile to assessing the final candidates.

From Executive Search to an independent boutique

Mikhail worked as a senior consultant at Morgan Hunt and Staffwell, focusing on executive search in Russia.

In 2004, he founded Eleman, an agency specialising in executive recruitment for Turkish businesses operating in Russia. This experience gave him a deep understanding of international and multicultural teams and of how management experience and corporate culture work across different business contexts.

In 2011, Mikhail founded Hiring Talents — an independent consulting boutique specialising in Executive Search and work with senior leaders.

Over the years, Mikhail has worked with business owners, companies and executives across industrials, FMCG, retail, construction and real estate, agriculture, energy, consulting, e-commerce and fintech.

But he does not consider the number of completed searches to be the main source of his expertise.

It is the constant conversation with the market.

Every interview provides insight into how business expectations of leaders are changing, what strong candidates want, why they accept or reject offers, and which leadership qualities actually work in a particular situation.

That is why Mikhail looks beyond job titles, companies and achievements on a CV. Motivation, leadership style, the ability to make decisions in difficult circumstances and fit with the specific business challenge are equally important.

International expertise

Mikhail is fluent in English and Turkish, allowing him to work directly with candidates and clients on international assignments.

Two university degrees — in finance and crisis management — help him speak equally confidently with business owners, executives and candidates about business, numbers, management and transformation.

Relationships matter more than a single transaction

Mikhail builds client relationships as long-term partnerships. For him, an executive appointment is not the final point of an assignment, but the beginning of a relationship in which Hiring Talents continues to be useful after the role has been filled.

That is why Mikhail sees Executive Search not as selling access to candidates, but as professional work whose outcome should be right for all sides — the business, the executive and the team.

Executive Search · Executive Assessment · Career Advisory · 25+ Years of Experience · International Search