In business, sustainable growth is no certainty, and often takes several years to accomplish. Even at Hogan, the business did not experience rapid growth until more than a decade after the company was founded. This is what makes Hogan’s European distributor Awair’s story so incredible. In just five years – three as a Hogan distributor – the company has experienced rapid, yet smart, organizational growth and success.
Although the company was founded in Italy, Awair has since expanded across Mediterranean Europe to establish and maintain a presence in Spain and France. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Roman history. They are most definitely experts in geographic expansion.
As part of our Distributor Spotlight Series, our friends at Awair have offered to tell their story so that we can share it with the masses. In it, one can easily understand what has made their organization so successful, and why the future is even more promising due to their stellar leadership and expertise.
“All roads lead to Rome,” as our wise ancestors said. For Hogan, the road took a while to complete, but then the old motto proved trustworthy, and Hogan Assessments finally landed in Italy with Awair in 2014. Now, they are there to stay – and to make an impact.
Awair is a fast-growing consulting company which stands out as the one-stop-shop for assessments. Established in Milan in 2012, it is a young organization, yet firmly grounded on the distinctive competences of its founders, each of them with over 20 years of professional background.
“We serve multinational corporations, as well as large and medium domestic companies, head hunters, recruiters, and professional coaches. Our partnership with Hogan gives us a competitive advantage for the depth and scope of the analysis we can carry out, a great value added that our clients do acknowledge,” says Massimo Meroni, Awair Co-founder.
Francesca Antonini points out that Hogan’s and Awair’s DNAs are effectively compatible, “At Awair, we believe that business success depends on becoming aware – at personal and organizational level – of one’s own strengths and challenges. We help organizations realize this through a highly specialized and customized use of Hogan instruments.”
Gianfranco Gennaro brings his clear vision on the organizational priorities related to people development: “Awair designs and implements development centres that integrate Hogan tools to reach the expected goals and the best fit with the organizational culture.”
Awair is the ideal partner to accomplish organizational transformation. Andrea Facchini, the most recently appointed Partner, has no doubt: “We are passionate to help organizations implement successful programs of talent management and simplify transformation as well as leadership development. We provide coaches, consultants and HR specialists with personalized training and Hogan certification programs.”
Awair’s enthusiasm for Hogan products only equals its natural ambition for international expansion. Today, the company is proud to distribute Hogan tools and know-how in France and Spain as well, through its newly-founded local offices in Paris and Barcelona.
Gilles Dacquet and Ernest Sant are Awair’s French and Spanish Partners, respectively. The whole international team agrees that: “Taking personality assessment at the heart of performance improvement programs is still a great challenge in Mediterranean countries – and one we are glad to embrace and sure to win – together with Hogan – because the potential is huge.
Results are already there to be seen. Overall, in less than three years since the first workshop took place in Milan, almost 300 professionals have completed their Hogan certification program with Awair
Among Awair’s success stories with clients, the collaboration with insurance leader Generali Group must be mentioned. Hogan tools are part of Generali’s wide range of development offering to its executives and talents. Hogan helps executives enhance their levels of self-awareness, thus maximising its potential impact. Anna Chiara Lucchini, Head of Group Academy and Leadership Development at Generali Group summarizes the partnership: “The Awair team was very effective in gaining trust on the field and tailoring the solutions and processes on our needs, as well as available to adapt to our compelling deadlines and requests. Thanks to their deep knowledge and expertise, our executives and managers reported a positive and enriching development experience.”