Building Networks, Not Just Hiring: The Global Talent Strategy with Mark Reinecke

Mar 21, 2025

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"When I discuss with senior leaders, interview them, or assess them for senior roles, they often come to me, and I ask them: 'What makes you unique? How do you see yourself?' Eighty percent of them tell me what they can't do. They talk about their development needs, and I say, 'Is that how you pitch yourself? Is that what you really bring to the table? You sit with a headhunter and tell me what you can’t do—why not tell me what you’re really good at?' Your exceptional value-add, your competitive advantage—that’s what makes an impact, not what you cannot do. Development needs require a mitigation strategy, yes, but I believe that focusing on your unique strengths will take you further in your career." - Mark Reinecke

Fresh out of the studio, Mark Reinecke, SVP of Top Executive Management and Talent Acquisition at Airbus, shares his approach to the full life cycle of global talent management from acquisition to development and retention. Starting from his career journey, Mark shared his experiences and mental models in recruiting, developing and retaining top talent while emphasized how the STAR program in Airbus can gather experts from areas outside of Airbus to provide different perspectives on how the aviation industry can learn from best practices in other industries given the emerging technologies. Last but not least, Mark shared his perspectives on what does great look like for global talent management.

Audio Episode Highlights [00:46] Lead with your unique strengths, not weaknesses [02:05] Introduction of Mark Reinecke, SVP at Airbus [02:41] Mark's career journey from automotive to aerospace [05:47] Key career lessons: daily learning and focusing on strengths [07:09] Mark's role managing top 250 leaders at Airbus [09:02] Approach to analysing global talent landscape [10:39] Integrating outside talent into aviation industry [12:54] The STAR Program: creating an ecosystem of external expertise [17:51] Challenges of integrating external talent into aviation culture [20:38] Airbus's tailor-made onboarding process with buddy system [21:40] Two-way learning between Airbus and STAR Program members [23:20] AI's future role in HR and talent management [28:25] The underestimated power of genuine professional networks [32:21] What excellence in global talent management looks like [34:40] Closing

Profile: Mark Reinecke, Senior Vice President, Top Executive Management and Talent Acquisition and STAR Program Director, Airbus. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-reinecke-6253b015/

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. Here are the links to watch or listen to our podcast.

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