How Rick & Florian met - An Ethical Encounter
When Rick and Florian first met some time in 2016 in Detroit/USA at a Leadership Development program they jointly facilitated, they quickly realized they were both invested in the driving forces that unite (or divorce) communities, organizations, and teams. Rick brings more than 35 years of business and consultancy experience to the table. He has published books on Thomas M'Clintock (a quiet warrior for women's rights and the abolition of slavery) and work-life balance. Rick offers advice and expertise to individuals who yearn to simplify life, slow down, and get centered, all without compromising their career. Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is founder and CEO of ARCH Performance, a consultancy specializing in leadership development and assessment. Florian who is based in Berlin/Germany has been publishing music and poetry since 1997. He has been working as a psychometrician, leadership developer, and leadership assessor since the early 2000s.
When Rick and Florian, first and foremost, they liked each other and became friends. Roughly in 2019 the idea was born to work on a book on Ethical Leadership - a leadership repertoire both of them are passionately interested in. Working on the book also brought both of them through the pandemic between 2020 and 2023 in one piece and clinging to some degree of sanity. The primary motive of delving into the word of Ethical Leadership and publishing a book on it has been for both, Rick and Florian, their believe that the world is in clamant need of individuals who question themselves, credibly strive for the greater good, dissect self-serving biases, and truly want to serve to further the dignity of all life (not just human). Working on their book has been a pain at times but by and large a vastly rewarding journey in the hopes that it brings something of merit and purposeful to you, the gentle reader.
About Florian
Claas Florian Engelke is member of the Assessment & Succession and Leadership Development team EMEA at Korn Ferry, a management consulting firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
He works as assessor and coach for leaders, ranging from junior leadership positions up to C-Suite responsibilities. Equipped with more than 22 years of consultancy experience in a vast variety of industries and national cultures, Florian makes sure projects run smoothly, stakeholders are fully aligned, and new ideas are born to add value. Florian fully embraces his passion for leadership assessment, leadership development and organizational transformation.
Following his love for the individual universe within, social dynamics, and a heightened need for achievement, Florian worked for several boutique and international consulting firms as psychometrician, assessor, leadership coach, facilitator, and change manager. Prior to his joining Korn Ferry, he worked for several international organizations (BBC Manchester, Chanel Paris, ICHEIC Gloucester) as leadership developer and he ran his own company.
He is a publishing author and has specialized in Ethical Leadership in particular, zooming in on ethical dilemmas, ethical leadership development, and organizational change in this regard. Over and above of this, Florian regularly contributes articles on subjects such as Humble Leadership, Political Leadership, Aggression and Structure within Organizations, or Critical Thinking. Florian holds licenses in HOGAN Psychometrics, a wide range of the Korn Ferry suite of psychometric tools (KF Potential, KFLA, KFAS, Leadership Styles & Organizational Climate), he is a TÜV-certified business trainer, intercultural trainer, and DBVC-certified business coach.
Holding degrees in German and English Linguistics as well as Religious Studies, Florian brings an innate interest in purpose, striving, greater good, beauty, and change to the table. He is fascinated by shadow aspects of both humans, life, and social psychology. In other words, he likes taking a look at phenomena that did not go well. So, when "the shit hit the fan" in social dynamics, leadership or politics, this is usually where his insatiable interest and omnivorous curiosity are kindled. When it comes to “The Practice of Ethical Leadership”, Florian certainly contributes a more psychological, philosophical, and at times existentialist and numinous perspective, which combines nicely with his friend Rick’s more pragmatic and hands-on approach.
Based in Berlin/Germany, Florian is a publishing musician (Ingurgitating Oblivion), sports fanatic, bibliophile, nature freak, and student of power politics.
About Rick
Rick Swegan
The CEO of ARCH Performance, a consulting firm based in Pittsburgh, PA (USA). ARCH partners with other consultants and firms to deliver selection processes, and provide leadership development and training. In conjunction with the release of The Practice of Ethical Leadership, ARCH provides consulting services on a variety of topics related to ethical leadership.
He spends the bulk of his time working with a wide variety of organizations on selecting and identifying leaders through the use of a variety of tools while occasionally engaging in training and coaching. With a varied career spanning for forty years, rick has wide experience in a variety of industries while collaborating with leaders at every level. He has international experience and particular expertise with non-USA-based firms as they bring assessment processes to their USA subsidiaries.
Over the course of his career, Rick has spent time as an administrator in Higher Education and ran a Human Resources department, while spending most of his time as an award-winning salesperson and consultant for several different Human Resources consulting firms (Development Dimensions International, Right Management, BST).