EASC is the umbrella for our partner firms in Germany and the United States. Together we call on a wealth of expertise, experience and connections that is unique in the industry. We collaborate closely and make use of the group’s know-how in many of our briefs.
In 2001 I established Linden & Company, EASC’s German partner. From day one, the company’s principal objective was to set and maintain the highest standards in quality and integrity in executive search.
Prior to leading Linden & Company, I was partner and director of one of the global pioneers of the industry. During that time, I had the opportunity to intensify my contacts with executives in Germany and abroad – relationships initiated and maintained over two decades of working as a business editor for leading European and American publications.
Studies in journalism, macro- and microeconomics at Ohio University,
Johns Hopkins University (Master’s Degree) and postgraduate in Switzerland (Institut universitaire de hautes études internationales, Geneva)
Prior to my career in executive search, my professional experience included senior positions in financial services and government. My initial cooperation with Frank Linden dates back to the late 1990s, when we collaborated on top management assignments for a global executive search firm. In 2008, I established my own consultancy, Behrens Personnel Consulting, which today is an EASC Group affiliate. I support the partners in demanding search assignments in Germany and internationally.
Studies in economics in Germany and France
(Diplôme D’Études Supérieures Spécialisées, I.C.N. Business School, Nancy)
My professional background includes more than 30 years in executive positions in HR Management and in the executive search industry. I stated my career at BMW’s largest manufacturing site in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where I progressed through multiple leadership positions across the Human Resources organization. Over the course of my 14 year tenure with the company, the scope of my experience spans US and international operations including positions in Recruiting, HR Operations, Change Management and work as HR Business partner.
Hiring and developing the executive team of an early e-mobility start-up was the next exciting step in my career, followed by executive HR positions in a family owned, global construction company. I completed my HR portfolio as head of national Human Resources at a packaging company for medical devices, before I joined an executive recruiting firm as Managing Director. Building on my broad HR experience, I then established group928, a boutique and niche executive search firm that supports clients across the United States.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Financial management and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Clemson University
I have been in executive search in the United States for more than 25 years and successfully completed hundreds of placements in automotive and industrial manufacturing as well as in the high-tech and medical technology sectors. In 1993, I founded my recruiting consultancy, ORA, which evolved into a long affiliation with the EASC Group. In this partnership with the EASC Group, I have filled numerous management positions, particularly for German companies in North America.
Studies in Comparative Literature (B.A.) at Beloit College, Wisconsin
Together with Frank A. Linden, Clemens Schmitz-Justen co-founded the EASC Group and led its North American operations for nearly two decades. His expertise extended well beyond executive search to include the development and implementation of market entry strategies and support for companies establishing new manufacturing facilities.
Most of his appointments to supervisory and corporate boards grew out of this comprehensive approach to advising clients on successful market entry and acquisition projects in the automotive and manufacturing industries.
As President of BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the only German member of the Automotive Committee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, he built an extensive network of relationships with senior decision-makers in industry and government. His role as Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany further strengthened these ties.
Clemens Schmitz-Justen passed away unexpectedly on September 24, 2026. We will honor his legacy by continuing to develop and advance the EASC Group in the spirit of the values and vision he embodied.
