Hunt Scanlon Media- Iran’s economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. So it seems like an unusual outpost for a recruiter.

But Alexander Hughes’ Iranian office has now officially opened for business. Shayan Shadfar and Christophe Laurent-Atthalin are managing the new operation.

CEO Julien Rozet, Mr. Shadfar and Mr. Laurent-Atthalin said in a joint statement: “Our offices in Tehran show the very strong interest of the global economic world in the Iranian market. We are proud to be the first global executive search firm returning to Iran to support businesses here in finding top talent for their great ventures in this promising country.”

Iran is an important market for the search firm’s existing customers, said Mr. Rozet, “and for so many Western or European companies that are willing to return or to establish business with, and in, this industrialized and advanced country of 80 million people.” Alexander Hughes has been in the Middle East for years, but its partners said the specificities of Iran, including its size, its potential, and the growing demand of its clients have made putting a physical presence on the ground essential now.