MY OWN SAGA
Forging Leaders, Cities, and Systems for a New Age
Professionally, Christian Schoyen is a Norwegian-born world-class headhunter and founder of ESR (Executive Search Research). Prior to founding ESR, he held positions at two of the world's leading executive search firms: Ward Howell International (Los Angeles/Chicago) and A.T. Kearney Executive Search (Scandinavia). A behavioral futurist and author of a dozen books outlining his proprietary blueprints—including the U.S. bestseller Secrets of the Executive Search Experts, described by Korn Ferry Vice Chairman Melanie Kusin as "an excellent primer for search professionals." With over 5,000 key global executive placements for Fortune 1000 companies, such as Microsoft, Raytheon, Amgen, and Johnson & Johnson, he applies the precision of executive search to corporate strategy, AI innovation, and large-scale civic transformation.
Building on three decades of executive search practice, Christian created The Schoyen Algorithm™—a decision-pattern extraction framework that identifies an individual's personal operating system (OS) by isolating what they repeatedly do over time. Created exclusively for the ESR community. First developed in 2000 with institutional venture capital backing, the framework was operational but put on hold due to the dotcom crisis. Over the next two decades, it evolved through refinement, including a fully automated beta in 2010 and a public presentation at the World Future Society conference in 2011. The emergence of AI has enabled advancing what was previously achievable only through years of manual extraction. LifeScript.ai™ is the operational interface of this framework — a personal alignment tool for high achievers, built on Norse systems logic and influenced by Carl Jung, that reveals long-term decision patterns beyond titles, roles, and self-description — making visible what drives performance, decisions, and legacy. The official 2026 launch marks its most advanced iteration, opening the way for the digital preservation of individual operating systems.
In addition to his professional work, when time allows, and as part of ESR's philanthropic arm, Christian draws on his experience at ESR for social impact. In addition to being a direct descendant of Viking King Gudröd Ragnvaldsson, Christian applies Norse systems thinking to leadership, operations, and societal change. His Althing-based community model, rooted in Viking governance logic, operates with zero tax dollars and mobilizes communities to become self-governing and self-sustaining. Built from the ground up, the model empowers local leaders and residents to take ownership of their city's transformation. It achieved a 75% reduction in crime in Las Vegas in just 21 days and over 90% reductions in other U.S. cities. Validated in Las Vegas, the model is documented in his multi-award-winning film Vegas Vikings and was recognized with an honorary award from the Las Vegas Mayor and City Council. The model is now set for a national rollout in 2026–2027, in partnership with Dr. TeNeane Bradford at the philanthropic arm of ESR, the nonprofit Neighborhood Rescue of America.
Christian is also a sought-after U.S. speaker on Norse heritage and leadership, regularly addressing top law enforcement audiences, including the National Sheriffs' Association, where he shares his Vegas Vikings crime reduction blueprint and AI-infused recruitment strategies for modern policing.
He holds a BBA from Pacific Lutheran University and conducted his African American Studies at California State University, Los Angeles.
