Most searches start with the spec. I start with the destination: what this role must create in the first 12–24 months.
About the role: The impact this hire must have. Which problems need solving in year one. Where stakeholders truly agree—and where they only think they do.
About the market: Where the right leaders actually sit. Who’s open to a move and why? What it will take to win them, including perspectives from adjacent ecosystems, not just your sector.
About the candidates: Who caused the growth vs. who was carried by it. What they’re building toward, not just what they’ve done. How they think under pressure, before you commit.
This stays short and makes the ROI of your approach obvious; it’s not just ‘steps,’ it’s insight they don’t get from a traditional search.
What does success look like? I align stakeholders on the business problem, the mandate, and what that means for year one and beyond.
The brief says brand, growth, media, and AI. The real question: which capability, if solved first, unlocks the others?
You’ll know: What this role actually needs to solve. Where the risk is. What story will attract the right leader?
Outputs: Role specification with vision summary and market assessment
Who can get you there? Not a benchmark of who’s held similar titles, but an archetype of who can build what you need.
Directional profiles surface hidden preferences and misalignment before real sourcing begins. Two-thirds alignment with deep curiosity, agency, and proven experience outperforms mapping the CV to the spec alone.
You’ll know: What you’re actually looking for. What “great” looks like for this role.
Outputs: Success profile, sourcing strategy
I source across ecosystems: corporate, agency, and PE-backed environments. The focus gets determined by previous findings. You see the full market, not just the obvious names. Weekly checkpoints keep alignment as real candidates surface.
Did they drive the growth, or were they in the right place when it occurred? Can they build the business case a CFO will fund? Can they navigate your politics while delivering?
Better to refine the target than force a bad fit.
You’ll know: Who’s out there, who’s interested, and who has the trajectory to grow beyond the brief?
Outputs: Validated shortlist, trajectory assessments, market perspective
Finalists don’t just interview; they reveal. Working sessions let candidates engage with real problems with you. Both sides learn how they think, how they collaborate, and whether this is right.
This is the final checkpoint. Conviction gets validated before the commitment is made.
You’ll know: How they actually think—not what they claim, what they show.
Outputs: Confirmed finalist, offer strategy, 90-day roadmap
Most searches end at the offer. This one ends at month twelve.
That’s intentional. Structured support accelerates time-to-impact by a third. New leaders create value faster, build credibility sooner, and stay longer.
Before Day 1: Stakeholder mapping, success metrics aligned to the mandate, and a 90-day roadmap with priorities sequenced for early traction. The new leader walks in with context, not questions.
Day-1 Operating Manual: What the leader needs to know walking in: organizational dynamics, quick wins, key relationships, and where to build credibility first.
90-Day Roadmap: Priorities sequenced for early traction. Realistic early wins that earn runway and build internal momentum.
Ongoing Check-ins: Scheduled touch points with the executive through month twelve. Real-time calibration.
Outputs: Day-1 Operating Manual, 90-day roadmap, 12-month check-ins
Fees are tied to milestones, not dates. You pay when we hit real milestones: an aligned brief and mandate, a validated shortlist, and a successful start with Executive Integration underway.
12-month guarantee. If the placement needs to be replaced, there is no additional fee.
Most searches close in 10–12 weeks. Complex roles or tight markets may take longer. I set expectations before we start.
Fees tied to dates
