Most searches start with the spec. I start with the destination: what this role must create in the first 12 to 24 months. Then I test that against real candidates and sharpen it weekly. The final checkpoint is a working session, where finalists work a real problem with you before either side commits.
What does success look like? I align the CEO, board, and team on the business problem, the mandate, and what this role must create in year one.
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 stakeholders agree, and where they only think they do. What story will attract the right leader.
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 sourcing begins.
You’ll know: What “great” looks like for this role, and where the right leaders actually sit.
Outputs: Success profile, sourcing strategy
I source across corporate, agency, and PE-backed ecosystems. You see the full market, not just the obvious names. Weekly checkpoints keep us aligned as real candidates surface.
Did they drive the growth, or were they in the right place when it happened? Can they build the business case a CFO will fund? Can they navigate your politics while delivering?
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. They work a real problem with you. Both sides see how the other thinks before either commits.
You’ll know: How they actually think. Not what they claim, what they show.
Outputs: Confirmed finalist, offer strategy and draft 90-day plan
Most searches end at the offer. This one ends at month twelve.
Client brief: how each stakeholder defined the role, what references say this leader needs from you, and the first 90 days sequenced for early wins.
Executive brief: a candid read on how they work best, what former colleagues want them to know, and where to build credibility first. Written to them, not about them.
Check-ins through month twelve: scheduled time with both sides, so course corrections happen early.
Outputs: Executive Integration Brief (client and executive editions), 90-day roadmap, 12-month check-ins
Fees are paid at three milestones, not dates: an aligned brief and mandate, a validated shortlist, and an accepted offer. Executive Integration is included.
12-month replacement guarantee. If the placement needs to be replaced, there is no additional fee.
No administrative charges. Candidate expenses pass through at cost, with your approval.
The destination before the search.
An iterative process.
One partner, start to finish, through year one.
