The Montgomery Group

Clients + Cases

Who this is for

Corporate,
agencies,
and portfolio
companies

Sector-agnostic by design. The approach starts with the business problem and then finds the right talent, often outside the sector. The obvious move is hiring from competitors. The better move is finding leaders who bring a perspective your competitors don’t have.

The best fit often comes from an adjacent ecosystem. Talent moves between them. The search spans all three.

Selective by design. Built for outcomes. This works best with clients who:

• View talent as the transformation lever

• Are willing to define the vision and opportunity of the role before sourcing begins

• Expect a fast search and a hire that lasts

• Understand that the best marketing leaders often come from non-obvious places

Corporate

The hire is solving a business problem while the organization shifts—expectations move from brand to revenue, AI-native capabilities emerge, and reporting lines change.

I get the CEO, board, and team on the same page about what success looks like in the first 6–12–24 months and what authority this role will actually have.

Roles include: CMO, Chief Growth Officer, Chief Revenue Officer, VP Marketing, VP Brand, VP Media, VP Growth, Head of Digital

Agencies

Agencies need leaders who can operate without infrastructure—and build it while delivering. The pace is different. The ambiguity is constant.

Talent flows between ecosystems. Agency leaders often return after client-side tours; many corporate CMOs carry agency DNA. I search across both.

Roles include: President, Managing Director, COO, CMO, Chief Growth Officer, GM

Private
equity
portfolio companies

PE Operating Partners are hiring to accelerate value and reduce downside risk. The investment thesis depends on the right leader landing fast and delivering value.

This approach is built for that pressure:

• 98% search completion* vs. ~76% industry average†

• 98% search completion vs. ~60% industry average†

• 10-12 week timeline for most searches

• Structured calibration so the spec sharpens, not drifts

• 12‑month Executive Integration

• Fees tied to milestones, not dates

I search corporate and agency talent pools, with current market mapping and pre-wired relationships. When it’s useful, I also assess existing marketing and growth leaders for step-up potential before you go to market. Portfolio leaders often come from outside the sector—with the operating discipline to scale and the pattern recognition to move fast.

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What clients say

"I've worked with many recruiters over 25 years, and Kristian is by far the best. He delivers top-quality candidates that fit, brings deep industry knowledge, listens and adapts, and builds true partnerships. Kristian helped us build several critical teams at Intel—placing leaders who were promoted multiple times and made real impact. Beyond results, Kristian is simply a decent person—integrity, empathy, and commitment in every interaction."
— Julie Keshmiry, Chief of Staff, Intel
"Kristian's judgment on fit and potential goes beyond the brief and CV—one of the best hires I ever made."
— Navin Sharma, Chief Commercial Officer, Inspire Brands
"Kristian has a special knack for understanding a client's needs and delivering talent against this."
— Tyler Pietz, Global EVP, Monks
"Kristian took time to deeply understand our business, probe where the right talent could unlock growth, and gauge social ﬁt as well as experience. He kept the best candidates connected through leadership changes and market challenges, helping us land them. In the end, Kristian helped rebuild our marketing leadership team. We got the best talent—and the best-balanced team."
— Patrice Varni, CMO, Purple
"Our need was unique: an e-commerce leader with full-funnel experience who could build while leading. Kristian presented a slate that included a CMO-level stretch candidate. That's who we hired. His partnership and strategic framework made the project a success."
— Cyndi Isgrig, CEO/President, Dermstore (Target)
"Kristian embeds himself in our organization and understands what leadership actually succeeds with clients—because he's worked in our business. He truly cares: I sense it in the questions he asks, and he'll present his perspective to broaden our thinking. He's the closest outside recruiter I've ever worked with who truly feels like an extension of our business, not a vendor."
— Linda Sorbera, Chief Talent Oﬃcer, MRM
“Kristian has been far more than a search partner—he's been an ongoing advisor on talent. Pella sits at an interesting intersection: we're 100 years old and deeply focused on innovation and transformation (Fast Company named us a Best Workplace for Innovators this year). As we navigated a generational leadership shift and built the team to take us into our next chapter, Kristian helped me think through not just who to hire but also how to structure roles, where the market was headed, and which leaders would thrive in our culture. He's a trusted thought partner I turn to on talent, team building, and decisions that go well beyond any single search."
— Keith Mann, CMO, Pella
"I've worked with Kristian several times. His transition from industry to executive search gives him an insightful perspective and advisory approach. He has an uncanny ability to identify candidates for challenging roles who consistently exceed expectations."
— Brendan Moorcroft, SVP, Head of Solutions & Services, Hearst Magazines

"I've worked with many recruiters over 25 years, and Kristian is by far the best. He delivers top-quality candidates that fit, brings deep industry knowledge, listens and adapts, and builds true partnerships. Kristian helped us build several critical teams at Intel—placing leaders who were promoted multiple times and made real impact. Beyond results, Kristian is simply a decent person—integrity, empathy, and commitment in every interaction."
— Julie Keshmiry, Chief of Staff, Intel
"Kristian's judgment on fit and potential goes beyond the brief and CV—one of the best hires I ever made."
— Navin Sharma, Chief Commercial Officer, Inspire Brands
"Kristian has a special knack for understanding a client's needs and delivering talent against this."
— Tyler Pietz, Global EVP, Monks
"Kristian took time to deeply understand our business, probe where the right talent could unlock growth, and gauge social ﬁt as well as experience. He kept the best candidates connected through leadership changes and market challenges, helping us land them. In the end, Kristian helped rebuild our marketing leadership team. We got the best talent—and the best-balanced team."
— Patrice Varni, CMO, Purple
"Our need was unique: an e-commerce leader with full-funnel experience who could build while leading. Kristian presented a slate that included a CMO-level stretch candidate. That's who we hired. His partnership and strategic framework made the project a success."
— Cyndi Isgrig, CEO/President, Dermstore (Target)
"Kristian embeds himself in our organization and understands what leadership actually succeeds with clients—because he's worked in our business. He truly cares: I sense it in the questions he asks, and he'll present his perspective to broaden our thinking. He's the closest outside recruiter I've ever worked with who truly feels like an extension of our business, not a vendor."
— Linda Sorbera, Chief Talent Oﬃcer, MRM
“Kristian has been far more than a search partner—he's been an ongoing advisor on talent. Pella sits at an interesting intersection: we're 100 years old and deeply focused on innovation and transformation (Fast Company named us a Best Workplace for Innovators this year). As we navigated a generational leadership shift and built the team to take us into our next chapter, Kristian helped me think through not just who to hire but also how to structure roles, where the market was headed, and which leaders would thrive in our culture. He's a trusted thought partner I turn to on talent, team building, and decisions that go well beyond any single search."
— Keith Mann, CMO, Pella
"I've worked with Kristian several times. His transition from industry to executive search gives him an insightful perspective and advisory approach. He has an uncanny ability to identify candidates for challenging roles who consistently exceed expectations."
— Brendan Moorcroft, SVP, Head of Solutions & Services, Hearst Magazines

"I've worked with many recruiters over 25 years, and Kristian is by far the best. He delivers top-quality candidates that fit, brings deep industry knowledge, listens and adapts, and builds true partnerships. Kristian helped us build several critical teams at Intel—placing leaders who were promoted multiple times and made real impact. Beyond results, Kristian is simply a decent person—integrity, empathy, and commitment in every interaction."
— Julie Keshmiry, Chief of Staff, Intel
"Kristian's judgment on fit and potential goes beyond the brief and CV—one of the best hires I ever made."
— Navin Sharma, Chief Commercial Officer, Inspire Brands
"Kristian has a special knack for understanding a client's needs and delivering talent against this."
— Tyler Pietz, Global EVP, Monks
"Kristian took time to deeply understand our business, probe where the right talent could unlock growth, and gauge social ﬁt as well as experience. He kept the best candidates connected through leadership changes and market challenges, helping us land them. In the end, Kristian helped rebuild our marketing leadership team. We got the best talent—and the best-balanced team."
— Patrice Varni, CMO, Purple
"Our need was unique: an e-commerce leader with full-funnel experience who could build while leading. Kristian presented a slate that included a CMO-level stretch candidate. That's who we hired. His partnership and strategic framework made the project a success."
— Cyndi Isgrig, CEO/President, Dermstore (Target)
"Kristian embeds himself in our organization and understands what leadership actually succeeds with clients—because he's worked in our business. He truly cares: I sense it in the questions he asks, and he'll present his perspective to broaden our thinking. He's the closest outside recruiter I've ever worked with who truly feels like an extension of our business, not a vendor."
— Linda Sorbera, Chief Talent Oﬃcer, MRM
“Kristian has been far more than a search partner—he's been an ongoing advisor on talent. Pella sits at an interesting intersection: we're 100 years old and deeply focused on innovation and transformation (Fast Company named us a Best Workplace for Innovators this year). As we navigated a generational leadership shift and built the team to take us into our next chapter, Kristian helped me think through not just who to hire but also how to structure roles, where the market was headed, and which leaders would thrive in our culture. He's a trusted thought partner I turn to on talent, team building, and decisions that go well beyond any single search."
— Keith Mann, CMO, Pella
"I've worked with Kristian several times. His transition from industry to executive search gives him an insightful perspective and advisory approach. He has an uncanny ability to identify candidates for challenging roles who consistently exceed expectations."
— Brendan Moorcroft, SVP, Head of Solutions & Services, Hearst Magazines

Client outcomes

Credit One Bank (Sherman Financial Group) | From Bottom Quartile to Top 15 US Card Issuer

Inspire Brands (Roark Capital) | From Portfolio-Level Digital Leader to Brand CMO

MRM (Omnicom) | Where a Large Firm Walked Away

McCann (Omnicom) | When the Right Assessment Outlasts the Search

Pella Windows (Private, 100+ Years) | Transformation in a Traditional Category

Request an AI summary

*Internal TMG metrics, 2014–present

†Industry benchmark: Clockwork Recruiting, Executive Search Performance Benchmark Report, November 2024

Request an AI summary

*Internal TMG metrics, 2014–present

†Industry benchmark: Clockwork Recruiting, Executive Search Performance Benchmark Report, November 2024

Request an AI summary

*Internal TMG metrics, 2014–present

†Industry benchmark: Clockwork Recruiting, Executive Search Performance Benchmark Report, November 2024

Request an AI summary

*Internal TMG metrics, 2014–present

†Industry benchmark: Clockwork Recruiting, Executive Search Performance Benchmark Report, November 2024