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 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
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.
"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."
— Julie Keshmiry, Chief of Staff, Intel
"I had worked with a search firm before, but when I needed to hire my most important leader - critical to our growth strategy - I called Kristian, because hands-on expertise mattered in shaping the identification of talent that was going to drive results. That tells you everything about trust. He's an extension of my leadership team, not a vendor."
— Megan Malli, CEO, AnswerLab
(Shamrock Capital portfolio company)"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
(Roark Capital portfolio company)"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 Pella the 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
"Kristian and I have worked together for nearly a decade on senior, high-visibility searches — obscure and demanding remits. What separates him: his lens on what the role needs to accomplish, not just who to hire. He brings candidates we wouldn’t see otherwise — a broader talent pool and a fresh lens on our business. The people he's brought in have stayed, delivered, and created real value — and he stays engaged long after the search closes."
— James Fortsch, SVP Talent, McCann
