C-Suite & Executive Leadership Search
CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, chief commercial officers, CHROs and technology leaders for consumer brands and retailers, found through confidential, research-led search.
When a chief executive, CFO, or chief commercial officer leaves a consumer goods business, the cost of a slow or wrong appointment compounds quickly. Strategy stalls, teams lose direction, commercial momentum slips, and boards start asking questions. C-suite executive search exists to reduce that risk. It is a structured, confidential method for identifying, assessing, and securing the senior leaders a business actually needs, before a vacancy turns into a crisis.
SundryHall is a specialist recruitment agency focused on the consumer goods and retail sector. We run executive search mandates for brands, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across the United States, filling leadership roles at the highest level of the organization: CEO, CFO, COO, chief commercial officer, chief marketing officer, and the functional directors who report to them. This page explains what our C-suite executive search service covers, how the process works, and when a retained search is the right choice for your business.
Because we work in a single sector, every search starts from a working knowledge of the market: who is performing in which category, which leaders have taken a brand from regional to national distribution, and who has run a turnaround on a mature portfolio. That means a search starts from informed possibilities rather than a blank page.
What C-suite executive search means at SundryHall
C-suite executive search is a retained, research-led approach to hiring for the most senior positions in a business. We do not advertise an opening and wait for applications. Our consultants map the market, identify proven executive leaders, and approach them directly on your behalf. That includes passive candidates who are performing well elsewhere and are not actively looking, which is often where the strongest shortlist comes from.
Typical mandates include chief executive, chief operating officer and general manager searches, chief financial officers, chief marketing and chief growth officers, chief commercial officers, chief human resources officers and technology leaders such as CTOs and CIOs. Because our focus is the consumer goods and retail industry, every search strategy is grounded in an understanding of your category, your channels, and the commercial pressures your next leader will face from day one.
A retained mandate also means we work as an extension of your board rather than as one of several agencies racing to submit résumés. Before any approach is made, we agree the brief with you in detail: the mandate for the role, the commercial objectives in the first twelve to twenty-four months, the leadership style that will succeed in your culture, and the compensation structure the market will expect. That alignment is what keeps a senior search focused and gives every conversation with a potential candidate credibility from the first call.
Who we work with and when
We search for CPG manufacturers, food and beverage brands, beauty and personal care companies, and grocery, specialty, and ecommerce retailers. We work with founders, boards, and HR and talent acquisition leaders who need a hire that will hold up under scrutiny, whether that means recruiting a first professional executive team, appointing commercial leadership ahead of a growth phase, or replacing a leader whose departure cannot become public knowledge before a successor is secured.
Retained search earns its cost when a search must be confidential, when the credible candidate pool is narrow, or when a previous bad hire has made the cost of another mistake painfully clear. Each of those situations calls for a mapped, evidence-led process rather than a list of available résumés, and that is the work we do.
Just as importantly, we are clear about where this service is not the right fit. Appointments below director level run through our other recruitment services. We do not handle entry-level, junior or staff-level positions or internships, and we do not place temporary, hourly or staff-level contract workers; contract and interim appointments at manager level and above run through our interim practice. If a brief is not one we can serve well, we will tell you before any engagement begins.
C-suite roles we search for
Each C-suite role has its own page, covering what the role owns in a consumer business and what the search tests for.
CEO, COO and general manager
A chief executive or chief operating officer sets the direction of a consumer business and carries the board, investors and retail partners with it, while a general manager runs a brand, division or region with full commercial accountability. The search tests strategic judgment, a record of leading through growth or change, and fit with your ownership structure.
CFO
A consumer goods chief financial officer manages thin margins, trade spend, working capital tied up in inventory and the reporting that boards and investors rely on. The search tests commercial finance as well as technical depth, because a CFO who has only worked in asset-light businesses can misread how a consumer business makes money.
CMO and chief growth officer
A chief marketing or chief growth officer owns brand positioning, demand and the marketing budget, and increasingly the revenue growth that comes from them. The search looks for leaders who can show how their plans moved revenue, margin and market share.
Chief commercial officer
A chief commercial officer brings sales, key accounts, pricing and channel strategy under one owner. The search tests revenue ownership, credibility with major retail customers at the most senior level, and the judgment to work alongside a CEO, CFO and board.
CHRO and chief people officer
A chief human resources officer leads the workforce behind stores, plants, distribution centers and head offices, from workforce planning and reward to culture and succession. The search looks for leaders who have led a workforce of that shape and can advise a CEO and board on talent and organizational risk.
CTO and CIO
Technology leaders in consumer and retail businesses run the ecommerce platforms, data, ERP and store systems that the whole business depends on. The search tests delivery against the retail calendar, judgment about legacy systems, and the ability to explain technical trade-offs to a board in commercial terms.
How a C-suite search runs
A retained executive search at SundryHall runs in five stages, adapted to the seniority and confidentiality of each mandate. The structure below is what gives clients visibility at every stage: you always know which candidates have been approached, how they were assessed, and what the search is telling us about the wider market. We agree the milestones with you at the outset and review progress against the agreed criteria throughout.
Brief and alignment
We meet your stakeholders (chair, board, CEO, or HR director, depending on the role) to agree the brief in detail. That means defining the mandate of the position, the commercial outcomes the appointment must deliver, the cultural fit you are looking for, and the timeline you are working to. Crucially, we agree the criteria against which every candidate will be judged before the search begins, so that shortlisting decisions later are evidence-based rather than subjective. Where stakeholders hold different views on the role, we surface and resolve that at this stage rather than at the shortlist stage.
Market research and mapping
We map the talent pool across relevant consumer and retail sectors to identify every credible executive candidate, not only the visible ones. This includes executives who are performing well in the role and are not actively looking: the people a job advertisement will never reach. The mapping is organized by target company, function, and level, and is shared with you so you can see the full universe of candidates and tell us where to focus or where conflicts exist. The research itself is often valuable beyond the appointment, giving you a current picture of how comparable roles are structured and rewarded elsewhere in the market.
Confidential direct outreach
We approach shortlisted individuals discreetly, presenting the opportunity in a way that protects your business and the candidate's current position. Confidentiality runs both ways: where a search is sensitive (a replacement for an incumbent, or a role that signals a change in strategy), we can approach the market without naming the client until a candidate is genuinely engaged and under an appropriate agreement. Every conversation is handled by a consultant who can speak credibly about the role, not by someone working from a script.
Assessment and shortlisting
We interview and assess candidates against the agreed brief, then present a tight shortlist with clear supporting evidence for each recommendation. Assessment covers career results, functional capability, leadership style, and motivation for the move. You receive a written report on each shortlisted executive setting out the evidence behind our view, including where we have reservations, because a shortlist is only useful if it tells you the risks as well as the strengths. We also brief you on candidates we chose not to put forward and why, so you can see the full picture behind the recommendation. References are taken, with the candidate's consent, before an offer is made, and any background checks follow your own process.
Offer, close, and follow-up
We manage the offer and resignation stage carefully, advising on package structure, handling counter-offer risk, and keeping both sides informed through what is often the most fragile part of the process. Once terms are agreed, we stay close to the candidate through notice period and resignation. After the executive joins, we check in with both the appointee and the hiring stakeholder to confirm the appointment is landing well and to address any issues early, while they are still easy to resolve.
Why consumer goods companies choose specialist C-suite recruiters
Our consultants work only in consumer goods and retail, so they understand how seasonality, retailer relationships, supply chain complexity, and margin pressure shape what good executive leadership looks like in your business. Consider a category director who has negotiated a joint business plan, a COO who has rebuilt a distribution network under cost pressure, or a CFO who has defended gross margin through a commodity spike. They are different leaders from their equivalents in sectors where demand is predictable and routes to market are simple. That context changes who we approach and how we assess them, because a leader who succeeded in a different sector may not survive contact with your retail calendar or your retail partners.
Our executive leadership search covers the whole United States. That matters when the right chief executive, chief commercial officer, or supply chain leader sits in another state, or when relocation is part of the conversation from day one. And because we prioritize quality of shortlist over volume, your board and human resources team spend their time with candidates who merit the meeting rather than screening a long list that was assembled to look thorough. On every search you know where the mandate stands, who has been approached, what the market is telling us, and what happens next.
Retained and exclusive engagement terms
C-suite and executive leadership mandates are usually run as a retained search, which suits the deep market mapping, confidential approaches, and rigorous assessment that senior appointments demand. For some executive roles an exclusive arrangement is the better fit, and we will advise you on the structure that suits your situation, timeline, and level of confidentiality required.
Fees are agreed in writing before work begins, and the terms are set out clearly so there are no surprises later in the process.
Our work at this level covers permanent appointments to leadership positions across commercial, operational, and supply chain functions, as well as finance and human resources. Interim and fractional executives are placed through our fractional and interim leadership practice.
Frequently asked questions about our leadership search
How long does a C-suite search usually take?
Timelines vary with the seniority of the role and the scarcity of the profile, so rather than quote a generic figure we agree clear milestones at the outset of the engagement. You will know when to expect the longlist, the shortlist and the first interviews, and we report progress against those milestones throughout the search so there are no surprises.
How do you protect confidentiality?
All outreach is conducted on a discreet basis. Candidate and client identities are disclosed only at the appropriate stage of the process, and only with the consent of both parties. Where a search is sensitive (for example, an incumbent is still in the role, or a leadership change has not yet been announced), we agree the disclosure approach with you before any approach is made.
Do you work with private equity-backed businesses?
Yes. We run executive searches across the ownership spectrum, including investor-backed businesses where a board or ownership group is driving the leadership change. Governance, reporting and stakeholder involvement are adapted to your structure, so sponsors, chairs and non-executive directors are kept informed at the level of detail each requires.
What if we need a leader in a function you have not listed?
The functions described here are a selection rather than an exhaustive list. If your mandate sits elsewhere in the organization, contact us and we will tell you honestly whether it is a search we can run well.
Start the conversation with SundryHall
The right executive changes the trajectory of a business, and finding that person deserves a careful, sector-led search process. If you are planning a C-suite or executive leadership appointment in the consumer goods or retail space, speak with our team before the role becomes widely known, because early confidentiality gives you more room to move. Call us at +1 888-202-9809 or email [email protected] to discuss your brief in confidence.
An initial conversation is exploratory and carries no obligation. It is simply a chance to talk through the shape of the role, the commercial context behind it, and the kind of leader who would thrive in your organization. A conversation can start long before a vacancy formally exists, at the point where a board is weighing succession, a founder is considering stepping back, or a growth plan calls for capability the current team does not yet hold.
What to have ready
You do not need a finished job description to get started. It helps to have a sense of the following, though we can work through any of it together:
- The remit of the role and how it sits within your leadership team
- The commercial priorities the appointment is expected to address
- Reporting lines, board exposure, and decision-making authority
- Location, travel expectations, and any hybrid working arrangements
- Your intended timeline, including any board or investor milestones
- How confidential the search needs to be, internally and externally
What happens next
After the first conversation, we set out how we would approach the search, the markets and talent pools we would target, and the timeline you can expect. If you decide to proceed, we agree the brief in writing before any approach is made, so you retain full control over how your business is represented in the market.
Brief us on the role you need to fill
Tell us about the position, the location and the timeline. A consultant who works your sector will follow up to talk through how we would run the search.