Executive Search
Case Study:

Type: retained executive search
Title: Vice President of Sales
Role: national sales leadership
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Client: Digital Marketing Agency
Collaboration: CEO, CTO and search committee
Completed by: Deare MN executive search team

Company Profile
Privately-owned Digital Marketing Agency and Marketing Technology platform builder, with unrivaled fluency at the intersection of marketing and technology. The company is positioned at the leading edge of digital engagement ecosystem development. Far beyond anything that resembles web design services, our Client builds state-of-the art marketing technology platforms and provides strategic services powering customer and channel engagement. The development of a new digital marketing platform is the springboard for a massive national growth phase.

Key Selection Criteria
– Minimum 15 years in marketing, sales and sales leadership, including agency or client experience
– Demonstrated success in the marketing technology realm, in-depth understanding of technology and digital marketing from both marketing and delivery channel perspectives
– Industry expertise, career depth, and trend awareness in the digital marketing, digital business, ecommerce and interactive digital customer experience space
– A highly adaptable leader, capable of adjusting immediately to changing technologies, demand shifts and competitive incursions
– A collaborative and inclusive leader, authentic and open communicator and people-first team builder
– Bachelor’s Degree, MBA preferred

Challenge
In light of the national go-to-market effort with the new marketing technology platform, the demands on the Vice President of Sales will be heavy. It is critical to have an accomplished sales leader capable of working on the front-line of sales in the field, with the team, penetrating new Fortune 1000 and larger accounts at the “C” and VP levels. Additionally, the VP will be required to strengthen and expand the current national sales team, develop business deepening campaigns with existing clients, move the needle on strategic services revenue, and pull together a cohesive strategy for each area of the broader business foundation. A versatile, well-organized, multi-talented, hardworking road-warrior with acute long-range vision will be required.

Solution
Rick Deare was contacted by the CEO, who requested an immediate meeting to discuss the hiring challenge. At the meeting, the CEO, CTO and others involved on the search committee detailed the business needs and the requirements of a highly demanding VP Sales role. After presenting an assessment and search solution with projected outcome, Deare was retained and asked to immediately launch the search.

Result
Search targets involved relevant, top-level leaders with broad sales executive skills sets and distinguished accomplishments in go-to-market context.

Within a fairly extensive queue of prospective candidates, one influential sales leader became the focus of our pursuit. With a strong history of developing and leading strategic initiatives, establishing beachheads in national sales rollouts, and building a powerful sales force in the field, this highly organized sales executive became the runaway Client favorite for the Vice President of Sales role.

Hired.