Executive Search Success Story: Building the Commercial and Digital Leadership for a National Automotive Aftermarket Parts Distributor

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a family-owned national automotive aftermarket parts distributor with the commercial, e-commerce, category, and supply chain leadership required to defend market position against online and national chain competitors, modernize its go-to-market, and accelerate growth across professional installer and retail channels.

The Challenge

A family-owned national automotive aftermarket distributor with more than 200 locations had built its business on professional installer relationships and local availability, but online parts sellers and national chains were taking share with faster digital ordering, broader assortments, and sharper pricing. The company’s e-commerce capability was minimal, category management was decentralized, inventory productivity lagged competitors, and the commercial organization was structured around regional relationships rather than channel strategy. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening their market position:

• Share losses to online sellers and national chains in both professional installer and retail channels
• E-commerce representing under 5% of sales with limited digital ordering for installers
• Decentralized category management with inconsistent assortment, pricing, and supplier programs
• Inventory turns well below competitors across more than 200 locations
• A regionally organized commercial structure with no channel or enterprise commercial leadership
• Family ownership seeking to modernize without losing the installer relationships that built the business

Recognizing that competitiveness required a modern commercial and digital leadership team, the CEO and family ownership engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Commercial Officer, VP of E-Commerce & Digital, VP of Category Management & Supplier Programs, VP of Distribution & Inventory, and Director of Professional Installer Sales. The company required an executive search partner with deep aftermarket expertise and access to leaders who had modernized distribution businesses against digital competitors.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Automotive Aftermarket Expertise

JRG Partners possesses deep recruiting expertise across aftermarket distributors and retailers, automotive parts manufacturers, and multi-location distribution organizations, including commercial, digital, category, and supply chain leadership. This domain knowledge ensured an immediate understanding of installer and retail channel dynamics, supplier program economics, and the digital capabilities reshaping the aftermarket.

Commercial Modernization Experience

Our team specializes in identifying leaders who have built e-commerce and category management capability in traditional distribution businesses, defending share against digital entrants while preserving relationship-driven channels.

Family-Owned Business Experience

Our firm has extensive experience serving family-controlled distributors, evaluating leadership style and cultural fit alongside commercial credentials to ensure a durable leadership team alongside ownership.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Commercial Review

Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, family ownership, and regional leadership to evaluate share trends, digital capability, category and inventory performance, and the commercial organization. This review aligned the search with channel strategy and modernization priorities while respecting the installer relationships central to the business.

Phase 2 — Industry Talent Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting commercial, e-commerce, category, and distribution executives at aftermarket distributors and retailers, parts manufacturers, and multi-location distribution and e-commerce companies. Over 410 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of building e-commerce in distribution, centralizing category management and supplier programs, improving inventory productivity across large location networks, and growing professional installer channels. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Final Selection

Finalists completed comprehensive leadership and cultural assessments, participated in structured interviews with the CEO and family ownership, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified commercial, digital, and inventory outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 410+ aftermarket, distribution, and e-commerce executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning chief commercial, e-commerce, category management, distribution, and installer sales.
• Grew digital sales from under 5% to more than 20% of revenue within two years.
• Improved gross margin by 160 basis points through centralized category management.
• Raised inventory turns by 30% across more than 200 locations.
• Returned the business to share growth against online and national chain competitors.