Executive Search Success Story: Omnichannel Marketing Transformation — Food & Beverage CMO Search

How JRG Partners executed a confidential Chief Marketing Officer search for an established food company connecting traditional brand equity with digital, e-commerce, and direct-to-consumer growth.

The Challenge

An established food company with a broad product portfolio was undergoing significant changes in how consumers discovered, evaluated, and purchased its products. Historically reliant on traditional retail marketing and established distribution channels, the company needed to respond to the growing importance of e-commerce, digital engagement, direct-to-consumer activity, and omnichannel behavior.

The CEO and Board required a Chief Marketing Officer who could protect established brand equity while accelerating digital and omnichannel growth, connecting traditional brand marketing with digital, e-commerce, consumer insights, and commercial strategy.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Food & Beverage CMO Executive Search Expertise

JRG Partners provided access to senior marketing executives across food, beverage, CPG, retail, e-commerce, and consumer brands.

Omnichannel Marketing Expertise

The search addressed brand and consumer engagement across retail, e-commerce, DTC, social media, digital advertising, consumer engagement, customer data, loyalty, and mobile/online channels.

Digital Transformation Leadership

The required leader needed to modernize the marketing organization without compromising established brand equity.

Confidential Executive Search Execution

The CMO transition was strategically sensitive, requiring discretion and confidentiality throughout the engagement.

The Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Leadership Assessment

JRG Partners worked directly with the CEO, Board, and Human Resources leadership to evaluate brand positioning, organizational structure, and digital capabilities. The assessment focused on:

• Brand positioning and core equity
• Marketing organizational structure
• Retail strategy and expansion goals
• E-commerce and DTC objectives
• Consumer engagement and digital capabilities
• Customer data, loyalty, and segmentation
• Omnichannel priorities across product portfolio
• Marketing technology and analytics requirements

Phase 2 — Market Mapping

JRG Partners mapped major food manufacturers, CPG organizations, global consumer brands, retail-focused businesses, DTC companies, e-commerce brands, foodservice companies, digital-first consumer brands, PE-backed consumer organizations, and omnichannel businesses across North America.

Phase 3 — Executive Engagement

Our consultants discreetly engaged senior executives with proven records in food and CPG marketing, brand transformation, omnichannel marketing, e-commerce, digital marketing, DTC, consumer insights, customer engagement, marketing analytics, retail marketing, product innovation, and growth strategy.

Phase 4 — Assessment & Selection

Finalists were evaluated across strategic CMO leadership, food & beverage expertise, brand management, consumer insights, digital transformation, e-commerce, omnichannel strategy, DTC marketing, customer engagement, analytics, product innovation, team leadership, cross-functional collaboration, cultural alignment, and long-term potential.