Executive Search Success Story: High-Growth Food & Beverage CMO Search — Scaling Marketing for a Consumer Brand

How JRG Partners executed a confidential Chief Marketing Officer search for a high-growth food brand transforming its marketing function from execution-focused to a strategic growth organization.

Engagement Snapshot

The Challenge

A high-growth food brand had experienced rapid increases in revenue, distribution, product development, and consumer awareness. As the business scaled, its existing marketing leadership structure could no longer support the organization’s increasing complexity.

The CEO and Board needed a CMO capable of transforming marketing from a primarily execution-focused function into a strategic growth organization. The executive needed to build the marketing organization while simultaneously driving consumer growth, with particular emphasis on acquisition, brand awareness, retail distribution, e-commerce, consumer data, product launches, and leadership succession.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Food & Beverage CMO Executive Search Expertise

JRG Partners provided access to marketing executives with experience across food, CPG, consumer products, digital commerce, retail, and high-growth organizations.

Growth Marketing Leadership

The search connected brand awareness, consumer acquisition, customer engagement, digital marketing, e-commerce, product innovation, analytics, and revenue growth.

Access to Passive Marketing Executives

Discreet outreach reached experienced marketing executives already leading successful consumer organizations who were not visible through traditional recruitment channels.

Organizational Transformation Expertise

The mandate required a leader who could build teams, establish processes, develop capabilities, and create a scalable marketing structure—not simply run campaigns.

The Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Leadership Assessment

JRG Partners worked directly with the CEO, Board, and Human Resources leadership to evaluate marketing capabilities, organizational structure, and three-year growth objectives. The assessment focused on:

• Marketing capabilities and structure
• Brand awareness and consumer acquisition
• Digital and e-commerce requirements
• Customer engagement and retention
• Product launch execution
• Marketing technology and analytics
• Team development and succession
• Market expansion goals

Phase 2 — Market Mapping

JRG Partners mapped high-growth food companies, CPG organizations, consumer packaged goods brands, emerging food brands, DTC companies, retail-focused organizations, foodservice businesses, PE-backed and venture-backed consumer brands, and global consumer organizations across North America.

Phase 3 — Executive Engagement

Our consultants discreetly engaged executives with experience in food and beverage marketing, consumer acquisition, brand development, growth marketing, digital marketing, e-commerce, consumer analytics, product launches, go-to-market strategy, marketing technology, customer engagement, team building, and marketing transformation.

Phase 4 — Assessment & Selection

Finalists were evaluated across strategic CMO leadership, food & beverage experience, brand strategy, growth marketing, acquisition, digital transformation, e-commerce, analytics, product launches, team development, cross-functional collaboration, CEO partnership, cultural alignment, and long-term leadership potential.