Executive Search Success Story: Specialty Retail Customer Growth — Retail CMO Search

How JRG Partners executed a confidential search for senior retail marketing leadership for a national specialty retailer navigating changing consumer behavior, digital competition, and customer growth transformation.

The Challenge

A national specialty retailer was facing shifting consumer behavior, rising digital competition, increasing customer acquisition costs, fragmented customer data, limited personalization, and declining effectiveness in traditional channels. With the growing importance of customer loyalty and retail media networks, the CEO and Board needed senior marketing leadership to drive comprehensive customer growth and brand transformation.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Retail Marketing Search Expertise

JRG Partners provided specialized expertise across specialty retail, national retail chains, and customer-centric growth models.

Customer-Centric Leadership Focus

The search emphasized executives with proven track records in customer lifetime value optimization, CRM, customer data integration, and personalization strategies.

Omnichannel & Digital Experience

JRG Partners targeted leaders capable of connecting physical store foot traffic, e-commerce platforms, retail media networks, and digital marketing ecosystems.

Confidential Executive Outreach

Our discreet search methodology ensured full confidentiality and sensitive candidate handling throughout the recruitment process.

The Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Leadership Assessment

JRG Partners conducted an extensive assessment of the company’s customer capabilities and future marketing needs, evaluating:

• Customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value metrics
• CRM, loyalty programs, and digital transformation initiatives
• Retail media opportunities and e-commerce growth
• Store marketing integration, consumer insights, and brand positioning
• Customer experience, marketing technology stack, and leadership succession planning

Phase 2 — Market Mapping

The search team conducted market mapping across specialty retail, national retail chains, department stores, consumer products, e-commerce, direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, retail media platforms, hospitality/consumer services, and PE-backed consumer businesses—evaluating more than 375 senior marketing, customer, and commercial executives.

Phase 3 — Executive Engagement

Consultants discreetly engaged candidates with expertise in retail marketing, customer strategy, brand leadership, CRM, loyalty, digital transformation, e-commerce, analytics, retail media networks, consumer insights, marketing technology, and omnichannel customer experience.

Phase 4 — Assessment & Selection

Finalists were evaluated across strategic marketing, retail expertise, customer strategy, brand stewardship, digital transformation, e-commerce execution, CRM/loyalty capabilities, analytics, retail media strategy, commercial orientation, team development, cross-functional leadership, cultural fit, and long-term retention potential.