Executive Search Success Story: Building a Global Trade and Customs Leadership Team to Navigate Tariff Volatility and Forced Labor Enforcement at a Consumer Electronics Importer

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a consumer electronics brand importing $1.8B annually with the global trade, customs, tariff strategy, and supply chain traceability leadership required to manage escalating tariff exposure, release detained shipments under forced labor enforcement, and recover $60M in duties.

The Challenge

A consumer electronics brand had managed trade compliance through its logistics department and outside brokers, which worked until tariffs on its primary sourcing countries escalated and Customs and Border Protection detained several shipments under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, demanding supply chain documentation the company could not produce. Tariff costs had risen by more than $120M annually, classification practices were inconsistent, duty drawback and first sale opportunities had never been pursued, and the board had identified trade as a top enterprise risk. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the business:

• Tariff costs up more than $120M annually with no duty optimization strategy
• Shipments detained under forced labor enforcement with no supply chain traceability capability
• Inconsistent tariff classification across thousands of SKUs managed by brokers
• No pursuit of duty drawback, first sale valuation, or free trade zone benefits
• Trade compliance owned by logistics with no dedicated executive leadership
• Sourcing diversification decisions being made without trade compliance input

Recognizing that trade had become a strategic and financial function requiring executive leadership, the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Vice President of Global Trade & Customs, Director of Tariff Classification & Duty Optimization, Director of Supply Chain Traceability & Forced Labor Compliance, and Director of Trade Operations & Free Trade Zones. The company required an executive search partner with deep trade compliance expertise and access to leaders who had managed tariff volatility and forced labor enforcement at scale.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Global Trade Compliance Practice Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice recruiting global trade compliance, customs, and trade strategy leadership for importers, brands, retailers, and manufacturers, with a clear understanding of tariff strategy, forced labor enforcement, and the financial impact of trade decisions.

Importer and Retail Expertise

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting trade leaders for consumer products importers who have built classification, valuation, and traceability programs across high-SKU, multi-country supply chains.

Multi-Role Execution

Our team specializes in running coordinated trade leadership searches in parallel, ensuring the vice president and directors are selected as a complementary unit aligned to a single trade strategy.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Trade Strategy Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Supply Chain Officer, and General Counsel to review tariff exposure, detention history, classification data, broker arrangements, and sourcing plans, defining four leadership profiles aligned with the trade strategy.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting trade, customs, tariff, and supply chain compliance leaders at consumer electronics, retail, apparel, and consumer products importers and customs advisory firms who had led documented duty savings and enforcement responses. Over 310 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of reducing duty costs through classification, valuation, drawback, and free trade zone strategies, securing release of detained shipments through supply chain traceability, building broker management programs, and advising sourcing decisions on trade impact. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented trade strategies to the Chief Financial Officer and executive committee, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified duty savings and enforcement outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 310+ global trade, customs, and supply chain compliance executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning trade, tariff strategy, traceability, and trade operations within five months.
• Secured release of all detained shipments within four months.
• Recovered $60M in overpaid duties.
• Reduced annual duty costs by $45M.
• Guided the shift of 30% of production to lower-tariff, verified sourcing.