Executive Search - Marketing
Executive search for senior marketing leaders who shape strategy, culture and long-term performance.
Senior marketing hires shape strategy, culture and long-term performance. When a role is critical, highly visible or business-defining, it requires a thorough and considered approach to secure the right leadership fit.
Brand Recruitment’s Executive Search service is designed for organisations hiring senior marketing leaders where quality, fit and impact matter more than speed-to-hire alone. We work closely with founders, CEOs and senior leadership teams to identify and secure experienced marketing talent that delivers measurable commercial value.
When Marketing Executive Search is the right approach
Marketing Executive Search is typically used when:
- The role is senior or business-critical
- You need access to passive, hard-to-reach marketing leaders
- Confidentiality and discretion are essential
- Previous recruitment approaches have not delivered the right outcome
- Cultural alignment and leadership capability are as important as technical skill
We most commonly support hires at Head of, Director and C-suite level across brand, digital, growth, CRM, product, ecommerce and integrated marketing leadership.
Our approach
Our executive search process is consultative, insight-led and deliberately thorough. We invest time upfront to fully understand your business, objectives and leadership context before approaching the market.
Discovery and role definition
This is the foundation of successful executive search. Over the course of our discovery process, we will work with you to clarify:
- Business goals and commercial challenges
- Team structure and leadership dynamics
- Role scope, expectations and success measures
- Required experience, behaviours and mindset
This ensures the search is built on a clear and realistic brief that resonates with senior-level candidates.
Market mapping and search
Using our long-established networks we map the relevant market to identify individuals with the right blend of experience, leadership capability and cultural fit. This means you can:
- Rest assured you have had a full oversight of the market as a whole – no missing out on the perfect candidate for the sake of a minor tweak
- Be aware of what your competitors and other market leaders are offering their key talent
Our focus is on engaging senior marketers who are not actively applying for roles but are open to the right opportunity.
Assessment and shortlisting
Candidates are assessed well beyond their CV. We explore:
- Leadership style and decision-making approach
- Commercial impact and track record
- Strategic thinking and execution capability
- Cultural alignment with your organisation
You receive a concise, well-considered shortlist with clear insight and honest feedback.
Offer management and onboarding support
We manage the process through:
- Offer – working with you on package structure and dealing with any candidate concerns or queries
- Resignation – dealing with counter-offer issues and managing timescales
- Onboarding – liaising with internal departments to ensure the smoothest possible introduction for your new hire
Why Brand Recruitment?
Brand Recruitment has specialised in the marketing arena since 2005, uniting businesses of all shapes and sizes with the best available talent. Our Executive Search arm has evolved naturally on the back of our long-standing relationships with senior marketing leaders across the UK and beyond.
Clients choose us because:
- We specialise in marketing and commercial leadership
- We bring real market insight, not generic search theory
- We prioritise quality, alignment and long-term impact
- We operate with discretion, transparency and honesty
- We act as a trusted advisor, not a transactional supplier
How we charge
Executive search assignments are typically delivered on a retained basis, reflecting the depth of research, market engagement and assessment involved. This allows us to commit fully to the search and operate as an extension of your leadership team. We will always advise candidly on whether our marketing executive search is the right solution, or whether an alternative recruitment approach would deliver a better outcome.
Recent marketing executive search assignments
A selection of the senior marketing roles we've placed
Head of Marketing
Internal Communications Lead
Account Director
Trusted experts
We’re proud of our strong reputation and proven success in marketing recruitment.
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I was headhunted by Jon for a Marketing Manager position, and I had a really positive experience working with him throughout the process. He was personable, professional and supportive from start to finish. I felt well guided throughout the process and would highly recommend Jon to anyone looking for a recruiter who is both effective and a pleasure to work with. -
I’ve had a great experience working with Brand Recruitment, and particularly Steve, who supported me in building out my marketing team with consistently strong candidates. He was professional, thorough, and clearly took the time to understand my brief each time I used their services. I’d highly recommend Brand Recruitment to any marketing leader looking to hire high-quality talent.
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I recently had the absolute pleasure with working with Jon Booth at Brand Recruitment, he made the whole process incredibly easy and very professional! He was always available to answer any questions i had and worked around my schedule. Jon was able to get me the perfect job and exactly what i was looking for! I cant thank him enough and would definitely recommend Jon and Brand Recruitment to anyone who is looking for a new Job.
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Steve at Brand was a great recruiter to work with. I went through a 3 stage interview and after each round Steve shared direct and honest feedback which helped me to tailor my thinking for the next stage. It's something I probably wouldn't have had if I went directly via the employer. It was a pleasure working with Steve, always chatty, personable and happy to be a sounding board- which made the whole process much more relaxed!
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I am beyond grateful for the support I received from Jon Booth to get my ideal job. He was considerate with the my available time continuing to give guidance from start to finish. Thanks you for all your help!
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I love the expertise Sarah from Brand Recruitment brings to the recruitment process. I am grateful for the valuable insight and support she offered me during the interviews. She was very clear about her Client’s expectations for the role, so I could present myself in the best possible way. She was always readily available to answer my questions and updated me about every little details. She is knowledgeable and experienced - and helped me get a superb job within my preferred industry. I would highly recommend her services!
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Sarah at Brand recruitment picked up my job application and forward me on to 3 different roles. She was attentive and helpful at every step of the process and massively aided my success during these interviews. My experience with Sarah and Brand Recruitment was fantastic
Hire your next marketing leader with confidence
If you are considering a senior marketing hire and want an informed and insightful conversation about the market, we would be happy to help.
Call Us 
Send Brief Executive search questions & answers
Is Executive Search the best way to ensure we secure the senior marketer we are looking for?
Very much so. By taking the time to fully understand your senior marketing recruitment needs, we can then provide you with a market map that will indicate the range and level of marketing talent available. Standard contingency recruitment models allow for either no or negligible activity on this front. By using a marketing headhunter you can rest assured you will receive a shortlist that reflects the talent available in the market – not just those who hit apply.
How long does your executive search for marketers take?
Our executive search process can fit around your own internal requirements. Naturally market-mapping and the search and selection take time, yet more often than not the speed with which a process is completed depends on how long you as a client take to review shortlists and arrange interviews etc.
Isn't executive search really expensive?
Quite the opposite! By engaging us on a marketing headhunter, you are actually going to spend less than if you worked with us on contingency basis. The upfront commitment means we can allocate all of the necessary time and resources to leave no stone unturned.
Is your marketing executive search service for senior level appointments only?
Companies can use executive search for any role. We are happy to work on an executive search basis on roles at all levels and our clients benefit from better value for money.