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Marketing Executive Search

When Hiring a VP or CMO Feels Too Important to Get Wrong — Companies Retain MarketSearch

Retained Executive Search for Marketing Leaders Who Drive Pipeline, ARR, and Exit Value

We partner with CEOs, Private Equity firms, and Heads of Talent to deliver revenue-driving marketing leaders — when internal recruiting and contingent firms fall short.

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Companies We've Helped

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Why Private Equity Firms Choose VP & SVP Marketing Leaders

  • Too many unqualified applicants
  • Misaligned candidates with no revenue ownership
  • Internal teams overloaded or under-networked
  • PE pressure to deliver growth yesterday
valleyvet
topdown
topdown
summit partners
sirecore
simplisafe
Sams-Club-Recovered
salt
salt
pyramid
putnam
opentext
northstar
northamerican
Nielsen
marmic
marketone
manu
mainst
kkr

Marketing Leadership Recruitment Firm

Experienced, Trusted, Smart Marketing Executive Recruiting

insurcomm
hill
hallmark
guardicore
GMO
express
engage
eci
dell
conenly
clear
cjp
centric
bayer
bain
arnold
american bedding
alimed
akamai
airship
adviser
ADA
aaa
webroot

We don’t run searches.
We solve growth gaps.

  • Retained only (signals premium)
  • 100% focus on marketing leadership
  • AI-driven + MarTech-aware candidate evaluation
  • Revenue-first (pipeline, CAC/LTV, ARR)

This is where most firms fail

  • Placed CMO → +$75M funding secured
  • Built marketing org from zero to scale
  • PE portfolio acceleration stories

Kudos From Companies & Candidates

Kudos From Companies & Candidates

David is a true partner working hard to achieve results for you at every stage of the process. He is knowledgeable, extremely patient and highly focused to provide you the best support. Being new to the process, it was wonderful to work with David who went the extra mile to ensure that the results matched or exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend David to anyone who may be looking for a partner to navigate the market.

I recently had the pleasure of working with David as a candidate. When it comes to recruiting for marketing roles, David knows his stuff. He understands the nuances of marketing that most recruiters do not, so the opportunities he presented to me were a perfect fit for my background and skills. After my experience as a candidate, I am certain to engage David when I need to fill marketing roles as an employer!

Owner and President

David and his firm Marketsearch performed excellent results recruiting an expert in marketing management. He thoroughly discovered our needs and was right on target placing the ideal candidate

Global Digital Marketing Analytics Strategy

David is an extraordinary recruiter. He has a wealth of experience and the ability to identify quality talent, and place them in positions at organizations that provide the best suited culture and career growth development paths. He knows how to communicate very effectively to ensure all parties are in synch. David always keeps you informed throughout the process while providing substantive feedback.

Director of Marketing and Communications

I had a great experience working with David recently. He was very helpful in providing me the information I needed and always followed-up on my questions in a timely manner. David also provided great insight that helped with certain decisions during the interview process. He truly made the process as easy as possible. I appreciate all of his efforts to help me land a great job.

Analyst

I was presented with opportunities through MarketSearch. David prepared best for all my meetings. He is keeping strong communications between myself and the Client. He follows well everything up quite well. I would like recommend David to all my friends.

Vice President, General Manager - Healthcare

I've worked with David at various points during my career and I can honestly say that he's the best when it comes to understanding your strengths and aspirations and matching those with available opportunities. Keeps you up to speed, stays on top of the hiring manager and keeps the process moving. A real pro. Two thumbs up!!

Manager, Digital and Social

As an agency professional, transitioning to in-house/client-side can be a daunting challenge. David helped me transition my career from a PR agency to managing digital and social media marketing at ASICS America. Not only was he my "in" to the company and position before it was publicly posted, he also stayed in constant touch to update me with any news and was always available to chat on the phone before or after an interview to make sure I was doing everything in my power to position myself in the best possible way. I have never met a recruiter that is as excellent a communicator and am eternally thankful for his ability to build such a seamless bridge between employers and potential candidates!

Working with David was, hands down, one of the best experiences I’ve had with a recruiter. From our first conversation, he was transparent, responsive, and genuinely thoughtful about the process. He wasn’t just focused on filling a role. He took the time to understand what I was looking for, made sure it aligned with the team and the company, and kept communication open every step of the way. What stood out most was how consistent and supportive he was. Whether it was prepping for interviews, navigating next steps, or just checking in to make sure things were moving smoothly, David was always on point. It never felt transactional. It felt like someone was in your corner and actually rooting for the right outcome. I’ve worked with a number of recruiters throughout my career, but David set a new standard. If you're a candidate, he’ll make sure you feel seen and supported. If you're hiring, he’ll represent your brand with integrity and care. I can't recommend him enough.

David - I can't thank you and Sherry enough for your professional approach and guidance during my job search. Your ability to identify ECI as a good cultural fit and as a place I could continue to grow professionally was spot on. I am excited about the future ahead and hope to be able to work with you on the other side!

David was a Godsend for us. Listened to our needs, both professional and cultural, and really got a feel for not just what a great candidate looked like, but what a great candidate for our specific company looked like. He provided a deep pool of candidates for us to talk with, managed the process with regular communication, and was available 24/7 during the whole process. I can unequivocally recommend using him for your recruiting needs.

David knows how to find the right candidates for employers and the right employers for candidates. David helped me find the ideal opportunity for me @ Epsilon. Without his industry knowledge, resourcefulness, tenacity, and honesty, I would not have found a job that was the perfect fit with my skills, interest, and experience.

It was great pleasure working with Dave. His experience and maturity in this business was a real benefit to me. Not only did he have one of the strongest networks for Medical Device and Life Science Marketing opportunities, he was also a partner in my transition and job search process. He listened intently to what I was looking for in this stage of my life and career and what I was looking for in a company and matched it with the right opportunity. Often times I have felt like a commodity to be sold when working with other inexperienced recruiters, it was very impersonal. Dave is very personal in his approach and made my journey as if it was his own giving me the right guidance and support when I needed it as well as the space for me to determine what works best for me.

It was a terrific experience to have a person like Dave advocating for me during the interview and hiring process for my latest role at my new company. He made the made everything run smoothly and comfortably from day 1, talking with him about an open position of which he thought I might be a good fit, to the contracting and final transition itself. When the hiring process stalled out for reasons outside anyone's control, I felt confident that Dave was keeping things warm for me. As soon as the HR department was ready to proceed with the interviewing process, Dave was immediately helping to coordinate the logistics on my behalf. He gave me sound advice while I was negotiating my contract and helped me secure a salary and other incentives with which I was more than pleased. I really trusted he had my best interest in mind throughout everything and am very glad that my trust was well placed with Dave. Thanks so very much!

I had the pleasure of working with David on a couple of searches and he truly is the best executive recruiter I have ever worked with. What makes David stand out is his professionalism and his proactive & timely follow up. With David, I never had to wait and wonder, because he would always reach out to inform me of the current status. David's guidance is always honest & insightful and he is always available for a quick consultation. He is a true partner in executive search

As an agency professional, transitioning to in-house/client-side can be a daunting challenge. David helped me transition my career from a PR agency to managing digital and social media marketing at ASICS America. Not only was he my "in" to the company and position before it was publicly posted, he also stayed in constant touch to update me with any news and was always available to chat on the phone before or after an interview to make sure I was doing everything in my power to position myself in the best possible way. I have never met a recruiter that is as excellent a communicator and am eternally thankful for his ability to build such a seamless bridge between employers and potential candidates!

Simply put, David is an absolute machine. David and I connected very early on in my search for a new position. From then on out it was nothing but smooth sailing. He and I connected, and after only five days got me an interview at my dream company. Two days later I received my offer letter. Not only did David play a key role in my job search, he listened to exactly what I was looking for in terms of position and company, then went out and found it. I had never worked with him in the past but he was professional, informative, straight forward, kept me in the loop throughout the process and most importantly was able to provide me exactly what I had been searching for. David is a force to be reckoned with and I mean that in the best way possible.

David is the rare professional who truly understands relationship building. He makes the challenge of recruitment smooth and painless. And he is an ace negotiator who ends up making all parties feel like they are winning. It was a pleasure working with him and I would highly recommend him to my colleagues and peers.

You couldn't work with a better recruiter than Dave. He's kept in touch with me over the past 5-ish years, always checking in to see how I'm doing, let me know things he's working on, and if I'm looking for any new opportunities. Dave does a great job of matching skills/candidates with the right position. He doesn't waste your time and always seems to find the best match. I'd recommend Dave in a heartbeat.

David is fantastic. I have worked with David over the past year as Forrester built out it's Management Consulting offering. Our bar is extremely high, the skill set is in enormous demand and David consistently delivered excellent candidates. David has a very strong knowledge of the market, truly understands and partners with us and delivers outstanding results. I would highly recommend engaging David for your retained and contingency recruiting demands.

The more time you spend in your career, the more important relationships will become in securing your next role. In working with a recruiter you'll gain access to opportunities that you might not otherwise know about. But, not all recruiters are the same caliber. What separates David from the average recruiter is his relationships with the companies and candidates he serves. David takes the time to really understand what each group is looking for and what success looks like. This has many benefits. First, companies see David as an extension of their team which means if David recommends you, hiring managers will gladly take the time to meet you. Second, David is a great mentor and his in-depth knowledge can help candidates vet opportunities and ensure a good fit.

David connected me with an opportunity which became my current position. He was terrific! David was seasoned, knowledgeable and responsive -- a total pleasure to work with. He kept me apprised of developments throughout the hiring process, quickly finding the answers to any questions I had or being a sounding board when I needed to talk. I value his judgement and recommend him highly --

When starting my recent job search, David was one of the first people that I contacted. He provided me with several good options for positions and gave great background information to prep me for interviews. Best of all, David was completely professional. His follow-up was always timely and he ensured I stayed informed throughout the entire process. As a result I took an offer with a company that's a great fit within 6 weeks of starting my search. I'd work with David again in a heartbeat.

David and his firm Marketsearch performed excellent results recruiting an expert in marketing management. He thoroughly discovered our needs and was right on target placing the ideal candidate.David and his firm Marketsearch performed excellent results recruiting an expert in marketing management. He thoroughly discovered our needs and was right on target placing the ideal candidate.

Recently I have had the pleasure of working with David and through my experience it is apparent that David is a true professional whomever he interacts with and is highly skilled at locating talent and building the connection between the job description and the right candidate. He is a perfectionist with an abundance of industry knowledge and is willing to do whatever it takes to find the perfect fit. One of the rare qualities in his profession is patience and Dave has lots of it to wait till both the parties are satisfied with the decision. I really enjoyed the experience and highly recommend him for services on both employer and employee side.

David was instrumental in assisting me in the job search process. He matched me to an ideal opportunity swiftly and with ease. David has great communication skills and provides above average service. He was a pleasure to work with and I would recommend him to any candidate looking to make a career change.

I was presented with opportunities through MarketSearch. David prepared best for all my meetings. He is keeping strong communications between myself and the Client. He follows well everything up quite well. I would like recommend David to all my friends.

David used his vast network to help me obtain a fantastic new position. After being unemployed for a year and working with several different recruiters who never followed through, I found David to be one of the best in the business. He is extremely responsive, upfront and honest. He pushed to move the process along quickly, and even followed up with me after I got the job to make sure I had everything I needed. I have already recommended other Marketing colleagues to him, and hope to cross paths with him again in the future.

I've worked with David at various points during my career and I can honestly say that he's the best when it comes to understanding your strengths and aspirations and matching those with available opportunities. Keeps you up to speed, stays on top of the hiring manager and keeps the process moving. A real pro. Two thumbs up!!

David Honig is a master at his craft. I have worked with numerous recruiters in the past, while trying to move my career forward, and many of them were excellent. What sets David apart, however, is his strategic thought. He did not submit me for a position until he knew that it was an amazing fit, and David was always careful to check with me to ensure that it was the best move possible. At no point did I ever feel like I was a resume he was brandishing to ensure that he could place just another body into just another role. Finally, David has great perspective. During the my experience, there were bumps in the road and changes in the role. My initial reaction was to be upset, but David managed to keep me from jumping off the ledge, calmly explaining that the role was simply morphing into exactly the job i dreamed of. He could not have been more right, despite my initial skepticism.

David is one of the best recruiters around. As a candidate out in the market, David really looked after my best interests. Not only did he take the time to get to understand the type of job and employer I was looking for, but he was always responsive to my inquiries and very conscientious about checking in during the process. I highly recommend David to both employers seeking good people, and candidates looking for the right job.

David is without a doubt the most proactive and communicative recruiter I have worked with. He was in constant contact throughout the interview process, and provided excellent advice on both how to approach the company I was interviewing with, as well as how to leave my exisiting postition gracefully. I recommend his services without reservation.

I cannot recommend David highly enough. He is the kind of professional recruiter you can only hope to work with. Always extra-communicative, insightful and tenacious, working with David has been a fantastic experience

When you're looking for a new position, one of the most frustrating aspects can be the waiting and wondering. Am I still a viable candidate? Where do things stand? Did that interview go well? David was one of the most responsive recruiters I've ever worked with. Even if there wasn't a real update, he would check in and let you know there wasn't a real update. When he did have news, he called immediately. You always know where things stand when you're working with David. He has helpful and professional in preparing for interviews -- a real pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend David.

I had a great experience working with David recently. He was very helpful in providing me the information I needed and always followed-up on my questions in a timely manner. David also provided great insight that helped with certain decisions during the interview process. He truly made the process as easy as possible. I appreciate all of his efforts to help me land a great job.

I recently had the pleasure of working with David as a candidate. When it comes to recruiting for marketing roles, David “knows his stuff”. He understands the nuances of marketing that most recruiters do not, so the opportunities he presented to me were a perfect fit for my background and skills. Incredibly hardworking, David worked late hours and weekends to ensure that I was well prepared for interviews. His follow-through was incredibly disciplined, and he connected immediately after each meeting to gauge initial reactions and assess the potential match. After my experience as a candidate, I am certain to engage David when I need to fill marketing roles as an employer!

Perfect for:

  • PE-backed portfolio companies
  • Growth-stage SaaS ($10M–$100M ARR)
  • Founder-led businesses hiring first marketing leader
  • Companies replacing underperforming VP/CMO

HOW WE WORK

3-step model:

  • Diagnose growth gap (not just job description)
  • Map market (active + passive leaders)
  • Deliver short list aligned to revenue outcomes

ROI SECTION

One great hire = millions in enterprise value

One wrong hire = 12–18 months lost

Request a Confidential Search Discussion

Private Equity Case Studies

  • Case Study 1:

VP of Marketing — First Senior Hire Post-Investment

Situation:
Lower-middle-market PE firm acquired a SaaS platform with founder-led marketing and inconsistent pipeline.

Hire: VP of Marketing

Impact:

  • Built first scalable demand generation engine
  • Implemented CRM, attribution, and reporting
  • Increased qualified pipeline by 2x within 12 months
  • Supported ARR growth targets tied to exit thesis
  • Case Study 2:

SVP Marketing — Value Creation Phase

Situation:
Portfolio company preparing for expansion and exit lacked centralized marketing leadership.

Hire: SVP of Marketing

Impact:

  • Unified performance marketing and analytics
  • Reduced agency spend by building internal team
  • Improved unit economics and forecasting confidence
  • Positioned company for exit readiness
  • Case Study 3:

VP Demand Generation — Pipeline Reset

Situation:
Sales-led organization with stalled growth and weak attribution.

Hire: VP, Demand Generation

Impact:

  • Rebuilt funnel and MQL-to-SQL process
  • Introduced AI-based lead scoring
  • Restored board confidence in pipeline forecasts
OUR BLOGS

INDUSTRY NEWS & RESOURCES

The Roman Empire, AI, and Recruiting the Next Generation of Growth Warriors

The Roman Empire, AI, and Recruiting the Next Generation of Growth Warriors

Are you thinking about The Roman Empire and how every empire’s strength came from its people, strategy, and speed of execution?

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We’re living in an AI gold rush, and the currency isn’t cash — it’s intelligence.

Companies are racing to capture market share, talent, and attention. Some will win big. Others will flame out, much like the “me-too” players of the dot-com era who burned capital without building value. Here’s the truth: your growth strategy is only as strong as the…

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AI Isn’t the Future — It’s the Battlefield. Hire the Right Soldiers Now.

AI Isn’t the Future — It’s the Battlefield. Hire the Right Soldiers Now. We’re in an AI frenzy, and the real currency is intelligence not hype. Some companies will emerge as category-defining winners. Others will burn through capital and fade, just like during ..

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Retained Executive Search for Marketing Leaders Who Drive Growth

When your company is ready to elevate its marketing leadership, you need more than resumes you need a partner who knows what great marketing leadership looks like and how to attract it.

That’s where David Honig and MarketSearch…

Read More

What Our PE Retained Searches Include

Every retained engagement includes:

  • Alignment to investment thesis and value creation plan
  • Role definition and leveling guidance
  • Market mapping and competitive intelligence
  • Direct outreach to passive, PE-proven candidates
  • Structured evaluation and calibration
  • Offer and close support

You work directly with a senior marketing executive recruiter—not a junior team.

Retained Search vs. Contingent Recruiting

For PE-backed VP & SVP marketing hires, retained search delivers:

  • Confidentiality
  • Higher-caliber candidate access
  • Faster execution with fewer resets
  • Lower long-term risk

In PE environments, precision matters.

Retained Search vs. Contingent Recruiting

For PE-backed VP & SVP marketing hires, retained search delivers:

  • Confidentiality
  • Higher-caliber candidate access
  • Faster execution with fewer resets
  • Lower long-term risk

In PE environments, precision matters.

Executive Marketing Search

Build Marketing Leadership That Drives Value

If you are:

  • Hiring a VP or SVP of Marketing for a portfolio company
  • Replacing underperforming marketing leadership
  • Entering a value-creation or exit-planning phase
  • Seeking measurable revenue impact—not brand noise

Schedule a confidential discussion with MarketSearch Recruiting today.

We place Marketing Leaders. We build Marketing Teams. We support exits.

Get a Consultation Today
Contact Us

Let's Talk

If you’re considering a retained search for senior marketing leadership and want a firm with national reach and unmatched marketing expertise, let’s start a conversation.

Gives us a Call

6178350444

Send us a Message

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions, inquiries, or staffing requirements you may have. Our experienced

    Contact Us

    Let's Talk

    If you’re considering a retained search for senior marketing leadership and want a firm with national reach and unmatched marketing expertise, let’s start a conversation.

    Gives us a Call

    6178350444

    Send us a Message

    Feel free to reach out to us with any questions, inquiries, or staffing requirements you may have. Our experienced