By Dave Honig, Lead Executive Recruiter, MarketSearch Executive Search

I sit in on a lot of intake calls where CEOs and CHROs describe the marketing leader they want to hire. Those calls have changed more in the last two years than in the ten before.

The ask keeps getting bigger. Companies want someone who can change the growth curve.

If you’re getting ready to hire a VP of Marketing, Head of Growth or CMO, here’s what I’m seeing from the front row, and what it means for how you run the search.

What companies are asking marketing leaders to own now

Two years ago, the brief was simple. Build the team, build the brand, get us more leads.

Today the first question is different. Can this leader show me where growth comes from with a lean team running on AI?

Growth is the DNA of every marketing leader I place. They get measured on one thing. What grew because they were in the seat?

Companies are putting real money into AI, and a lot of them are slowing hiring while they figure it out. So the ask is more growth from fewer people. That gives marketing a real say in where to invest, what to change and what to stop doing.

AI tools are fast. Somebody still has to steer them. You want a leader close enough to the work to make the calls with real data, and to know if the leaner team is really working better.

The job description you wrote two years ago is out of date

Not long ago, no one asked me who’s in charge of getting the company found through AI. Now it’s a must-have. That piece of the job didn’t exist a couple of years ago.

You can see the shift in who companies are hiring fast: Heads of AI Marketing Transformation, GTM Engineers, AEO and GEO Marketing Managers. Real positions, real budgets, all aimed at new ways to get found, win customers and grow.

Your senior marketing leader decides how those pieces fit together, and makes sure that investment turns into business.

If you’re waiting for the dust to settle before you hire, you’re already behind.

Hire someone who thinks like a GM

The most sought-after marketing leaders today think like a general manager. They know the business as well as they know marketing.

They’re married to the revenue. The financials are built into every plan and every dollar they spend. Fast growth is great. Fast, profitable growth is the job. And they don’t promise a number. They show you the bets and the odds.

They plan side by side with the CRO. Same pipeline, same number, and everybody knows who owns what. No more throwing leads over the wall.

Companies are rewarding that mindset with bigger scope. In more of our searches, marketing and revenue now sit under one leader, and that leader often picks up pricing, partnerships and new markets too. The title is changing as well. Searches that used to say CMO now say Head of Growth Marketing, and the job is measured on ARR growth.

Here’s what that means for you as the hiring company. The best of these leaders have options. They’re moving into COO and CEO roles, running whole revenue engines, and joining PE firms to drive value creation across portfolios. You’re competing for them. Most aren’t looking, and they won’t see your job post.

Make sure the seat matches the ask

Here’s the catch I see in a lot of companies. The ask has grown, but the authority behind the role hasn’t caught up. Every decision still runs through the same silos and the same approvals.

Strong candidates will test this in the interview. If the role is built to change the growth curve, give it the access and decision rights to do it. Otherwise you’ll hire a great leader and only use half of what they bring.

Not sure what you need yet? A fractional leader can be a smart first step

Fractional marketing leadership has grown fast. For a company still figuring out what changed in marketing and how to modernize, it’s a smart first move.

A fractional leader comes in, sees what’s working and what isn’t, and helps define who you need full time. There’s a deep bench of top talent doing this work right now. We can help you find either one.

The one question I ask every CEO before a search starts

What will this leader own that nobody in your company owns today?

If the answer is just “marketing,” we’re not ready to search.

The best hires I’ve made started with a clear answer. “The revenue we’re leaving on the table with existing customers.” “How buyers find us now that they ask AI first.”

That answer becomes the scorecard. It tells us who to go after, what to test for, and how you’ll know the hire worked.

Why retained search fits this hire

A senior marketing hire shapes your growth for years. Here’s how we run it at MarketSearch Executive Search:

• We go after people who aren’t looking. The leaders you want are usually busy growing someone else’s business.
• I’m personally involved in every search. You get one accountable partner from intake to signed offer.
• Confidential when you need it. Replacing a leader or building a role quietly is a big part of what we do.
• Speed. Our average is 4 weeks from signed engagement to a candidate’s signed offer.
• It sticks. We have a 100% first-year retention rate, and every placement is fully guaranteed. If a hire doesn’t last the first year, we run a replacement search at no cost.
• Deep track record. 20+ years and hundreds of marketing placements nationally, for PE firms like Summit Partners, KKR, Inverness Graham Investments, Valesco Industries and Excellere Partners, plus high-growth companies, funded startups and established brands.

Ready to hire your next marketing leader? Let’s talk.

If you’re hiring a senior marketing leader, let’s start with that one question: what will this person own that nobody owns today? We’ll work it through together on a first call, and I’ll walk you through how we work and our fee structure.

Email Info@marketsearch29.com or visit marketsearchrecruiting.com to set up time.

No-nonsense, just results.

Dave

FAQ

What is a retained executive search firm? A retained executive search firm is paid to run a dedicated search for a senior role from start to finish. The firm goes after the best-fit leaders in the market, including people who aren’t job hunting, and stays accountable until the hire is made. MarketSearch Executive Search works on a 100% retained basis.

When should a company use retained search to hire a marketing leader? Use retained search when the role is senior, tied to revenue growth, confidential, or hard to fill from job postings. That covers most VP of Marketing, Head of Growth and CMO hires.

How long does it take to hire a senior marketing leader with a retained search firm? At MarketSearch Executive Search, our average is 4 weeks from signed engagement to a candidate’s signed offer.

What should I look for in a senior marketing leader today? Look for someone who thinks like a general manager. They should tie every plan to revenue and financials, plan side by side with the CRO, make decisions from the data, and know how to run a lean team using AI. They should also understand how buyers find companies through AI search.

What’s the difference between a CMO and a Head of Growth Marketing? More companies now hire a Head of Growth Marketing in place of a traditional CMO. The role is measured on ARR or revenue growth, and it often includes pricing, partnerships and new markets along with marketing.

Should I hire a fractional marketing leader before a full-time one? If you’re still figuring out what changed in your marketing and how to modernize, a fractional leader is a smart first step. They diagnose what’s working and help define the full-time role you need.

Do you handle confidential marketing leadership searches? Yes. Confidential searches are a specialty of MarketSearch Executive Search, including replacing a sitting leader or building a new role quietly.

What happens if the placement doesn’t work out? Every MarketSearch Executive Search placement is fully guaranteed. If a hire doesn’t last the first year, we run a replacement search at no cost. Our first-year retention rate is 100%.

How much does a retained executive search cost? We walk through our fee structure on the first call, based on the role and scope of the search. Email Info@marketsearch29.com to set up time.