ZD Executive Search

A Vice President US for…

A luxury watch/jewellery brand
Salary band: $200k-$250k

The brand. The role.

A renowned British watch/jewellery maker, our client already had a boutique presence in the US. But the market potential was huge. They needed someone who could:

• Oversee US wholesale and retail operations.
• Drive new client acquisition.
• Work closely with client partners to develop business opportunities.

Basically, they needed someone who could take it all by the scruff of the neck.

Why Zachary Daniels?

• Our consultant had successfully recruited for the brand twice previously and had built a good relationship with the team.
• Has exceptional, specialist product knowledge in the market.
• Has significant experience recruiting internationally (particularly into the US).
• Brought market insights that helped the client define needs and recruit better.

“Just find us the right person”

The biggest challenge? Salary (isn’t it always?). Our research and market insight told us the proposed salary wasn’t aligned with market expectations. It’s not that we didn’t have candidates in the client’s salary bracket, but they were inexperienced and untested at VP level.

So we presented candidates who met the initial client’s salary expectations.
Then we presented a handful of alternatives that met all their other expectations.

“Just find us the right person,” said the client.

4 months from search to signed

We began our search in late October. A major industry event was taking place in spring and the brand would be using it for a relaunch. The client needed the candidate in post to lead (and then capitalise on) the event. The clock was ticking.

The right connections. The right candidate.

It came from a conversation. We were talking to a candidate who felt they weren’t quite right for the role, but they knew someone who would be. The suggested candidate – who worked for a luxury competitor brand – was already on our radar, but the recommendation led us to step things up.

Our connections in-market helped us start the conversation, gauge interest and, over a handful of calls, help the candidate build an understanding of the brand, the role and the opportunity.

We organised a first-stage video call with the US Brand President and Chief People Officer. We arranged a face-to-face meeting in New York with the Brand President and another with the CEO.

They weren’t the only viable candidate (we shortlisted 4 out of 15 good applicants), but they were our clear preference. They quickly became the client, too.

Recruitment consultants

Consultancy is at the heart of successful executive recruitment. When the client and candidate have slightly different expectations, a ZD exec search consultant:

• Understands each party’s position, reasoning and motivations.
• Supports negotiations (and understands the non-negotiables).
• Develops strategies to align expectations and find common ground.
• Aligns candidate value with client worth.

In this case, there was a lot to negotiate:

• Salary (and tax implications).
• Bonus structure.
• Job title (as a UK brand, there was limited understanding of the cultural and commercial importance of the VP role).
• Location (the candidate was based in Miami; the client in New York).

The breakthrough

The client knew his value.

• But we showcased the opportunity the role presented
• How significant the role (and his impact) would be, and
• How his industry profile would benefit

The result proved an irresistible vision of the future.

Executive search with ZD works

Now 12+ months in-post, the candidate is successfully running the client’s US operation. In that time, he has:

• Used the brand relaunch to gain traction in the US.
• Built an expanded US team.
• Opened doors to new retail opportunities.
• Made the US the brand’s most successful international market.

The ZD difference

It’s not just about the right person in the right role with the right brand. To reach that point, we took the client on a journey that helped them:

• Understand what they needed rather than what they thought they wanted.
• Align the recruitment goal (to grow the US market) with the candidate proposition.
• Understand salary and title expectations in the US, introducing candidates across multiple salary bands to refine expectations.

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