A brand leader in the sports industry commissioned Mandrake to search for an executive marketing specialist to join their growing team. Located in a western Canadian city with few sports marketing executives, this position required most experienced candidates to relocate. The successful candidate would satisfy key criteria for managing similar organizations, developing effective brand strategies, and deploying marketing campaigns in market.

The ideal candidate would bring strong leadership skills and proven marketing skills, with deep expertise in promotions, specifically in retail and sports sectors. Several criteria increased the difficulty level for Mandrake’s executive search consultants. As the client requested a discreet search, the chosen candidate would likely have to relocated to western Canada.

To better craft a winning strategy, the Mandrake team held stakeholder interviews with the head of human resources and key members of the hiring team to determine search criteria and the objectives of the role.  Due to the secretive nature of the search, candidates would already be part of Mandrake’s network, pre-screened, and open to relocation. The ideal candidate would possess strong leadership and mentoring experience, oversee the corporate brand, communications and brand marketing services, in addition to key licensing and retail initiatives.

The successful candidate brought deep expertise in sports marketing and passion for the industry from previous experience with a similar, but smaller company. Their business education and marketing/sales in the areas of sports, entertainment, special events, and telecommunication ensured their successful transition to the role. The client is pleased to have a well-known brand leader in the sports industry as a key contributor to the strategy, tactics and programs that create interest, demand, and recognition for the brand.