12 CPG Recruiters for Commercial and Leadership Hires

ACCUR lists a US President search for Bondi Sands in Los Angeles among its consumer goods case studies. Its practice emphasizes brand-side hiring, with typical roles ranging from CEO and CFO to sales directors, brand managers and key account managers in the US and internationally.

Its CPG page distinguishes exclusive retained searches with an upfront retainer from professional recruitment for mid-level and individual contributor roles, which is largely contingency-based. A separate contingency option is restricted to long-term clients and specific opportunities. Its CPG page promises replacement guarantees on all placements, without stating the period there.

The firm-wide record published by Alpha Apex Group lists 2,000+ successful candidate placements worldwide; the page gives no CPG subtotal. Its CPG service is retained C-suite search, with assessment covering industry expertise, strategic vision and cultural fit. The page names digital commerce, supply chain and sustainability, and consumer insights among its areas of focus.

On its consumer products page, Amscan's president says BrainWorks helped it hire an executive who came on board less than three months after the first conversation. A homepage testimonial from Foundation Wellness's chief sales officer says the team helped it deliver 12 sales candidates under the targeted timeline for a new outside sales team.

Its consumer products practice lists completed CEO, CMO and COO searches alongside sales and category-management leaders, national account managers and brand managers. The practice describes mid-to-senior recruitment and says its clients range from Fortune 10 companies to mid-sized regional and national firms.

The firm offers retained, contingent and interim search. Its firm-wide performance-based retained terms, shown in September 2026, promise 3–5 candidates after assessing the brief, typically within 30 days or less, or no payment. This concerns the candidate slate; ask separately what protection applies after you hire.

CSA reports firm-wide placements in 43 states, 9 countries and with 50 of the top 100 suppliers to retail since its founding in 1994. Its work centers on suppliers selling through retailers such as Walmart, Sam's Club, Kroger, Target, Costco and Amazon, with leadership functions spanning sales, analytics, category management, marketing, supply chain and customer finance.

Its employer services include retained searches with an upfront commitment and contingency recruitment paid upon hiring its candidate. The firm also reports CEO, CFO and public-board placements. For a supplier building an account team, establish how much of the search team's experience matches the specific retailer and category you serve.

Cowen Partners' consumer goods page lists, among its search examples, a corporate controller and a chief marketing officer recruited for a private equity-backed premium water brand. The firm reports more than 500 executive placements nationwide across all its practices. Its retained search work includes private equity-backed and founder-led companies, and its CPG material names C-suite, VP and director-level placements.

Its consumer goods page reported an average of three weeks from kickoff to a qualified candidate slate in September 2026. Allow separately for interviews, offers and a start date. That page describes typical clients at $10 million to $5 billion in revenue; its CPG search page gives $50 million to $5 billion.

Its homepage, observed September 28, 2026, displays a testimonial from Waterloo Brewing. CPG Connect Executive Recruitment is the recruitment and search division of CPG Connect, a consumer goods job board and news portal. It lists executive, confidential and difficult-to-fill searches, including CEO, CFO, CMO, COO and VP roles, and identifies Canada and the United States as its markets.

Its practice areas span commercial roles and functions including supply chain, R&D, quality and manufacturing. The firm reports a network of more than 120,000 consumer goods professionals.

CPG Executive Search reports more than 1,000 placements across 300+ companies in its food and CPG recruiting record, from start-up to family-owned to multinational Tier 1 CPG companies. The boutique recruits corporate and technical leaders from supervisory through executive level across food, beverage and consumer packaged goods. Its assessment process includes interviews, references and McQuaig behavioral profiles.

It promises to find another candidate at no additional cost if the hire fails to meet expectations. Ask for the applicable period and conditions in the agreement.

Creative Alignments publishes a testimonial from former RXBAR COO Sam McBride, who says its hourly model meant he never felt it was “incentivized to hire the most expensive candidate.” Its Time-Based Recruiting® serves natural food, beverage and CPG companies across leadership and functional roles.

Four anonymous client examples on its page, shown in September 2026, report fees equivalent to 5% to 10% of first-year salary across 12 to 90 filled positions; its average across all clients, including fills and consulting, is 10–13%. These are reported equivalents under hourly billing, not a percentage price. The beverage example's 12 roles include a CEO, VP of US Sales, brand manager and supply chain manager.

Hunter & Michaels says it was founded in 1991 and devotes 100% of its recruiting time to CPG. It serves branded and private-label suppliers selling through e-commerce and physical retail accounts, including grocery, mass retail, club, drugstores and natural-food retailers. Its categories include food, beverages, cosmetics and pet care. It says its CPG clients range from private equity and small start-ups to the Fortune 50 manufacturers.

Its functions include sales, category management, shopper marketing, sales finance and revenue growth management, as well as C-suite roles. The firm offers retainer and contingency agreements.

JRG Partners describes a multi-role search for an unnamed CPG manufacturer in which it assessed more than 450 CPG leaders across North America and filled critical leadership positions within 12 months. The assignments included a President, COO and vice presidents of supply chain, sales and manufacturing.

Its US CPG practice covers food and beverage, personal care and beauty, household products, and health and wellness, with commercial, innovation and supply chain leadership among its functions.

Its CPG page reported a 6–10-week timeframe in September 2026, depending on role complexity and market dynamics; its firm-wide retained-search page gives 8–12 weeks as typical, depending on the role, industry and market conditions. Neither page defines the event that ends the timeline. Accelerated searches and interim executives are also offered. Its firm-wide retained terms describe payments as typically structured in three stages: engagement, a search milestone and successful placement. They promise a replacement search at no additional cost if the executive leaves or is terminated within the agreed period.

Korn Ferry's biography of Peri Hansen describes CEO, CMO, chief commercial officer, chief digital officer and board assignments, with packaged goods among the sectors she has served. She leads its North American consumer products sector.

Her biography also describes CEO succession and top-team advisory work alongside Korn Ferry Advisory. For a board planning a leadership transition, explore whether search and succession advice belong in the same engagement.

Lock Search Group publishes client testimonials from leaders at KIND Canada, Kellogg Canada and Henkel Canada. The firm says it has been building teams since 1983. Its CPG page lists the cities it recruits in: Canadian cities from Vancouver to Halifax, plus Boston and Chicago. Its CPG practice describes sales and marketing as a traditional strength alongside operations, supply chain, finance and HR, with roles from brand, category and national account managers to marketing directors and VPs.

Its CPG page offers retained and contingency recruitment, plus an executive-search model it calls “contained,” combining retained-search methods with performance-based accountability. Contingency payment is due on successful placement.