Finding the right marketing leader can make or break your company’s growth trajectory in today’s AI-driven marketplace. According to McKinsey’s latest research, organizations with strong marketing leadership are seeing up to $4.4 trillion in added productivity potential. That’s why knowing which marketing executive search firms can deliver exceptional talent has become more crucial than ever.
The stakes are particularly high in 2025’s competitive landscape. With 72% of organizations now implementing AI across their marketing operations, companies need marketing leaders who can navigate both traditional and emerging channels. Top marketing executive search firms have evolved to meet this challenge, combining deep industry expertise with sophisticated talent assessment methods to identify transformative leaders.
This comprehensive guide examines the most respected marketing executive search firms of 2025, including industry giants as well as boutique firms specializing in marketing leadership. We’ll analyze their track records, client benefits, and online reviews to help you choose the right partner for your executive search journey.
Why should you work with a marketing executive search firm?
Whether you’re looking for a chief marketing officer (CMO), a marketing VP, or other marketing leadership talent, marketing executive search firms give your business a means of accessing a deep pool of candidates to help you fill the role with the right hire.
And if we want to get really specific, there are 6 great reasons why you should work with one of these firms:
1. They can access exclusive candidate networks
The top candidates for marketing leadership roles aren’t out there scouring job boards—your competitors are out there actively trying to recruit them to maintain a competitive edge. Most executive positions are drawn from relatively small pools of talent in exclusive networks.
Executive search firms give businesses a way to tap into these networks, regardless of size, to find the right marketing leader for their particular business growth objectives.
2. They’ve got deep industry insights and experience
Marketing leadership requires a highly specialized skillset, not to mention the ability to adapt that skillset across multiple industries with their own complex needs and requirements. Marketing executive search firms recognize that all businesses are unique—they consider everything from business size and stage to growth and objectives, not to mention more specialized considerations like GTM motions.
They leverage this deep understanding of your business to develop a detailed candidate profile, rich target pool, and a comprehensive engagement strategy so you can find and hire the right candidate with confidence.
3. They help you evaluate candidates
Even if you’ve gone through the process before, executive recruitment can be a complex task. Whether it’s your first time hiring a marketing leader or your fifth, executive search firms have the knowledge needed to help you assess and evaluate candidates based on your company’s specific requirements.
Beyond a basic skills check, these firms help you determine if a candidate is a good fit for your culture and will continue to shepherd your organization’s growth and ability to achieve its goals. The top search firms leverage advance assessment techniques such as candidate scorecarding (DOWNLOAD THE MARKETING INTERVIEW SCORECARD HERE), behavioral interviewing, and performance verification, and back-channel reference checks.
4 .They can help you negotiate offers
Once you’ve found your ideal candidate, you’ve got to make your pitch to them. This task requires a close understanding of what current marketing leader salaries look like, not to mention the ability to effectively negotiate and counter-offer to find a mutually beneficial employment agreement. Marketing executive search firms have the skills and experience to navigate these conversations with professional ease.
5. They provide post-placement support
When you’ve made your offer, your candidate has accepted, and they’re about to hit the ground running, post-placement support services are designed to help you ensure a smooth transition. The goal here is to reduce downtime, getting your new CMO or marketing VP up-to-speed fast. Post-placement support streamlines this process, ensuring your new leader has the tools and knowledge they need to succeed before day one.
6. They save you time and costs
Contrary to popular belief, there’s no hard and fast average for how long it takes to fill an executive role—securing a new executive role can take anywhere from two months to over a year, depending on the industry they serve.
An unfilled role also carries costs, and they’re not just measured in lost business and productivity. Studies show that an open executive seat can cost a business up to 213% of that role’s salary. Now consider that the median salary for a CMO is $373,650, and run the numbers—that’s nearly $800,000 in cost for not having a role filled.
Marketing talent firms help you fill roles quickly, putting the right people in charge so you can get back to attracting new business—fast.
The top executive search firms for marketing talent
Let’s take a closer look at the top executive search firms you should consider when it’s time for your next marketing hire.
Talentfoot
Talentfoot is a boutique search firm that specializes in matching elite marketing leadership to B2B companies. Talentfoot helps clients access pre-vetted and highly qualified marketing leaders to build out their marketing operations and drive growth. Their clients include Fortune 50 brands, advertising and marketing agencies, software, and SaaS providers.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2010
- Headquarters: Chicago, IL
- Locations Served: Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Seattle, Charlotte, Atlanta, Jacksonville, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Nashville, Washington D.C, Louisville, and more.
- Company size: 30 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Marketing Director, Director of Market Research, Digital Marketing Manager, Product Marketing Director, VP of Product Marketing, Marketing Manager, VP of Digital Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, SEO Manager, Demand Generation Manager, Fractional CMO
- Client benefits:
- Unrivaled 98% success rate
- Specialized focus
- Structured and methodical process
- Consulting-first approach
- Complimentary psychometric testing and coaching sessions
- Deep and diverse talent network
- Talentfoot-certified candidates
- Customized pricing
- Flexible search and talent planning solutions
- Innovative functional and industry expertise
- Rapid candidate delivery
- Boutique firm commitment
- Google reviews: 4.7 average rating
- Glassdoor reviews: 4.0 average rating
MarketerHire
MarketerHire is a network of pre-vetted, freelance marketers. Their mission is to connect top marketing talent with experience from global brands and hot startups with businesses quickly and seamlessly. In 2023, MarketerHire was named an Inc 5000 honoree, ranking #183 of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2018
- Headquarters: San Francisco, CA
- Company size: 50 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Brand Marketing Manage, rGrowth Marketing Director, Product Marketing Manager, Paid Search Campaign Manager, Social Media Marketing Manager, Marketing Analytics Manager
- Client benefits: Vetted Candidates, Expert Matching, Transparent Pricing, Personal Support, Very Low Failure Rate
- Google reviews: 4.6 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 4.3 average
AC Lion
AC Lion is an experienced recruitment agency with a focus on reaching and engaging digital marketing talent. They specialize in recruiting marketing professionals across a wide range of titles via an extensive network of marketing experts and headhunters that focus on major metropolitan areas to source innovative talent.
At a glance:
- Founded: 1996
- Headquarters: New York, NY
- Company size: 50 employees
- Positions placed: Head of Marketing, Marketing and Publicity Manager, Director of Communications & Content, SVP of Marketing, Email Marketing Manager, Director of Product Marketing, Sr. Director Organic Marketing Strategy, Sr. Director Digital Marketing, Senior Manager PPC Marketing
- Client benefits: Over 20 years of experience, specialization in tech recruiting, extensive database, targeted recruitment plan, candidate delivery platform
- Google reviews: 5.0 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 4.4 average
LaSalle Network
LaSalle Network is a national staffing, recruiting, and culture firm with specialized business units service accounting and finance, administrative, management, and marketing needs. Since it was founded in 1998, LaSalle Network has placed over 80,000 candidates, including marketing executives, to help businesses reach their goals.
At a glance:
- Founded: 1998
- Headquarters: Chicago, IL
- Company size: 500 employees
- Positions placed: Senior Customer Marketing Manager, Brand Marketing Manager, Senior Brand Manager, Marketing Events & Travel Manager, Chief Marketing Officer, VP Marketing
- Client benefits: 95% executive placement success rate, expertise in marketing recruitment, customized staffing solutions, talent pool, quality commitment.
- Google reviews: 3.5 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 3.6 average
True Search
True Search provides businesses with comprehensive marketing executive recruitment services, leveraging proprietary data and market insights to help place marketing leaders in a variety of industries. They provide global recruitment services, connecting with a network of talent around the world, taking a data-driven, tech-enabled approach to recruitment.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2012
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA
- Company size: 1,000 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Growth Officer, VP Demand Generation, VP Product Marketing, VP Brand, VP Performance, Chief Customer Officer, VP of Customer Success, Chief Revenue Officer
- Client benefits: Data-driven decision making, global reach with personalized service, comprehensive talent acquisition solutions, tech-enabled search process.
- Google reviews: N/A
- Glassdoor reviews: 3.9 average
Betts Recruiting
Betts Recruiting is an Austin-based recruitment firm that works in multiple sectors, with particular focus on innovative tech, Fortune 500 companies, and numerous startups. The firm also operates Betts Connect, a SasS platform that focuses on reducing costs and time-to-hire via automation, and provides a tool for making accurate compensation decisions.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2009
- Headquarters: Austin, TX
- Company size: 122 employees
- Positions placed:
- Client benefits: Provides access to a large and diverse tech sales and marketing talent pool, with solutions tailored for various stages of company growth.
- Google reviews: 4.5 average rating
- Glassdoor reviews: 3.9 average rating
Lynn Hazan & Associates
Lynn Hazan & Associates is a premier executive recruitment and consulting firm specializing in communications and marketing. The firm brings over twenty years of industry experience to the table, allowing them to rapidly adapt to evolving hiring trends and market dynamics. Lynn Hazan & Associates leverages a proprietary methodology to help ensure optimal candidate placements.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2000
- Headquarters: Chicago, IL
- Company size: 10 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Marketing Director, Director of Market Research, Digital Marketing Manager, Product Marketing Director, VP of Product Marketing, Marketing Manager, VP of Digital Marketing, Omnichannel Marketing, SEO Manager, Demand Generation Manager, Fractional CMO
- Client benefits: Holistic hiring practices, inclusive job descriptions, adaptable hiring practices, insights into recruitment innovation
- Google reviews: 5.0 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 3.7 average
TML Partners
TML Partners is a London-based marketing recruitment firm that specializes in recruiting CMOs and other senior executive roles. Their services are dedicated to finding and placing those candidates best-suited to delivering the marketing results companies are looking for.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2015
- Headquarters: London, UK
- Company size: 50 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer
- Client benefits: Specialized marketing recruitment expertise, comprehensive recruiting services, global network, flexible recruitment options
- Google reviews: 5.0 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 4.8 average
MarketPro
Founded and staffed by former marketers, MarketPro offers highly specialized marketing executive recruitment services that focus on attracting and placing top-performing marketing leaders. Their comprehensive interviewing process screens out 85% of candidates to ensure businesses only receive the top 15% of all candidates.
At a glance:
- Founded: 1996
- Headquarters: Atlanta, GA
- Company size: 50 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Marketing, Marketing Director, Director of Market Research, Digital Marketing Manager, Product Marketing Director, VP of Product Marketing
- Client benefits: Specialized industry expertise, specialized marketing expertise, research-grounded process, comprehensive interviewing process, focus on culture and leadership fit
- Google reviews: N/A
- Glassdoor reviews: 3.9 average
Intelligent People
Intelligent People is a boutique recruitment agency offering specialized marketing executive search services to their clients. They focus on hiring chief marketing officers, leveraging a deep network of contacts, extensive background knowledge, and expertise across multiple market sectors. Their recruitment process starts with understanding the specific responsibilities businesses need to hire for, building out a recruitment strategy to help land the ideal candidate.
At a glance:
- Founded: 2002
- Headquarters: St. Albans, UK
- Company size: 50 employees
- Positions placed: Chief Marketing Officer, Fractional CMO, Interim Chief Marketing Officer
- Client benefits: Develop salary/benefits packages, extensive client research, definition of position requirements, candidate identification, global network of candidates and headhunters
- Google reviews: 4.9 average
- Glassdoor reviews: 4.9 average
Finding your next marketing executive
There you go—ten great marketing executive search firms, how they can help your business, and what to look for when it’s time to assess candidates.
If you’re looking to hit the ground running, though, the team at Talentfoot is ready to help you find your next marketing leader.
When you work with Talentfoot, you’re not just hiring a boutique firm with a specialized marketing executive recruitment practice —you’re partnering with a team of strategic advisors who have helped more than 2,500 companies build their teams.
Our collaborative approach and white-glove service puts a team of seasoned advisors at your beck and call. Instead of spending time sifting through resumes by hand, you get to pick from the cream of the crop when it’s time to expand your team.
Get in touch with Talentfoot’s Executive Marketing Practice to discuss your organization’s marketing hiring requirements.
