Headhunting Case Study: Chief Product Officer Hire
Replacing an Incumbent with an Upgraded Hire
USA-Based | $100M Revenue | Growth Stalled
The Challenge
Our client faced a critical roadblock—product innovation had stagnated, impacting user engagement, market positioning, and revenue growth. The incumbent Chief Product Officer was failing to drive product stickiness, enterprise adoption, and direct-to-consumer (DTC) traction. As a result, new customer acquisition slowed, retention declined, and referrals weakened.
With growth plateauing at $100M in revenue, the business needed a transformational product leader to reignite innovation and accelerate momentum.
The Mandate
We were engaged to headhunt a Chief Product Officer capable of shifting the business to a Product-Led Growth (PLG) model—bringing a consumer-focused mindset and elevating product leadership across five teams (50+ people).
The Ideal Candidate
Our client sought a CPO with:
✔ Deep consumer behavioral product management experience
✔ Enterprise product familiarity—bridging B2C engagement with B2B needs
✔ Vertical market expertise relevant to their industry
✔ Leadership experience at a similar scope and scale
✔ Strategic vision to redefine product positioning and drive adoption
✔ C-suite presence to embed a product-led growth mindset
The Result
We executed a high-touch, structured search, leaving no stone unturned to identify and win over the right Chief Product Officer.
We mapped out the top talent pools, targeting direct competitors, adjacent sectors, and key industry players. Using multi-channel headhunting, we engaged high-caliber candidates—many of whom were not actively looking.
With rigorous assessment and profiling, we eliminated costly mis-hires, ensuring only top-tier, product-led executives made the shortlist.
As this was a confidential replacement, we discreetly built a pre-vetted shortlist, allowing our client to seamlessly transition to an upgraded hire—without disruption.
The result? A transformational CPO who is now driving product innovation, market positioning, and revenue growth.
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