JM Search Expands Retail and Consumer Goods Practice

August 14, 2020 – JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies and Fortune 1000s, has expanded with the addition of Michael Neff as a partner in its retail and consumer goods practice supporting clients’ strategic growth on a national scale.

Mr. Neff brings over 25 years of experience in driving business value and operational excellence to consumer products and retail organizations. He has delivered consulting services in innovation, operational efficiencies, loyalty, IT, supply chain, digital and category management. Mr. Neff looks to leverage his decades of experience in management consulting to help clients strategically evaluate their executive leadership needs and ultimately build the best possible management teams.

Most recently, Mr. Neff was category manager with Salted Snacks where he helped turnaround Pringles to profitability and $300 million in revenues. He also launched and led a grocery home delivery service providing same day delivery and a 98 percent fill rate in the mid-90’s.

Previously, Mr. Neff was a vice president at Myrtle Consulting, leading the CPG, food and beverage, and retail sectors. Prior to that, he was with accenture as a managing director – consumer, fashion and retail segments (Accenture acquired Kurt Salmon in 2016 where he was a partner in the retail and consumer practice). Before that, he was CSC’s industry global partner for the consumer/retail segment and helped set up the global segment representing $720 million in services. He started his career at Procter & Gamble. During his career, Mr. Neff worked with brands and companies such as, Kroger, Walmart, Cabela’s, Estee Lauder, the Coca-Cola Co., Procter & Gamble, HanesBrands and The J.M. Smucker Co.

“Moving to JM Search is a highlight and culmination of a career spent delivering value and cost saving to consumer and retail organizations but always from an IT or business perspective,” Mr. Neff said. “I know what good looks like on all fronts and pulling in the people element of placing executives to drive the next level of change is very exciting. Transformation is driven by people and I look forward to improving management teams and the reward of enhancing the lives of talented individuals.”

Delivering High Performance Leaders

JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. The firm’s clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.

In June, JM Search formed a dedicated cybersecurity practice to assist public and private equity-backed companies in identifying and recruiting high-performance leaders. Partners Kevin Kernan and Tom Figueroa co-lead the firm’s center of excellence for cybersecurity leadership.

“Since our founding 40 years ago, JM Search has established a significant track record of partnering with companies that require transformational leadership to help drive operational efficiency, revenue growth and increased enterprise value,” said co-founder and chief executive officer John Marshall. “By formalizing this practice as a cybersecurity leadership center of excellence, we’re solidifying our longstanding commitment to helping clients remain at the forefront of security best practices and innovation amidst rapidly changing threat vectors, continued disruption, and required changes brought on by a global pandemic and the lasting consequences”.

Earlier this year, JM Search appointed Bill Borkovitz, Brian Dwyer and David Robinson as partners. “JM Search strives to be a career destination for professionals at every stage of their careers,” said co-founder and CEO John Marshall. “As we begin our 40th anniversary year of client service, we celebrate the achievements of our team and look forward to a year of growth and opportunity for all.”

Mr. Borkovitz recruits C-level executives across a range of industries, including financial services, business services and technology. He has over 20 years of operating experience combined with more than a decade of C-level executive recruiting to the firm. Mr. Borkovitz joined JM Search in 2018 from Kaplan Partners, a boutique retained executive search firm, where he was a managing director focused on recruiting for private equity and growth-oriented financial services and technology companies.

Mr. Dwyer is focused on partnering with private equity groups and their portfolio companies to build senior leadership teams. He joined the firm in 2017 from CMF Associates, where he served as principal, private equity.

Mr. Robinson began his executive search career with JM Search more than 10 years ago as a research analyst. Currently a member of the firm’s dedicated CFO practice, he specializes in recruiting financial offers for private equity backed companies across the U.S.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media