Where MBB matters, and great search outcomes are achieved
Candidate Portal
22

Celebrating

Our 22nd Year

Of MBB Search

Founded 2001

A Strategist built network:

Transitioning and former McKinsey, Bain, BCG

Private Equity and U.S. based corporations trust HAMMER HALEY with
their most critical Strategy-centric hiring needs.

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End-to-End: Partner Executed Search

Since our founding in 2001, we've focused solely on delivering great search outcomes. A great search outcome is only a great search outcome when all stakeholders cross the finish line together and in the desired timeframe. Our partner led search-execution takes all the variability out of our work. We're experts at our niche and system, everyone wins.

Credibility/History

For 22 years now, we've stayed in our lane, continuously improved, and refined our system to be in step with the changing needs and requirements of business and retained search. Our consistent history of mandates across industry, and repeat clientele, lend trustworthiness to the enduring integrity or our model.

Network

Search is a people business. Our professional relationships and connectivity within our niche is second to none. Sure, there are plenty of firms with researchers and support personnel routinely pinging the marketplace. For us, search starts with reaching out to known candidates familiar with our firm. If we don't know someone within our space, we're generally only one degree away.

Speed

We're specialists, and a boutique firm. We run hard from the get-go. There's no wasted time green fielding a market map and researching the space. Many years ago, dating back to our inception, we turned search upside down. Our goal has always been to know candidates within our niche prior to any transactional event occurs with clients. We're always ready to mobilize. Let's go.

Candidate Approach

Great search outcomes have many stakeholders. There are the obvious participants on any search. More often than not, referrals are a big part of paving the way. We treat all market participants alike and with the respect and humility deserved. The golden rule applies in our world. As we've stated, search is a people business, all day, every day.

Travel

We travel, but not for bake-offs. If you've made the decision to retain us and there's benefit to meeting in person versus unified communications, we're game and willing to gather in real-time. There's no pushback here. Let's do what's right for setting up a great search outcome.

Interview Candidates

For VP+ search, if your preference is for us to meet in person with the candidate short-list prior to our formal presentation, consider it done. We'll meet candidates where they are and not hold up the search delivery timeframe. We utilize video calls as standard practice.

Point of View

After 22-years of head down work in the trenches, we've seen repeating patterns of behavior from participants comprising the MBB marketplace. No two clients or assignments are alike; however, we're able to spot and anticipate candidate tendencies while remaining objective and curious.

Pipeline Accelerator

In the fall of 2016, Hammer Haley ran an extensive beta alongside our typical full-service engagements. We reverse engineered the search process and retained the front-end service. This service was commercialized in 2017 and offers and economical alternative for clients seeking talent at the profession band, career level.

Our Practice Focus

Corporate
Strategy

#1 for Corporate Strategy. Cross function to include: Chief of Staff, Corporate Business Development, Digital, Marketing, Finance, People & Operations

PE Value Creation Teams

Operating strategists dedicated to supporting investment professionals and portfolio companies to identify and deliver on operating companies performance goals

PE Portfolio Companies

From general management to operations effectiveness and growth, strategists delivering on sector and segment specialization

Backable CEO

A-player ListGen for PE MBBx participant contributors

Cross Industry

Our well established network represents the best and brightest strategic minds in business. This collective of transitioning and former consultants holds a wide array of industry and sector exposures and knowledge. The bulk of our mandates are initiated at the client by former management consultants who have previously experienced our work and cadence in the marketplace. Strategy has no bounds; our clients and placements cross industries and sectors.

Consumer

Our Consumer knowledge is a well-versed path. We speak the language of Consumer Product, Tech, Media & Entertainment, and Travel.

Retail

We've had significant exposure to the challenges and demands of today's retail world. Whether it be growth strategy, store ops, supply-chain, pricing, ecommerce, or omnichannel, we've been there. Our store knowledge traverses grocery, drug, department, mass merchandiser, warehouse, specialty, discount and quick serve.

Financial

Fintech is all the rage. We're in tune with the changing landscape, especially in Payments. We've also been deeply embedded in Consumer, Retail, and Commercial Banking. Rounding out our exposures, Wealth Management, and Insurance – personal lines, commercial lines, and brokerage.

Healthcare

From Life Science and MedTech to Payor/Provider, we've worked with Corporate Strategy, Strategic Marketing, and Portfolio Management teams.

Tech

"Technology is eating the world." It would be hard to be in our business without daily exposure to discussions around tech. Consumer Tech, Enterprise Tech, Fintech, EdTech, MedTech, AgTech, AdTech, and IoT. We've teamed with the Disrupted and Disruptors.

B2B

From Research and Business Services to Advanced Industries and Industrials, we've tackled assignments across Enterprise Strategy, BU Strategy, Operations, Marketing & Sales, and Innovation.

Private Equity

We come alongside investment professionals, operating partners, and portfolio company leadership as they implement value-creation strategies involving growth, digital transformation and operations.

Professional Services

With our network comprised of transitioning and former management consultants, we operate intensively in the professional services world. We understand and navigate the challenges of recruiting for clients with large downstream customer pools.

Representative Searches / Placements

Since 2001, Hammer Haley has teamed with clients and candidates to achieve great search outcomes across functions and purview where the Strategist toolkit is valued. When your hiring need solves for one or more of these areas, consider it inside the lines of our expertise and consistent with our history. Illustrative examples within our portfolio are provided below.

Enterprise

Corporate Strategy

SVP, Corporate Strategy

Capital One

Growth Strategy

Partner

Accenture

Strategic Planning

Director, Strategic Planning Group

American Express

Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff, CEO

Russell Investments

CI & BI

Director, Consumer & Package Insights

PepsiCo

Inorganic

Business Development

Sr Director, Strategy & Business Development

Expedia

Corporate Development

MVP, Corporate Development

Capital One

M&A

Director, M&A

IAC / InterActiveCorp

Strategic Finance

Director, Finance

Applied Materials

Partnerships

Sr Director, Bus Dev & Strategic Alliances

Hotels.com

Business Unit

GM

President

Third Bridge

BU Strategy

GM, Head, North America

Finalta

GTM Strategy

SVP, Commercial Banking Sales Strategy

National City Bank

Product Management

Sr Director, Strategy - Retirement Products

Allstate

BU CFO

SVP, CFO Retail Bank

Capital One

Innovation

Innovation

Director, Community Experience

PayPal

Strategic Marketing

Director, Strategic Initiatives & Market Planning

Viking

Portfolio Management

Managing Director, Sector Strategy

JobsOhio

Org Design

Principal

Green Peak Partners

Product Marketing

Group Manager, Marketing Strategy

Boston Scientific

Effectiveness

Operations Excellence

VP, Strategy & Implementation

Fortis Bank

People Analytics

VP, People Analytics

Capital One

PMI/PMO

Director, PMO

Genentech

KPI & Performance Management

Sr Manager, Revenue Strategy

Heineken

Supply Chain Strategy

VP, Manufacturing & Supply Chain

Omnipod

PE Ops

Value Creation

Growth & DD

Research

Data Analytics

Procurement

Observations

As we celebrate our 22nd year, the partners at Hammer Haley are reflecting on the winning formula for a great search outcome for all stakeholders. We're sharing our educated point of view gathered from keen observation and people relationships over many years of partner led search in the trenches.

About Mike

Mike Gozon

Client Partner

About Chris

Chris Todd

Client Partner

Mike Gozon

Client Partner

Mike endeavors to deliver on great search outcomes for all stakeholders, every time. As co-founder and managing partner of Hammer Haley, Mike has piloted over 200 successful engagements across industries, sectors, and functions. As a co-pilot, he's been involved in myriad others.

Early career, Mike held various career progression roles within the forest products industry. Positions with Unisource, a then, national leader in paper distribution, spanned feet-on-the-street sales in D.C., sales management in Tampa and Raleigh, regional marketing management for the Mid-Atlantic based in Philadelphia and general management of a paper distribution facility in Baltimore-Washington. He was also deployed as a full-time, internal consultant for the nationwide rollout of an SAP ERP implementation. Later, Mike joined Boise Cascade in Portland, OR for stints in strategic marketing and national account business development. He also co-founded and sold a B2B, e-commerce platform focused on the wholesale trade of printing paper.

Mike graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.B.A. He's married with college age children and lives in Saint Louis, MO.

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Shannon Talbot

Client Partner

Shannon joined Hammer Haley in 2020, bringing nearly two decades of successfully led recruitment projects to the team. Her successes span from Management to Executive level within the Strategy, Accounting, and Finance functions in a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, life sciences, and energy.

Prior to joining Hammer Haley, Shannon founded her own boutique recruiting firm, Trio Search, where she was a trusted talent advisor to publicly-traded and privately held clients. Her organization became well known for identifying, attracting and delivering high performing candidates, and becoming a strategic partner to Trio clients. Her extensive network includes "big four" professionals, stemming from her earlier career at KPMG. Shannon strategized with Audit, Tax, and Advisory leaders at KPMG on setting and achieving critical talent acquisition goals.

Shannon graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington, where she also participated in their Division I softball team. In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her three children, coaching soccer and baseball, and volunteering with local food banks.

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Chris Todd

Client Partner

Chris joined Mike Gozon as a founding partner of Hammer Haley in 2002. For the past two decades, Chris has been committed to delivering great search outcomes for all stakeholders, every time.

Chris has led successful search engagements for over one hundred unique clients, ranging from corporations and private equity to PE portfolio companies. Many of these clients have circled back with additional assignments over the years. His work spans industry, career levels, and functions. Chris is best known for his expertise in delivering on corporate strategy, digital transformation, and leadership advisory consulting roles.

Growing up in rural Mount Vernon, WA, Chris opted for life as an adventurer, post-college. From backpacking thru Thailand and driving a potato harvester combine in North Dakota to being a “Hot Shot” in the National Forest Service and owner's liaison for the buildout of Gillette Stadium - home of the New England Patriots, Chris fulfilled his desire to explore and expand his world view. More traditional, but as important in his professional development were successful stints with Fidelity Investments and a pre-IPO, e-commerce play in the pulp and paper industry.

Chris is a graduate of Pomona College with a B.A. in philosophy. He resides in Denver, CO with his wife and two sons. In his spare time, he's been active in the community coaching soccer and baseball.

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