Our sales recruitment practice finds the commercial leaders who carry the revenue number. The remit has widened considerably. Today’s chief commercial officers and sales directors own pricing, partnerships, customer retention and go-to-market strategy, and they are expected to grow the business rather than simply run a function.

We recruit across that full remit, from Chief Commercial Officer and Sales Director searches through to product, customer strategy and revenue operations leadership, for venture-backed scale-ups, listed corporates and agencies. Mandates span permanent appointments and interim cover, in the UK, Europe, the Gulf and the US.

Our Sales Recruitment Approach

The best commercial leaders combine a genuine growth record with the judgement to build a team around them. Our approach draws on more than 20 years of executive search experience, and every mandate is led by the consultant who takes the brief. That consultant maps the market, approaches the candidates and presents the shortlist, so who you meet is who delivers. We start with a proper conversation about your commercial model, sales cycle and buyer, then run systematic outreach, because the strongest commercial leaders are rarely on the market and almost never applying. Shortlists run to four to six candidates, each interviewed against agreed competencies and, where it adds value, assessed using Hogan. After the placement we check in at thirty, sixty and ninety days.

Our Expertise in Sales and Commercial Recruitment

We recruit chief commercial officers, chief revenue officers and chief growth officers, sales and commercial directors, VPs of sales, heads of new business and partnerships, chief product officers and product directors, customer strategy and customer success leaders, and revenue operations specialists.

This area brings together four connected specialisms covering sales, product, customer strategy and revenue growth. Each one draws on the same network, so a single brief can reach across all four.

Sales recruitment at this level rewards precision over volume. The right commercial leader depends on your sales cycle, deal size, buyer and route to market, and those variables change what good actually looks like. Our consultants come from the industries they recruit into, so they can tell the difference between a transactional sales leader and someone who builds lasting revenue. That understanding shapes the brief, the outreach and the shortlist.

Why choose Hanson Search as your Recruitment Partner

As an independent executive search firm, we take a personal approach to every sales and commercial brief. Clients get the focus of a specialist practice and the reach of a global firm. Our partners lead every search directly, drawing on networks built since 2002 to reach commercial leaders who are not on the market. We take it personally. We don’t stop until we deliver the best candidate for your role.

That focus shows in the record. We hold a one hundred per cent completion rate on retained mandates, fewer than one in 150 placed candidates leave within six months, and every retained search carries a six-month free replacement guarantee. As a certified B Corp, we hold our own hiring practices to the same standard we ask of clients.

Hire Exceptional Sales and Commercial Leaders

If you are appointing a chief commercial officer, sales director or senior commercial leader in the UK or internationally, talk to us. If you lead in this market and are weighing your own next move, the same applies, in complete confidence.

Contact our team of specialist consultants today to discuss your brief.

Sales and Commercial Recruitment FAQs.

What is the difference between sales recruitment and sales executive search?

Recruitment covers the wider commercial function, including sales managers, business development leads and account directors. Executive search is reserved for board and C-suite appointments, where the brief is retained and the approach is entirely direct. We run both, and we will tell you which one your role actually needs.

How long does a senior commercial hire take?

Most mandates reach shortlist within four to six weeks, with an offer accepted around eight to twelve weeks from briefing. Notice periods for commercial leaders often run to three months, so plan the start date accordingly. Interim cover can be arranged far faster if the gap is urgent.

Do you recruit interim and fractional commercial leaders?

Yes. Many organisations bring in an interim commercial director or fractional CRO while permanent headcount is agreed. We handle these through our interim practice and our sister company The Work Crowd, so the same networks apply