Interview Process
I was initially contacted by an external recruiter and completed a standard introductory screening. After that conversation, I was invited to interview with the company’s CFO/President.
Over the course of the process I met with the CFO/President multiple times and was asked to provide several work samples and strategic recommendations related to the company’s marketing and brand positioning. At one stage of the process, I was also asked to complete a fairly extensive strategic exercise that resembled a consulting engagement. This included diagnosing the brand, identifying gaps in the customer experience, and proposing strategic improvements across marketing channels.
While case exercises are common in senior marketing searches, the scope of the requested work felt unusually extensive and went beyond what would normally be expected for a candidate interview.
Another challenge during the process was the structure of the interviews themselves. Some meetings felt unstructured, and in at least two instances interview participants did not appear on camera during the conversation, which created a somewhat impersonal experience.
Overall Impression
The overall process felt disjointed and somewhat unclear in terms of role scope, decision-making structure, and organizational priorities. The company appears to operate with a very lean team and a leadership structure that is heavily centralized.
From the outside, the organization seems to be in a transitional phase, with ambitions to position the brand as more premium. However, based on the materials, website experience, and conversations during the interview process, there appears to be a significant gap between the current brand experience and the desired premium positioning.
Candidates considering roles here should ask detailed questions about:
• the organizational structure
• available marketing resources and budget
• leadership decision-making process
• expectations around strategic transformation
Those factors will be important for understanding whether the company is prepared to support the level of change the role may require.
Advice to Candidates
Be very clear upfront about the scope of the interview process and the expectations around case work or strategic exercises. It may also be helpful to ask detailed questions about the company’s operational structure, investment in marketing infrastructure, and long-term growth strategy.
Understanding those elements early in the process will help candidates evaluate whether the opportunity is the right fit.
