Finding the Leaders Who Define What Your Company Becomes
The Leaders Others Can't Find — Most firms search the market. We move beneath it.
Get in Touch →Our Methodology
Most Search Firms Focus on Filling Roles
SIG focuses on understanding the full picture — from investment thesis to operating environment — before recommending a single candidate.
Our process is consultative, immersive, and relationship-driven.
A résumé does not tell you who can scale a portfolio company. Relationships and pattern recognition do.
Investment Thesis
We align every search to your value creation strategy and exit horizon.
Operating Environment
We assess stage, culture, and the specific pressures the executive will face.
Leadership Gap Analysis
We identify the precise gaps impacting growth, not just open headcount.
PE-Ready Profile
We define the archetype required to execute under private equity ownership.
Who We Serve
SIG works with organizations navigating critical leadership transitions and high-growth inflection points.
Private Equity Firms
Portfolio company leadership placements that protect and accelerate investment value. We understand the operating cadence and urgency of PE-backed environments.
Growth-Stage Companies
Series B through pre-IPO companies that need seasoned operators to professionalize finance, HR, and technology functions for the next stage of scale.
Enterprise Organizations
Established companies seeking transformational leaders who can modernize operations, drive culture change, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Boards & Investors
Advisory support for board-level searches and investor-driven leadership transitions where the stakes are highest and discretion is essential.
Where We Go Deep
Four high-demand verticals where domain expertise and relationships define outcomes.
HR & People Leadership
- Chief People Officer
- VP of Human Resources
- Head of Talent Acquisition
- Director of Total Rewards
- SVP, People & Culture
Finance & Accounting
- Chief Financial Officer
- VP of Finance
- Controller / CAO
- Director of FP&A
- Head of Internal Audit
Technology
- Chief Technology Officer
- VP of Engineering
- CISO / Head of Security
- Director of Data & Analytics
- Head of Product
Marketing
- Chief Marketing Officer
- VP of Marketing
- Head of Demand Generation
- Director of Brand & Communications
- VP of Growth & Digital
Why Clients Choose SIG
We're not a database with a subscription fee. We're a partner who stakes our reputation on every placement.
Specialist Recruiters
Each search is led by a recruiter with 10–20 years of experience in the exact function they fill. Not generalists. Domain experts.
Speed Without Shortcuts
Average 38-day time-to-shortlist vs. 60+ industry average. Because our recruiters already know the market and the candidates.
Curated, Not Crowded
3–5 rigorously vetted candidates per search. We present leaders, not lists. Every candidate is a conversation we'd stake our name on.
Market Intelligence
Real-time data on compensation benchmarks, talent availability, and competitive dynamics in the verticals we cover.
Consultative Partnership
We co-design role profiles, challenge assumptions, and advise on organizational structure — not just fill requisitions.
Discretion & Trust
PE-grade confidentiality for sensitive leadership transitions. We understand what's at stake when the wrong hire costs millions.
SIG doesn't just fill roles — they understand the business context behind every search. That's what makes them indispensable.
SIG approached our CFO search as true strategic partners. They pushed us to think harder about the profile we actually needed for our next stage — not just the one we thought we wanted. The result was a hire that's already reshaping how we think about capital allocation.
We were scaling fast and our operations couldn't keep up. SIG brought us a leader who immediately identified the gaps and built the infrastructure we needed. Within six months, our business operations went from a liability to a genuine competitive advantage.
Meet the Team
The practitioners, partners, and advisors behind every SIG engagement.
Marie Bernardino
Decades of executive search expertise leading SIG's client relationships and recruiter network.
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Andy Crewell, JD
Runs day-to-day operations, legal infrastructure, and the administrative backbone that keeps SIG running seamlessly.
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Andrew Altholz
Strategic advisor on finance, growth strategy, and the economic model that underpins SIG's platform and expansion.
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Jennifer Trafficanda
Seasoned recruiter specializing in senior-level placements, known for building lasting relationships with both clients and candidates.
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Jennifer Ellis, CFE
Accounting & Finance executive search specialist across California and the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex, focused on senior finance and PE-backed placements.
inFrom the SIG Desk
July 2026The CFO Tenure Problem: Why Your Finance Succession Plan Is Already Behind
Fortune 500 CFO tenure averages 4.5 years and declining.
Read the article →Beginner Again at 55
What turning 55 taught me about growth and staying a beginner on purpose.
Read the article →So You Want to DIY Your Next Executive Search?
150–200 hours. 6–9 months. Access to 20–30% of the market.
Read the article →How to Hire a CFO for a PE-Backed Company
The most expensive executive search mistake in PE isn't hiring the wrong CFO.
Read the article →Fractional vs. Full-Time CFO After an Acquisition
The 100-day post-close window is critical.
Read the article →Let's Find Your Next Leader
Whether you need a CFO for a portfolio company or a CTO to scale your engineering org, SIG has the relationships and expertise to deliver.
Or call us: 310.455.6139 · info@joinsig.com