01Commercial
Commercial leaders
Leaders who can sell a technical product through distributors and OEMs, and build a team that does it without them.
- Chief Revenue Officer
- VP of Sales
- VP of Marketing
- Director of Channel Sales
Executive search through TLR Search Partners
Executive and Leadership Search
Executive search for the hires you can't afford to get wrong. Through TLR Search Partners, we find VPs, C-suite leaders, and the key director and manager roles that support them. Every search starts with a clear definition of success, and we stay close long after the start date.
Recent search typesVP of SalesPlant ManagerVP of OperationsDirector of Supply ChainCFOVP of Engineering
Illustration of how we present a shortlist against the Success Profile. Not real candidates.
Who we placeVPs, C-suite, and the director roles that support them
How we searchContained and Retained, both exclusive
Where we excelManufacturing and industrial companies
From the sales floor to the boardroom.
TLR Search Partners fills leadership roles across six functions. For each one, we know what to test hardest for.
02Operations
Operations leaders
Operators who raise output and safety at the same time, and keep the floor with them while they do it.
- Chief Operating Officer
- VP of Operations
- Plant Manager
- Director of Manufacturing
03Supply chain
Supply chain leaders
Planners who build resilience before the next disruption, not after it.
- VP of Supply Chain
- Director of Procurement
- Director of Logistics
- Director of S&OP
04Engineering
Engineering leaders
Technical leaders who ship, and who can explain the tradeoffs to people who don't share their vocabulary.
- Chief Technology Officer
- VP of Engineering
- Director of Product Development
- VP of Quality
05Finance
Finance leaders
Finance leaders who understand standard costing and the plant floor as well as the P&L.
- Chief Financial Officer
- VP of Finance
- Corporate Controller
- Director of FP&A
06People
People leaders
People leaders who can staff a second shift in a tight labor market and still build a bench of future leaders.
- Chief People Officer
- VP of Human Resources
- Director of Talent
- Director of EHS
Why we stay past the start date
About four in ten new executives fail within 18 months.
Almost never because they couldn't do the job. They miss on fit, judgment, and how they work with the team around them. Most search firms stop paying attention on the start date. That is when we lean in.
Source: Heidrick & Struggles analysis of 20,000 senior placements.
Five stages. One accountable firm.
Every TLR Search Partners search runs on the Keystone Method. Each stage produces something you can hold in your hands, so nothing is a black box.
- 1Define / Week 1
Define success first.
We agree on what this leader must deliver at 6, 12, and 24 months, and you receive a signed-off Success Profile.
- 2Map / Weeks 2 to 3
Map the market.
Competitors, adjacent industries, and the rising number twos, with a market map and compensation benchmark.
- 3Assess / Weeks 3 to 6
Test for fit.
Structured interviews against the scorecard and a working session on a real problem. A shortlist of three to five leaders.
- 4Close / Weeks 6 to 9
Land the hire.
An offer shaped around what the candidate values, with the counteroffer and resignation handled.
- 5Integrate / Months 1 to 18
Stay close.
Structured check-ins with both sides through month 18 on retained searches, so drift surfaces early.
Search experience
Trevor holds an MBA and spent five years leading complex searches at Phoenix Contact USA. Since then, he has run leadership searches for companies across a range of industries.
Industries we know from the inside
A decade in industrial automation and electrical components means nobody has to explain a channel partner or an OEE target to us.
Success defined before outreach
We write down what the leader must deliver before we contact a single candidate, and every candidate is measured against it.
A partner after the start date
Retained searches include check-ins through month 18 and a 15-month replacement guarantee.
Two ways to search. Both exclusive.
Most director and manager searches run as Contained. VP, C-suite, and confidential searches run as Retained. We recommend one on the first call.
ADirector, manager, and select VP roles
Contained Search
The commitment of a retained search with the economics of contingency: an exclusive, prioritized search without paying the full fee up front.
- Success Profile
- Active and passive outreach
- Screened shortlist with notes
- 90-day check-in
BVP, C-suite, and confidential searches
Retained Search
Full executive search for the hires that shape the company, including confidential replacements and succession.
- Full market map
- Compensation benchmarks
- Confidential handling
- 15-month guarantee
Search works better next to marketing.
Strong leaders look you up before they take the call. The rest of TLR helps make sure they like what they find.
Marketing services
A story leaders believe
Positioning, content, and a clear reason your company matters give every search a stronger pitch.
B2B LinkedIn enablement
An executive team worth joining
Credible profiles and visible expertise from your leaders turn a cold call into a conversation.
Executive search
Leaders who carry it forward
New leaders arrive at a company that already knows how to show up for buyers and future hires.
Questions hiring leaders ask.
Straight answers before we talk about a specific role.
How does TLR Search Partners relate to TLR Consulting Group?
TLR Search Partners is a TLR Consulting Group company. Trevor Robinson founded and leads both. Executive and leadership searches run through TLR Search Partners, and TLR Consulting Group covers marketing and LinkedIn enablement.
Which roles do you search for?
VPs, C-suite leaders, and the key director and manager roles that support them, across commercial, operations, supply chain, engineering, finance, and people functions.
Which industries do you know best?
Manufacturing and industrial companies, including industrial automation and controls, electrical components, discrete and process manufacturing, packaging, building products, food and beverage, and industrial distribution.
How do we get started?
Book a confidential call. We will talk through the role and the situation, and recommend Contained or Retained Search for it.
Planning a leadership hire?
Learn how TLR Search Partners works, or book a confidential call to talk through the role and the situation.