Origin Staffing - Thoughts on Recruitment

Recruiting a Managing Director for a National Advisory Firm | A Search Agency Case Study

Origin Staffing featured image showing a Managing Director Risk Advisory hire case study, highlighting non-compete challenges, go-to-market strategy, and CEO approval.

Executive Summary

  • Origin Staffing originated and closed a Managing Director placement at a top national advisory platform without an open requisition.
  • The candidate came to market following an unexpected market-driven separation and was targeting Partner-level opportunities.
  • The client did not have an open Managing Director role and required a full business case before even considering the hire.
  • The search required technical validation across SOX implementation, internal audit build-outs, IPO readiness, and controls transformation.
  • Non-compete restrictions limited client portability in year one, requiring detailed go-to-market planning and CEO-level approval.
  • Levelling friction between Partner vs Managing Director required education and alignment on both sides.
  • The process lasted approximately two months from first interview to offer, with layered partner buy-in and ultimate CEO approval.
  • The result was a newly created Managing Director seat with a defined partner pathway and a structured go-to-market plan.

Role Context and Why This Hire Mattered

This was not a backfill search. There was no open requisition.

Origin Staffing introduced a Managing Director profile to a national consulting/advisory firm based on platform fit and market opportunity. The client had a strong Risk Advisory practice heavily concentrated in SOX and SOX implementations, but the seat did not exist.

The mandate evolved in real time. If approved, the hire would need to:

  • Serve as a market-facing Managing Director-level subject matter expert in Risk Advisory.
  • Expand SOX implementation and controls transformation capabilities.
  • Contribute meaningful business development within the first 12-24 months.
  • Build pipeline despite non-compete restrictions in year one.
  • Align culturally and operationally with an advisory platform operating under high growth expectations.

The hire required Managing Director-level gravitas and Partner-level trajectory thinking.

Why This Search Was Hard

This search combined three complexities that rarely align cleanly.

1. No Open Role

The firm was not hiring for this seat. A business case had to be built internally before the candidate could even be formally considered. That required:

  • Talent Acquisition leadership buy-in
  • Practice Managing Partner alignment
  • Multiple Partner interviews
  • CEO-level final approval

The firm needed confidence that incremental revenue would exceed incremental cost. This was not a speculative hire.

2. Non-Compete Restrictions

The candidate had non-compete restrictions preventing direct outreach to prior clients in year one. For a Managing Director role with business development expectations, this required a detailed go-to-market strategy beyond “I have relationships.”

The firm needed clarity on:

  • New client targets
  • Sector expansion
  • Internal cross-sell
  • Thought leadership positioning
  • Practice build-out strategy

3. Levelling Friction

The candidate initially targeted Partner-level roles. The client could not elevate a non-partner directly to Partner without internal precedent and process. This created:

  • Titling tension.
  • Compensation friction.
  • Brand positioning deliberations.
  • Long-term pathway discussions.

Aligning expectations without losing momentum required careful navigation.

Origin Staffing Intake and Calibration – Building a Business Case, Not Filling a Job

Because the role did not exist, Origin Staffing’s intake process centered around:

  • Practice growth strategy
  • Revenue modeling
  • Utilization expectations
  • Internal equity at Managing Director level
  • Partner track mechanics

The client maintained strict standards:

  • Big 4 background was non-negotiable
  • High technical credibility was required
  • Unemployment status required explanation and diligence
  • Cultural alignment within a high-expectation environment was critical

The candidate’s unexpected market-driven separation required contextual framing. He had been operating at Managing Director level leading Risk Advisory nationally, but his previous firm experienced rapid group performance decline, and his compensation band placed him at the highest end without Partner status.

This required additional scrutiny.

Technical Depth – Evaluating a Managing Director in Risk Advisory

To present this search credibly to advisory HR leaders, technical rigor matters.

The candidate’s background included:

  • SOX implementation and optimization
  • Internal audit department build-outs
  • IPO readiness advisory
  • Controls redesign and automation
  • Risk operating model transformation

Core Evaluation Dimensions

Origin Staffing assessed depth across:

  1. SOX program design and implementation maturity
  2. Automation of manual controls and reduction of inefficiency
  3. Internal audit charter development and Audit Committee reporting
  4. IPO readiness roadmapping and ICFR scaling
  5. Revenue ownership and proposal development
  6. Executive presence with CFO, CAO, and Audit Committees
  7. Practice-level methodology development
  8. National quality assurance oversight

Proof-of-Fit Prompts

The screening process focused on practical depth:

  • Walk through redesigning a mature SOX program to reduce manual testing without increasing audit risk.
  • How would you scale ICFR from pre-IPO to post-IPO maturity?
  • What does a best-in-class internal audit function look like at mid-market scale?
  • How do you build a risk advisory pipeline in a greenfield market?
  • How do you differentiate against Big 4 and national competitors?

The candidate went further.

Without being asked, he developed and presented a go-to-market strategy playbook tailored to the client’s Risk Advisory landscape. This initiative materially changed internal perception. It shifted the conversation from “Should we hire?” to “Can we afford not to?”

Interview Feedback Loop – Managing Partner Buy-In

The candidate met with:

  • Talent Acquisition leadership
  • The Risk Advisory Managing Partner
  • Multiple Partners
  • A Senior Managing Partner
  • Ultimately, CEO-level approval

Across interviews, themes emerged:

  • Strong technical fluency in SOX and controls transformation
  • Credible revenue ownership history
  • Clear articulation of automation strategy
  • Honest discussion of non-compete limitations
  • Directness about expectations

However, caution persisted.

The client did not “sell” aggressively. This was a high-expectation, performance-driven environment. Interviews were probing, measured, and analytical.

At one point, the Managing Director vs Partner levelling shift became central. While the client valued the candidate’s capability, internal equity and process realities prevented direct Partner entry.

Origin Staffing facilitated difficult but necessary education:

  • Long-term Partner pathway vs day-one title
  • Brand leverage of joining a top national advisory platform
  • Structured performance-based promotion process

This recalibration was pivotal.

Offer Design and Closing – Navigating Levelling and Risk

Closing required alignment on:

  • Managing Director entry with structured Partner pathway
  • Defined performance expectations
  • Long-term equity participation framework
  • Internal equity analysis constraints
  • CEO approval comfort

For the client, approval meant confidence in:

  • Revenue generation beyond non-compete constraints
  • Cultural alignment in a high-performance environment
  • Long-term retention likelihood

For the candidate, the decision required:

  • Acceptance of Managing Director entry
  • Trust in Partner trajectory
  • Confidence in platform prestige and client base
  • Patience in a drawn-out approval process

Origin Staffing maintained close, advisory-level communication with both sides. The approach was not transactional. It was relational, transparent, and strategic.

There were moments where the deal felt uncertain. Scheduling delays. Levelling friction. Cultural hesitations. Competitive processes running in parallel.

Ultimately, alignment around long-term growth, brand positioning, and defined go-to-market strategy secured agreement.

The candidate accepted the Managing Director offer and joined the national advisory platform within a short timeframe.

  • Managing Director searches require business case development, not resume forwarding.
  • Non-compete restrictions demand structured go-to-market clarity.
  • Levelling friction is common at Partner-track levels and must be navigated directly.
  • CEO approval requires financial comfort, not enthusiasm.
  • Strong candidates at this level evaluate platform brand and partner trajectory carefully.
  • The hardest searches are often those without open roles.

Origin Staffing operates at that level.

FAQ

Can Origin Staffing originate senior-level hires without open requisitions?
Yes. This case demonstrates the ability to build internal business cases and secure executive approval for newly created roles.

How does Origin Staffing evaluate Managing Director and Partner-level talent?
Through technical validation, revenue ownership assessment, go-to-market strategy evaluation, and executive presence screening.

How are non-compete restrictions addressed?
By modeling pipeline strategy, internal cross-sell opportunity, and year-one positioning beyond direct client portability.

How do you manage levelling friction at senior levels?
Through transparent education, internal equity analysis alignment, and long-term pathway structuring.

What makes Partner-track searches different?
They require CEO-level approval, financial modeling confidence, and cultural fit at leadership depth.

Work with Origin Staffing

If it’s helpful to talk through a current hire, you can reach us via Contact Us, and follow updates on the Origin Staffing LinkedIn company page.

This search was led by Brian Henry – Recruiting Manager, and Andrei Nikulin – Head of Recruiting at Origin Staffing.