Marketing Director & CMO Recruitment — Manchester & NW
Marketing Director and CMO Recruitment in Manchester and the North West
Nigel Wright Group helps organisations across Manchester and the North West appoint the marketing leaders who grow brands, win customers and give boards a clear view of commercial return. We recruit Marketing Directors, CMOs and their senior teams on a permanent and interim basis, drawing on a wider Northern network and close knowledge of the regional talent market.
Expertise you trust. Hiring people you value. That promise shapes every brief we take on, from a first Marketing Director for a founder-led business to a group CMO for a complex, multi-brand organisation.
Why North West Boards Choose Nigel Wright Group
A marketing appointment at this level affects revenue, reputation and how a business is seen by investors. Getting it wrong is costly and slow to repair. Our consultants spend their time in this market, so they know which leaders have delivered growth, who is ready for a step up, and what it takes to bring them on board.
- Specialist focus: marketing leadership is a core area of our practice across the North.
- Local knowledge: Manchester’s consumer, technology, life sciences and professional services communities are part of our everyday network.
- Flexible models: permanent and interim appointments, often combined within one hiring plan.
- Honest advice: early, clear feedback on salary, scope and candidate supply.
What Does a Specialist Marketing Executive Search Firm Do?
A Marketing Director and CMO executive search firm finds, assesses and secures senior marketing talent for board and leadership roles. Most strong candidates are already in post and focused on their current roles. Specialist consultants reach them directly, test their record against your goals and manage the offer through to a confirmed start.
At Nigel Wright Group, this work begins with your business plan. We ask what marketing must deliver over the next three to five years, then build a shortlist of people who have achieved similar results elsewhere.
Marketing Roles We Recruit Across the North West
Our consultants place leaders across brand, demand generation, digital and customer functions. Typical appointments include:
Permanent Appointments
- Chief Marketing Officer and Group Marketing Director
- Marketing Director and Brand Director
- Commercial and Marketing Director roles combining sales and marketing
- Head of Digital, Head of Brand and Head of Growth
- Customer Director and Head of Insight
Interim Appointments
- Interim CMO or Marketing Director during a search or leave of absence
- Rebrand and repositioning leads
- Programme leads for new market entry or product launches
- Transformation leads for digital, data and martech change
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Sector Expertise Across the North West Economy
Manchester and the North West combine global brands, ambitious scale-ups and a strong base of private equity-backed businesses. Each needs a different kind of marketer.
Consumer and retail brands want leaders who can build brand equity and drive sell-through across retail and direct channels. Life sciences and health technology firms look for marketers who understand regulated messaging and technical buyers. Property, professional services and distribution businesses need people who can turn complex offers into clear propositions that win contracts.
Our consultants bring a deep understanding of these markets and the people who lead marketing within them. That knowledge helps you set a realistic brief and attract candidates who fit both the role and the culture. We also look beyond the obvious pool, testing adjacent sectors where transferable skills can bring fresh thinking to your brand.
Our Track Record: Selected Client Examples
Nigel Wright Group has supported organisations across consumer goods, health and life sciences, property and business services with board-level marketing and commercial hires. The examples below show the range of businesses that trust us with critical appointments.
Consumer Brands and Leisure
- Cawston Press: a challenger soft drinks brand where marketing drives distribution, listings and loyalty.
- Munchkin: a global baby products business that relies on strong brand and retail marketing.
- Bannatyne Fitness: a health club and spa group where member growth depends on effective local and digital campaigns.
Life Sciences and Health Technology
- Concept Life Sciences: a scientific services provider that markets technical expertise to pharmaceutical, biotech and other scientific clients.
- Tunstall Group: a health and care technology company whose marketing speaks to public sector and private buyers.
- BioPhorum: an industry collaboration body that engages senior members across the biopharmaceutical sector.
Property, Distribution and Business Services
- FI Real Estate Management: a property investment and asset management business with a growing commercial portfolio.
- Smiths News: a major distributor of newspapers and magazines, serving a wide network of retail partners.
Across these clients, the common thread is commercial impact. Each needed a leader who could link marketing activity to growth, investor confidence or market share.
Permanent and Interim Marketing Appointments: Which Model Fits?
Both models play a part in building strong leadership teams and specialist talent. The right choice depends on timing, risk and the scale of change ahead.
When a Permanent Appointment Fits
Choose a permanent hire when the role is stable, the strategy is clear and you need someone to build a team over the long term. A permanent CMO or Marketing Director owns the brand, sets budgets and develops future leaders.
When an Interim Appointment Fits
Interim leaders suit moments of pressure or change. An experienced interim can start within days, steady a team after a sudden exit, deliver a rebrand or lead a defined programme such as a platform migration.
How the Two Work Together
Many of our clients use both. An interim leader keeps momentum while we run a permanent search, then hands over a clear plan to the new appointee. Such continuity protects revenue, keeps teams engaged and gives the board time to choose well.
Executive Search, Advisory, and Specialist Recruitment for Marketing
Our three services cover the full span of marketing hiring.
Executive Search: Securing Leaders Who Shape Your Future
For CMO, Marketing Director and board-level roles, we run a retained search built on market mapping, direct approaches and structured assessment. You see the whole market, ranked against your criteria.
Advisory: Expert Insight for Wiser Decisions
Before a search begins, we help you define the role, test the brief and set a competitive package. Clear guidance at this stage leads to better outcomes later.
Specialist Recruitment: Connecting You With Talent Others Cannot
Below board level, our specialist recruitment services fill heads of function, senior managers and interim specialists across brand, digital and insight.
How a CMO Search Runs, Step by Step
A clear search process gives you confidence at each stage. Each CMO or Marketing Director assignment typically follows five steps:
- Briefing: we meet your leadership team to agree goals, scope, reporting lines and success measures.
- Mapping: our researchers identify relevant leaders across target sectors and competitors.
- Approach: consultants engage candidates directly and test motivation, record and fit.
- Assessment: you receive a shortlist with detailed profiles and our honest view of each person.
- Offer and onboarding: we manage negotiation and stay close through the first months in post.
Collaboration runs through every step. You get regular updates, open feedback and a partner who will challenge the brief where a better answer exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in a Marketing Director and CMO recruitment agency?
Look for proven sector knowledge, access to passive candidates and a clear method for assessing commercial impact. A good agency should also offer interim support and give candid advice on pay and candidate supply in Manchester and the North West.
How long does it take to hire a CMO?
Timing depends on the role and market. A permanent CMO search commonly runs for three to four months from briefing to offer, plus notice. Interim leaders can often start within one to two weeks.
Do you recruit marketing executives across the wider North West?
Yes. Our Manchester team works with organisations across the North West, supported by consultants throughout the North.
What makes a good recruitment process for CMO and Marketing Director hires?
The strongest approach tests real outcomes, such as revenue growth, brand performance and team development. Key stakeholders should be involved early, so the final choice has full support.
Talk to a CMO and Marketing Director Recruitment Agency That Goes Further
The right marketing leader can change the direction of your business. Nigel Wright Group aims to be the driving force behind the North’s most successful organisations, and we Go Further to find the people who make that possible.
Speak to our Manchester team about a permanent or interim appointment. As a CMO and Marketing Director executive search firm and trusted recruitment partner, we will help you build the leadership your organisation needs to shape its future.
Manchester Office
Telephone: +44 (0)161 552 5027
Email: marketingdept@nigelwright.com
Address: The Lincoln, Lincoln Square, Brazennose Street, Manchester, M2 5AD