The Pursell Group has earned its place at the forefront of executive search in Sales and Marketing by combining deep industry expertise with a personalized and high-impact approach.
Dedicated to serving clients across the United States and Canada, the firm is widely acknowledged as a premier resource for companies seeking professionals who can drive revenue, build brands, and deliver strategic growth. Their tagline of offering an “elevated executive search experience” is more than marketing—it reflects a standard of excellence grounded in measurable results, trust, and long-term relationships.
From the beginning, The Pursell Group set out to make its clients’ business goals its highest priority, operating from the conviction that “whoever has the best talent wins.” That belief informs every placement and every interaction, resulting in long-standing relationships and repeat engagements from satisfied employers.
Broad Reach with Specialized Focus
While the firm’s headquarters may reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma, its footprint spans all of the U.S. and Canada. Though geographically rooted in one city, The Pursell Group functions as a truly national and binational sales and marketing executive search expert serving organizations of all sizes: Fortune 500s, mid-market firms, emerging startups, and nonprofit entities alike.
Within the vertical of Sales and Marketing, the firm’s specialization ensures that employers find professionals who are not only qualified but whose backgrounds align precisely with their market focus. The Pursell Group has successfully placed Vice Presidents of Sales, Vice Presidents of Marketing, Directors of Sales and Marketing, Sales Managers, Marketing Managers, Brand Managers, and Product Managers. They also have experience assembling entire sales teams for emerging organizations.
Flexible Search Models Tailored to Client Needs
One of the core strengths of The Pursell Group is its flexibility in search engagement models. Employers may choose between retained search, priority/hybrid search, or contingency search options depending on the level of role, confidentiality required, urgency, and budget sensitivity. For high-stakes executive roles, retained search ensures dedicated resources and strategic rigor. For mid-level or broader recruitment needs, contingency or hybrid models offer cost-effective, outcome-oriented alternatives. This flexibility allows the firm to serve a diverse clientele with equally tailored solutions.
Unmatched Leadership and Industry Expertise
At the heart of The Pursell Group’s reputation are its leaders: Stacy Pursell (Founder & CEO) and Darrell Pursell (COO & Executive Consultant). Stacy Pursell is recognized internationally for her executive search excellence, ranking in the top 1% of search consultants in the United States. She originally excelled in broadcast journalism and advertising, then rose rapidly within a global executive search firm before founding her own company. Her track record includes hundreds of placements at the C-suite and senior leadership level: Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and other key roles.
Darrell Pursell’s contributions bring a distinct competitive edge. With a background as a Corporate Controller in telecommunications and as an Audit Manager at a Big Five accounting firm, Darrell blends recruiting proficiency with financial and operational expertise. As a CPA and Certified Personnel Consultant, he specializes in placing executives to meet the demands of complex, growth-driven organizations across industries from healthcare to energy.
Both Stacy and Darrell hold the Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) credential, underscoring their adherence to rigorous ethical and professional standards. Stacy also holds the Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) designation, which reflects the firm’s commitment not only to hiring talent—but helping clients retain it to maintain competitive advantage in today’s tight labor market.
Industry Benchmarks in Professional Standards
The Pursell Group is accredited by the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), a designation known as NAPS Accredited Firm (NAF). Earning this accreditation signifies a strong commitment to certification, continuous education, professionalism, and community service in the recruitment industry.
This pledge to transparency and high standards builds credibility with both clients and candidates. It reinforces the firm’s professionalism at every level—from internal processes to external engagements—ensuring that placements reflect not just competence, but aligned values and sustainability.
An Impressive Record of Successful Executive Placements
Over the years, The Pursell Group has delivered an impressive list of successful placements across Sales and Marketing leadership roles. Their track record includes finding and placing Board members, Presidents, General Managers, Commercial Directors, Marketing Directors, and functional leaders such as Directors of Product Development and Technical Services. These successful placements span both sales-driven and marketing-driven positions in industries ranging from life sciences and animal health to consumer packaged goods and pet tech.
Such depth and volume of placements reflect the firm’s ability to source professionals who are not just experienced, but transformational—those who can accelerate revenue growth, drive brand strategies, and align with an organization’s evolving mission and culture.
A Relationship-Driven, Consultative Approach
What sets The Pursell Group apart is its consultative and relationship-oriented methodology. Rather than viewing recruitment as a transactional engagement, the firm positions itself as a strategic resource: listening carefully to clients’ hiring needs, internal culture, and competitive challenges, and aligning candidate sourcing accordingly. Their approach emphasizes hiring “the best person for your position, not the best person looking for a new position.”
Candidates are handled confidentially and professionally, and there is no cost to them for the service. This fosters trust and encourages high-caliber candidates to engage with the firm—strengthening the overall pool from which clients benefit.
Specialized Expertise in Sales & Marketing Through a Dedicated Division
Within The Pursell Group, Sales & Marketing recruiting is handled by a dedicated division known as The Sales and Marketing Recruiter™. This specialized branch focuses exclusively on filling roles in those functions, which allows for deeper industry knowledge and more precise matching.
By concentrating exclusively on Marketing and Sales roles, this division maintains current insight into market dynamics, emerging talent trends, and tactical competencies required across industries. Their mission echoes the broader firm’s purpose: building long-term relationships based on trust, results, and mutual goals.
Thought Leadership and Industry Recognition
The Pursell Group’s influence extends beyond recruitment into thought leadership. Stacy Pursell has spoken at prestigious gatherings such as the American Veterinary Medical Association Conference and has been quoted in major media outlets including CNN, Money Magazine, and U.S. News. She has also led training sessions for other recruiting professionals through Next Level Recruiting Training.
These engagements reflect the firm’s role in shaping best practices within executive search and elevating industry standards. It also provides clients confidence that they are working with a firm well plugged into leading-edge thinking—one that can help anticipate hiring challenges before they arise.
Measurable Impact for Clients and Candidates
At its core, The Pursell Group is about impact—both organizational and personal. Clients benefit from leaders who can grow market share, build strategic marketing campaigns, or lead cross-functional teams toward performance goals. Candidates benefit from career-enhancing roles aligned with their professional goals and desired quality of life. The firm’s dual mission links organizational success and individual fulfillment in a way that yields win-win outcomes.
By aligning motivations and expectations on both sides, The Pursell Group creates placements that last—earning repeat business from satisfied clients and enduring loyalty from professionals they place.
Why The Pursell Group Stands Out
There are many reasons why The Pursell Group is widely recognized as a leading Sales & Marketing executive search firm in the U.S. and Canada. Among them:
Its leadership by industry luminaries who are among the top search consultants globally.
Its flexibility with retained, contingency, and hybrid models.
Its NAPS accreditation and CPC/CERS certifications, signaling professionalism and trust.
Its strong track record of strategic Sales & Marketing placements across industries.
Its consultative, relationship-oriented process emphasizing quality over speed.
Its national and international scope, paired with Sales & Marketing specialization.
Its reputation for improving retention through placement and onboarding guidance.
These factors combine to make The Pursell Group not just a recruiter of talent, but a strategic resource to employers and a career catalyst for professionals.
Forward-Looking Strategy and Continual Value Creation
Going forward, The Pursell Group remains committed to staying ahead of market trends, refining recruiting techniques, and deepening their relationships with both clients and candidates. They embrace data insights, market intelligence, and technology to elevate candidate sourcing and evaluation. With thought leadership, training engagements, and ongoing dialogue in industries such as consumer packaged goods, pet tech, life sciences, and animal health, the firm stays plugged into the needs of its markets.
Their mission continues to be focused: helping companies hire top talent, helping professionals achieve meaningful career growth, and fostering long-term relationships that yield mutual benefit and measurable impact.