Grace Blue, the global executive search and M&A advisory firm, today announced it has hired two new directors as part of the ongoing expansion of its New York office. Founded in 2007, the firm has established a reputation for deep industry contacts, resulting in the successful placement of more CEOs, Presidents, Chief Creative Officers, Chief Marketing Officers in marketing and advertising than any other search firm. They are recognized for their in-depth understanding of the complex and changing needs of marketing and media businesses.
The two new hires, Mary Gallic and Ann Zagaroli, will help the firm grow its offering in areas like e-commerce, sales, data and analytics, content and entertainment. Additionally, Grace Blue now offers searches at the “future leaders” level immediately below the C-suite, including roles such as VP-Brand Partnerships, VP Sales, and VP Content, which the new directors will actively lead.
“Change in the marketing and media industry is a constant, and we’re continually upgrading our capabilities to keep pace with innovation,” said Claire Telling, co-CEO of Grace Blue. “Our clients are in search of talent that can harness new technologies and master new ways of reaching customers, and Mary and Ann will help us continue executing to the standard our clients expect. Both women are phenomenal leaders in their space, and we are excited to have them join us.”
Mary Gallic comes to Grace Blue from the boutique recruitment firm O’Hare & Associates, where she worked for 13 years. She led O’Hare’s digital media practice, filling roles across planning, strategy, e-commerce, programmatic, social, mobile, data and sales at agencies, brands, publishers and platforms. In addition to sourcing senior executives, she worked extensively on searches at the “future leaders” level, which sits below the C-suite. Prior to her tenure at O’Hare, she held recruiting positions at Carat New York and McCann San Francisco.
“As the media and marketing landscape keeps rapidly evolving, finding talent with the right skill set and experience to lead new practice areas can be daunting for brands and agencies alike,” Gallic said. “I’ve been an admirer of Grace Blue and the team it’s built for years and believe we’re uniquely equipped to help clients with this challenge.”
Ann Zagaroli joins Grace Blue from ARC, where she specialized in recruiting for the content creation, production and entertainment industries. Previously, she co-founded Simpatico, an independent representation company, where she represented sought-after talent in film, digital, experiential and design. She’s also held agency-side business development roles at Gretel, The Barbarian Group and Brand New School.
“It’s challenging to find the unique leaders who can drive creativity and change within an organization, but Grace Blue has an amazing track record of doing just that,” Zagaroli said. “I’m thrilled to have joined the growing team.”