Executive Search for Growth & Innovation Leaders
JJA - Executive Search for Growth & Innovation Leaders
We partner with Private Equity sponsors and CEOs from high growth companies to create value and speed returns.
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By The Numbers
Track Record
3
Partners
Laser-Focused. Connected. Unmatched.
17
Years
Shoulder-to-Shoulder since ‘09
5k+
Placements
Executed by Experts. Not the JV.
0
Compromise
On Quality, Velocity, or Commitment
What is Broken About Executive Search
You're Paying Premium Fees for Subprime Performance
"There's only one thing worse than getting it wrong. That's getting it wrong twice!"
Anonymous, PE Operating Partner
01
The Partner sold you. The Associate is failing you.
Junior recruiters are taking potshots at A+ talent and reporting back "no interest." Was your mandate ever a priority?
02
What they presented to us as an A+ Player was a B- in our book.
Most recruiters never met a candidate they didn't like.
03
They Worked their Rolodex, Not the Market.
Their "low-risk" outreach never got beyond the usual suspects. Their candidates were mostly between assignments—not high performers in the role.
04
The headhunter's Brief and their Pitch didn't make the Opportunity compelling.
Access is easy; persuasion is hard. Today, any recruiter can get to any candidate, but a generic Brief and Pitch won't land them.
The JJA Difference
The JJA Difference
01
Velocity Without Shortcuts:
The Shortlist in 6 Weeks, Not 6 Months.
The Shortlist in 6 Weeks, Not 6 Months.
JJA Executive Search
While others are still struggling to draft the brief, our rigorous sprints set the scorecard early and drive momentum. Constant refinement and recalibration ensure you hire with confidence.
"JJA understands that searches are like sharks, if they stop moving, they die, and great candidates are like fresh produce—their shelf life is very short."
02
Access the Unreachable.
JJA Executive Search
We identify the top 1% of leaders and the partner engages them directly—surfacing candidates who weren't on the market until we called.
"I wasn't looking for a job when I was approached by JJA. I was doing extremely well. They challenged me, stayed after me and ultimately convinced me to go on the interview. They instill confidence and trust. At some level I was leaning on their experience and judgment as I approached a very important career transition. They didn't let me down."
03
The Unfiltered Truth—Because Your Success Comes First.
JJA Executive Search
We don't tell you what you want to hear; we tell you what you need to know. Built on radical transparency, our guidance is driven by your best interest, giving us the conviction to advocate for—or against—any candidate.
"I have had some bad experiences with recruiters and broken searches in the past. We engaged JJA and they quickly delivered exactly what we were looking for. They took direction and course-corrected when we pushed, and they pushed back when expectations were unrealistic. The results exceeded our expectations, and I really enjoyed the process. They have my unconditional endorsement."
04
Your partnership with JJA doesn't end at the C-suite.
JJA Executive Search
We bring retained search rigor to critical roles at every level—from functional leads to individual contributors. With success-based fees and a replacement guarantees that double the industry standard, we provide the security you need to scale with confidence.
"Without JJA, there would be no ProRata!"
Founded in 2024 by Bill Gross at Idealab, ProRata.AI builds AI-powered search, advertising, and attribution solutions grounded in respect for content creators. JJA matched Bill with Co-Founder & CTO Tarek Najm. That placement turned into an acquihire of Tarek's AI architecture and research team. To date, JJA has placed a half-dozen key roles across AI Engineering, AI Research, Product Management and Machine Learning/Data Science.
How We Work
AIM: Alignment. Intel. Momentum.
1
Mission
Focused, rigorous execution
5
Sprints
Transparent. Partner-driven.
98%
Success Rate
Based on our 300 most recent mandates
0
Compromise
Accountable at every stage
01
Kick Off
Align expectations. Set the ground rules. Agree on the Plan.
Deliverables
- Rules of Engagement
- Search Project Plan
- Reuirements, Profile and Fit
"From the kickoff, JJA is very intense in getting the spec right. They spend a lot of time interviewing me, interviewing the portfolio companies to understand the requirements, the culture and what they're exactly looking for. Getting the spec dialed in is incredibly important for a successful outcome."
Jay Sung, Operating Partner and CMO, Brentwood Associates
02
Craft the Brief. Debate the Central Cast. Prioritize the Heat Map.
Deliverables
- The Brief and the Pitch
- Target Companies and key sources
- Scorecard: Assesment Criteria
"JJA built our Employer Brand. The Brief they crafted became an important narrative for many hires. It helped us tell our story and it evolved over time. With JJA's help we were guided through a fast, transparent and efficient process, and arrived at the right result."
Linda Pan, SVP, New Media Content Partnerships,
NBA | Former SVP, Digital Business, AMC Networks
NBA | Former SVP, Digital Business, AMC Networks
03
Prosecute the Search
A Forward-deployed JJA Partner shadows the initial Interviews. Constant recalibration ensures the top candidates advance.
Deliverables
- Interview Assessments
- Realtime Candidate Pipeline
- Weekly Status Call
"The process they execute is very detailed. They start off by setting the brief with incredible speed. Then they provide multiple validations along the way to evolve the scorecard of what you're looking for. They participate in the interview cycle with you, which makes it a much more efficient process to get the right candidates."
Sean Atkins, CEO, Dhar Mann Studios | Former President Jellysmack
04
Continuous Momentum.
Confident Selection.
Confident Selection.
Steady pipeline of new candidates. Shortlist meetings emphasize fit. Deep due diligence on the finalist(s).
Deliverables
- Refined Scorecard
- Conversations with team, board, investors
- Back-channel references ensure deep due diligence
"There is no better predictor of future performance than a back-channel reference from a trusted source."
Jim Jonassen, Founder JJA
05
Close the deal. Co-Own the Result.
Expert counsel on final selection and offer terms, co-manage all communication and choreograph the negotiation and close. Each placement is backed by a full-year guarantee.
"JJA operates with a cadence and rigor that benefit both candidate and client. It is a relentless pace—that leads to the right result. That's why JJA has become my partner in building multiple businesses."
Matt Edelman, CEO, Super League
"Fortune favors not the biggest battalions, but the best shots."
voltaire
Where We Win
Clients & Placements
- CFO
- CTO
- GM Express Division
- SVP Sales
- SVP HR
- VP Marketing
- VP Product Mgmt
- VP Acquisition & Retention
- VP Product Mgmt-Consumer
- Ex. Dir. Consumer Eng.
- Ex. Dir. Consumer Prod Mktg
- CFO
- VP Marketing
- Chief People Officer
- GM of Brands
- Chief Revenue Officer
- Chief Customer Officer
- VP Marketing
- SVP of WW Sales
- Chief Sales Officer
- CFO
- VP Software Eng
- Dir of Tech/Ops
- Sr. Mgr. FP&A
- Sr. Financial Analyst
- Ch. Product Ofcr.
- CTO
- VP Tech Ops
- VP Accounting
- VP Sales SMB
- CRO
- CFO
- COO
- CMO
- CTO
- CFO
- Ch. Data Officer
- Chief People Officer
- SVP Global Sales
- CFO
- VP Biz Dev
- VP Sales
- GM Brands
- Head of Creator Success
- VP Creator Partnerships
- VP Revenue Enablement
- VP Revenue Operations
- VP Sales
- Dir. Eng
- Dir. Products
- Co-Founder and CTO
- Sr. Applied Scientist (2)
- Sr. Principal Engineer (4)
- BD Lead: Retail
- BD Lead: Financial Services
- BD Lead: Healthcare
case studies
JJA's Outcomes and Impact.
01
the client
Talent Systems is the leading technology platform provider for casting, auditioning and crew hiring to the entertainment industry. Casting directors, agents, and productions worldwide use its platform to source and manage talent across film, TV, commercials, theater and digital projects, powering an unparalleled, global casting ecosystem.
placements
CFO, VP Software Engineering, Dir of Tech/Ops, Sr. Mgr. FP&A, Sr. Financial Analyst
impact
Talent Systems partnered with JJA to fill multiple critical financial, technology, and product leadership mandates on the way to its acquisition by Redbird
02
Private Equity Sponsor
Brentwood Associates is a Los Angeles-based private equity firm with over $2 billion of assets under management and a 30+ year history of investing in middle-market growth-oriented consumer and business services companies. Brentwood's 50 portfolio companies have generated an aggregate transaction value of over $6B and delivered outsize returns with brands like Zoës Kitchen (IPO), Parchment ($83M sale), Zumiez, Filson and Ariat Intl.
impact
“JJA became a trusted "keiretsu" partner, reducing time and risk across Brentwood's portfolio while going the extra mile to find perfect candidates.”
impact
- Excelligence Learning: Placed a team of AI and Machine Learning experts
- Boston Proper: CMO
- Soft Surroundings: CMO/Head of eCommerce
- Jefferson Dental & Orthodontics: CMO
03
the client
Jellysmack is a global "creator growth company" leveraging proprietary AI technology and first-party data to help video creators accelerate their growth and maximize revenue by expanding their content onto multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube).
placements
CFO, VP Software Engineering, Dir of Tech/Ops, Sr. Mgr. FP&A, Sr. Financial Analyst
impact
After closing the largest European growth equity financing in history, Creator platform provider, JellySmack, headquartered in France, turned to JJA to staff four critical revenue leadership roles in North America, reporting to then President, Sean Atkins. JJA's thorough and efficient methodology yielded a broad spectrum of candidates and all four were filled with diversity candidates who turned out to be high-performance leaders.
investors/sponsors
04
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the client
Founded in 2017, Mission Cloud works closely to understand the unique needs of small business and mid-market AWS customers by offering customized solutions and strategic guidance for professional services projects, end-to-end cloud services, security, and innovative AI solutions and software. As an AWS-certified generative AI partner, Mission Cloud, securely transforms customer data with AI and Machine Learning (ML) solutions and offers comprehensive protection for AWS-managed environments.
placements
Chief Revenue Officer (subsequently promoted to President) and Chief Financial Officer
impact
After finding product-market fit and completing two acquisitions, PE sponsor Great Hill Partners and CEO Simon Anderson focused on sustainable growth. They turned to JJA to build a world-class leadership team around Simon. JJA placed the CFO and a CRO before exiting to CDW in late 2024.
Investors/Sponsors
- Great Hill Partners initially invested in Mission Cloud in 2017 and purchased and invested in three technology companies from 2017-2019 to bolster the Company’s standing in the industry. Under Great Hill’s ownership, Mission Cloud has become the largest independent AWS managed services company in the United States.
05
the client
Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD) is a leading global provider of comprehensive learning and talent management SaaS solutions. CSOD has > 2,100 clients, 19 million users across 191 countries and in 42 languages. AI-powered Cornerstone Galaxy is the leading talent-development platform that's transforming strategic workforce planning.
placements
CPO, CTO, VP Talent Management, VP Technology Operations, VP Accounting, Dir/VP of Sales SMB, Dir of Sales
impact
JJA executed several critical leadership searches at many stages of CSOD's journey from pre-IPO growth to publicly traded and eventually PE-owned company. Founder, CEO Adam Miller held the dual role of CEO and Head of Product until he tapped JJA to prosecute the Chief Product Officer search just before being taken private by Clearlake.
Investors/Sponsors
Where We Win
Private/Growth Equity Firms
Executive Search Partners to Top-Tier PE Portfolio Companies
meet the team
One Mission.
Zero Compromise.
Three Partners. World-Class Support Team
0
1
/ partner
Jason Navarro
CTO & CRO Search Specialist
Career Headhunter. Startup and hyper-growth team and company builder with multiple exits. JJA Partner since 2009, after two prior search firms. Previously led internal search practices for at-scale enterprises and VC-backed startups. Top-performing internal search veteran of Microsoft, Google, EMC and DirecTV.
Big career regret: turning down offers to exchange placements for equity at Yahoo and Netscape when each was sub-100 employees.
CTO/CRO Focus
Since 2009
Microsoft, Google
0
2
/ partner
Sam Merchant
Product, Ops & Engineering
Career headhunter. 1,500 completed searches across Product, Operations, Software Engineering/Data Science, Marketing/Growth. Three decades in retained search/recruiting, including 10+ years in-house with Oracle, 3COM/US Robotics and Overture/Yahoo. Founder of two Technical Search Firms prior to joining JJA in 2014. Over 1,000 placements for emerging growth, middle-market and large-cap technology companies.
Over 1,000 placements for emerging growth, middle-market and large-cap technology companies.
1,500 Searches
30 Years
Oracle, Yahoo
0
3
/ partner
Jim Jonassen
Founder, CEO, Community Builder
Long-time headhunter. Three-time software company CEO. Founded 5 search firms including Riviera Partners in 2000 which he sold in 2007 to start JJA. Founder/CEO of 3 software companies (exit and IPO in 2000). 1999 SoCal Software CEO of the Year. Shipped the first ATS (MacHunter) for the Mac & first staffing app (TempusFugit) for Windows.
Builder of curated and engaged communities of innovators across the USA that give back to local at-risk youth. ThursdayNights.org has donated over $3M.
5 Firms Founded
CEO of Year 1999
$3M+ Donated
0
4
/ partner
Ximena Rosales
Coordinator
Strategic anchor for JJA's operations, bringing over four years of experience partnering with U.S.-based firms to execute complex, multi-industry initiatives. With a degree in International Business, she approaches project management with a global lens, specialized in guiding searches from the initial kickoff through to successful completion.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and Sign Language, with working proficiency in Chinese (HSK 2). Bridges cultural and linguistic gaps. An invaluable asset to JJA's diverse client base. Spearheaded the planning and execution for ThursdayNights.org, delivering high-impact event experiences.
International Business
Multilingual
ThursdayNights.org
0
5
/ partner
Andrea Abastida
CRM & Research
The engine behind JJA's data-driven research and business development efforts. As a specialist in Talent Management systems, CRM structure and market intelligence, she ensures the team is equipped with the enriched intelligence necessary to navigate complex industries and investor/portfolio relations. Leverages background in Industrial & Systems Engineering to build clean, scalable data systems that support JJA's executive search and long-term growth strategies.
Expertly navigates tools like LinkedIn Recruiter/Sales Navigator, Seamless.AI, Thrive TRM, HubSpot and all of the latest Generative AI platforms, to bridge the gap between massive datasets and personalized outreach. Maintains a highly secure environment and translates complex data into clear market insights, empowering the JJA Partners to act with precision and speed in a competitive talent landscape.
Industrial Engineering
Data Systems
AI Platforms
jja executive search
ThursdayNights.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and community investment of JJA Executive Search
ThursdayNights.org
JJA convenes Investors, operators, platform & service providers, in a curated series of activations across the PE ecosystem
3,000
Industry leaders, investors,
and innovators convened.
and innovators convened.
300
Invite-only luxury events instrategic markets extend JJA's network.
$3,000,000
Donated to at-risk youth nationwide since 2007.
causes
co-sponsors
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ready to start
JJA is here to help your company/portfolio
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