Supporting Bella+Duke’s European expansion through senior international leadership

3Search Executive’s relationship with Bella+Duke began following the appointment of James Sturrock as CEO. James is a highly experienced DTC and consumer growth leader who has previously scaled brands, including Moonpig and Eve Sleep, where he built and led high-performing commercial and marketing teams through periods of rapid expansion. 

Upon joining Bella+Duke, James engaged 3Search as a specialist executive search partner across marketing, growth, and commercial leadership. As the business secured private equity backing from BGF, they were looking to onboard a number of leadership roles to lead growth. Our search team appointed their Growth Director to lead marketing scale and Country Manager to help facilitate global expansion. 

Supporting Bella+Duke’s European expansion through senior international leadership

The story of Bella+Duke

Founded in 2016, Bella+Duke is a fast-growing, digitally native pet nutrition brand with a strong UK footprint and a clear ambition to become a category-defining European business.

Following significant UK traction and PE investment, the brand turned its focus to international growth. To scale successfully beyond the UK, Bella+Duke needed to engage the right leadership to support market entry, local execution, and long-term expansion across Europe. 

The brief: Launching Bella+Duke into new European markets

The immediate priority was launching the brand in Belgium and the Netherlands. To achieve this, they required a senior Country Manager who could: 

  • Own market entry strategy and local execution 
  • Operate with full commercial accountability 
  • Build Bella+Duke’s brand presence from the ground up 
  • Act as a trusted extension of the UK-based leadership team

This was a role the business had never hired before, combining international expansion, direct-to-consumer experience, and local market knowledge. 

Given the seniority of the role, its international scope, and the pace required, Bella+Duke needed an executive search partner who could move quickly without compromising on quality.  

3Search Executive was selected for our: 

  • Deep experience supporting PE-backed, high-growth direct-to-consumer brands 
  • Networks across senior consumer and commercial talent across European markets

A tailored, partnership-led approach allowed us to operate as an extension of James’ leadership team throughout the search process. 

Our approach: A focused search process

We ran a focused executive search process across relevant European markets, building a detailed market map of candidates with experience across: 

  • DTC and consumer brands 
  • International market entry and scaling 
  • Commercial leadership in complex, fast-growth environments 

Working closely with James, we aligned early on the core competencies, leadership traits, and cultural fit required for success. Despite compressed timelines, we delivered a shortlist of five to six highly relevant candidates, each rigorously assessed against the agreed criteria. 

Beyond candidate delivery, 3Search Executive acted as a strategic advisor throughout the process by: 

  • Providing insight into talent availability across Belgium and the Netherlands 
  • Advising on local remuneration expectations and market dynamics 
  • Managing candidate engagement and stakeholder alignment to maintain momentum

This ensured clarity, pace, and confidence at every stage of the search. 

Outcome: Establishing a platform for European growth

Bella+Duke successfully appointed a Country Manager to lead its expansion into Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Since the appointment, the business has successfully launched in both markets and established a proven framework for international market entry.

James Sturrock, CEO
It’s always a pleasure working with Charlie and the Exec Search team at 3Search. Having partnered with them a few times now, I knew what to expect — clear communication, strong market knowledge, and a real understanding of the talent landscape. They didn’t just run a search; they helped us shape the criteria, refine the brief, and build a clear market map. It really felt like a partnership.” More recently, as part of our European expansion, we needed support in scoping and defining a role we’d never hired before. Victoria was outstanding. She quickly built a shortlist of top-tier candidates, guided us on what the market could offer, and made the process incredibly smooth. We’ve landed a strong Country Manager for Belgium and the Netherlands, giving us the perfect start to our international growth journey.

Candidate Thought Count: 0

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Michael Judkins Customer Experience & Growth Director

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