Appointing a UK Sales Director to drive the next phase of growth for Sue Ismiel & Daughters

3Search Executive was engaged by Sue Ismiel & Daughters to support a pivotal leadership appointment as the business prepared to scale its UK retail presence. Having successfully built a strong ecommerce footprint across the globe, the organisation was entering a new phase of growth. They were focused on establishing meaningful, long-term relationships with major UK retailers.  

To realise this ambition, they required a senior commercial leader capable of shaping and executing a high-impact market strategy. 

Appointing a UK Sales Director to drive the next phase of growth for Sue Ismiel & Daughters

bout Sue Ismiel & Daughters

Sue Ismiel & Daughters is a family-founded FMCG business best known for Nad’s Natural Hair Removal Gel, which originated as a home-made solution and evolved into a category-leading, award-winning brand across Australia. 

Building on this success, the company has expanded into a diversified global portfolio, including Nad’s for Men, NitWits, Wyld, and Frankly Eco. With well-established ecommerce operations in both the US and UK, the business identified a significant opportunity to strengthen its UK FMCG presence through strategic retail partnerships with organisations such as Tesco, Boots, and Superdrug. 

Challenge: A discreet and business-critical leadership hire

To deliver against this next stage of growth, Sue Ismiel & Daughters needed to appoint a UK Sales Director. This influential appointment would be responsible for accelerating revenue beyond existing ecommerce and marketplace channels. 

The brief required more than functional capability. The business needed a commercially astute leader with: 

  • A proven track record of securing and scaling relationships with major UK retailers 
  • The credibility and network to unlock high-value partnerships 
  • The ability to balance immediate commercial delivery with longer-term team and capability building

Confidentiality was essential throughout, given the strategic importance of the appointment and its potential impact on the organisation’s UK trajectory. 

Solution: A targeted executive search strategy

We partnered with Sue Ismiel & Daughters to deliver a tailored, discreet search process aligned to the seniority and sensitivity of the role. This included: 

  • Market mapping and proactive engagement of high-performing, often passive, FMCG sales leaders 
  • Accessing trusted networks and referrals to identify individuals with both the track record and cultural alignment required 
  • Structured stakeholder alignment, ensuring clarity on success criteria and long-term objectives 
  • Strict confidentiality protocols, including NDA-secured interview stages

Crucially, we positioned the opportunity as a genuine leadership mandate – the chance to define the UK retail strategy, establish key partnerships, and build a high-performing sales function from the ground up. This narrative resonated strongly with senior candidates motivated by both immediate impact and the opportunity to shape a growth journey. 

Outcome: Securing a high-impact commercial leader

Sue Ismiel & Daughters appointed a UK Sales Director with the experience, network, and strategic mindset to accelerate their entry into the UK retail market. The hire has: 

  • Strengthened the organisation’s ability to engage and win with tier-one retail partners 
  • Established a clear route to market beyond ecommerce channels 
  • Created the foundation for building a UK-based sales team to support continued expansion

Our partnership has since extended beyond this appointment, supporting the ongoing build-out of both sales and marketplace capabilities. 

Alan Ames, Executive Director International
Working with Sam and 3Search made what felt like a really tough hire so much easier. They understood our business, handled the process with complete professionalism and confidentiality, and introduced us to exceptional candidates. We’re looking forward to the positive impact this will make on our UK business.

Candidate Thought Count: 0

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Michael Judkins Customer Experience & Growth Director

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