Craig Leach, MBA

I help CEOs, CHROs, and private owners build senior leadership teams that actually stay and perform. With 30+ years of leading and hiring teams myself, I run executive searches where 96% of placements are still in the role at 12 months and 94% at 24 months.​Who I work with:CEOs, CHROs, and PE/owner‑operators who need C‑Suite, VP, and Director‑level leaders.Organizations in agribusiness, finance, food &amp; beverage, and pet that are navigating growth, transformation, or succession.Senior leaders who can’t afford a mis‑hire in a key role.The problems I solveCritical executive roles sitting open for months and dragging on performance.Costly mis‑hires that damage culture, credibility, and momentum.Leadership transitions where the wrong hire can set the business back years.How I workExecutive search with a defined, transparent process from intake through onboarding.Deep discovery around business model, culture, and success profile before we ever go to market.Direct outreach to targeted leaders, not just posting and praying.Structured interviews and rigorous vetting so you see a tight shortlist of high‑probability finalists.What you can expect96% of placements still in role at 12 months; 94% at 24 months.​Reduced “commercial downtime” from open leadership roles.Fewer mis‑hires, stronger succession benches, and better retention at the top of the house.Ways to work with meRetained executive search for C‑Suite, VP, and Director roles.Contingency search for key commercial, technical, and leadership contributors.Executive coaching for senior leaders and high‑potential successors.When to call meYou’re planning a leadership change in the next 6–24 months.You’ve outgrown your current leadership team and need a different caliber of talent.You want a search partner who understands P&amp;L, operations, and markets—not just résumés.Ready to talk about your senior leadership hiring roadmap?Book time with me here: https://calendly.com/6202205911/30min

President

Craig Leach

I met a Director-level leader 24 months ago.

No clear path to the C-suite. Just potential waiting to be unlocked.

Here's what the journey looked like:

• Month 3: Identified leadership gaps and blind spots
• Month 12: Placed in VP role, first C-suite step
• Month 24: Appointed CEO of a growing firm

Today, they're leading a full organization with confidence and clarity.

By next year, they'll be scaling a team and driving enterprise-level growth.

The reason it worked: mindset shifted before the title ever did.

To move from Director to CEO

To stop being overlooked for the top seat

To lead with authority, not just competence

Over 24 months, I helped them:

• Build a C-suite personal brand
• Master executive presence and influence
• Navigate high-stakes career decisions

They mastered the transition from functional expert to enterprise leader.

And recently, they sent me a message I won't forget.

My executive coaching and search process can help you:

• Identify your fastest path to the C-suite
• Close the gaps holding you back
• Land the role you've been building toward

The seat at the top doesn't find you. You build toward it.

DM me if you're ready to start.

Executive Search for C‑Suite & VPs | I Help CEOs & CHROs Build Senior Leadership Teams That Stay | 96% 12‑Month, 94% 24‑Month Retention | 2x Top Voice

The CEO who hired his replacement—and didn't know it.

I placed a VP of Operations for a mid-sized manufacturing company three years ago.

The CEO called me personally. "Craig, I need someone who can eventually run this place. Someone better than me at the stuff I'm not good at."

Rare self-awareness. I found him exactly that.

The VP came in and delivered. Streamlined operations. Built relationships with the board. Earned trust across every department.

By year two, something shifted.

The CEO started cc'ing me on emails. "Just checking in." Asking if I'd heard any "rumblings." Wanting to grab coffee more often.

He never said it directly. But I knew.

He was watching his replacement outgrow him in real time.

Here's what I've seen in 200+ placements:

The CEOs who struggle with this moment share a pattern:
• They hired for capability but expected a ceiling
• They wanted transformation but not succession
• They said "run this place" but meant "run it for me"

The CEOs who handle it well? They do something counterintuitive.

They accelerate the transition.

That manufacturing CEO? He called me six months ago. Not to complain. To tell me he'd recommended his VP to the board as his successor.

"I hired him to be better than me. Turns out he is."

He's now chairman. The former VP is CEO. Revenue is up 23%.

Most executives won't admit this:

The hardest part of hiring great talent isn't finding them.

It's being secure enough to let them surpass you.

Have you ever hired someone who outgrew you?

The question that predicts your next 5 years...

"Should I take the bigger title or the better boss?"

I hear this constantly. Executives sitting on two offers. One has the title. The other has the leader.

Here's what I tell them:

In 200+ placements, I've tracked what happens next. The pattern is brutal.

The executives who chase titles? They win on LinkedIn for six months. Then they spend the next four years recovering from a boss who didn't develop them, didn't protect them, and didn't care.

One VP I had previously placed chose the Chief title over the better leader.

Eighteen months later, he called me. His CEO took credit for every win. Threw him under the bus to the board. Blocked his access to key decisions.

He left with a damaged reputation and two years of his career he'll never get back.

The executives who choose the better boss? Different story.

They get:
• Air cover when things go wrong
• Access to rooms they wouldn't be in otherwise
• Honest feedback that actually makes them better
• A reference that opens doors for decades

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲:

"Will this person make you better or just make you busier?"

Titles are negotiable. You can earn them anywhere.

A great boss? That's rare. That's the accelerator.

The best executives I know didn't climb the fastest ladder. They climbed the right one.

Who's the boss that shaped your career most?

A CEO told me last week he's terrified of AI.

Not because it's moving too fast.

Because his leadership team refuses to touch it.

He's 58 years old. Built his company from scratch. Runs a $400M manufacturing business.

And he's learning AI faster than his 40-year-old executives.

He showed me his workflow. Uses Claude for strategic analysis. Built custom GPTs for competitive intelligence. Spends an hour every morning experimenting.

His C-suite? They've delegated AI to IT. Call it "a tech thing." Haven't opened ChatGPT since the hype died down.

Last month, he asked his CFO a simple question: "How could AI change our forecasting process?"

The CFO's answer: "I'll have someone look into it."

That's when he called me.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜'𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴:

The executives who dismiss AI aren't just behind on technology.

They're signaling something deeper: resistance to change, comfort with the status quo, unwillingness to feel like a beginner again.

That's a leadership problem, not a skills gap.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗺:

"Do you want to coach them into the future, or recruit people who are already there?"

He sat with that for a long time.

Then he said: "I've given them two years. They've had every resource. Every opportunity. They just don't care."

Some gaps can be closed with training.

Some gaps reveal who's willing to evolve and who isn't.

200+ placements taught me this: The executives who thrive aren't the ones with the best credentials.

They're the ones who stay curious when it's uncomfortable.

When's the last time your leadership team learned something that made them feel like beginners?

Performance reviews are corporate theater.

I've coached executives through hundreds of them—on both sides of the table.

Here's what I've learned: The words don't mean what you think they mean.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲:

"You're doing great work."
→ Nothing's changing this cycle. No raise. No promotion. Same seat.

"There's room for growth."
→ You're not getting promoted. Maybe not this year. Maybe not ever here.

"Let's revisit this next quarter."
→ I'm hoping you forget. And if you don't, I'll push it again.

"We value your contributions."
→ You're not a priority, but we don't want you to leave yet.

"You're a key part of the team."
→ Key enough to keep. Not key enough to invest in.

"Keep doing what you're doing."
→ I have no feedback for you because I haven't been paying attention.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗲:

The executives who get blindsided by layoffs, passed over for promotions, or stuck in the same role for years?

They believed the words.

The ones who advance?

They read between the lines. They ask the uncomfortable follow-up: "What would need to change for me to be promoted in the next 12 months?"

If your manager can't answer that clearly, you have your answer.

Performance reviews don't tell you where you stand.

They tell you what the company wants you to believe.

What's the most misleading feedback you've ever received?

The questions that save CEOs from $500K mistakes

After 200+ placements, I've watched executives make the same costly errors.

Not because they lacked intelligence. Because they asked the wrong questions.

The CEOs who avoid expensive mistakes share a pattern. They slow down when everyone else speeds up.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸:

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"What will this person need to succeed that we're not currently providing?"

Most CEOs ask if the candidate can do the job. The best ones ask if they can support them once they're in it.

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"Who will I lose that I can't afford to lose?"

Reorgs look clean on paper. The collateral damage shows up six months later.

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗲𝘀:
"What am I not seeing because I want this to work?"

The deals that blow up always had warning signs. Someone just chose not to look.

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"Am I handing off responsibility or just accountability?"

One creates leaders. The other creates scapegoats.

𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
"What question am I hoping no one asks?"

That's the one you need to answer first.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜 𝗦𝗲𝗲:

The $500K mistakes rarely come from bad decisions.

They come from good decisions made without the right questions.

The executives who avoid them aren't smarter. They're more willing to slow down when the pressure says speed up.

What question do you wish you'd asked before a costly mistake?

NorthStar Wealth Navigation

You may wonder whether you are saving enough to pay for your home, your kids' education, and your retirement. You might feel nervous that you do not know how to reduce what you owe in taxes, plan for a job loss, or retire at the right time. If any of these financial worries keep you awake at night, you are not alone. 

In my role as Private Wealth Lead Advisor at NorthStar Wealth Navigation, I am deeply committed to the financial well-being and peace of mind of my clients across generations.

⇛ For young professionals: I ensure they maximize company benefits while addressing their budgeting and saving needs to buy a house, pay for childcare and kids' education, or start a business. 

⇛ For peak-career executives: I harmonize long-term incentive planning with retirement blueprints, transforming mid-life aspirations and family dreams into realities.

⇛ For late-career professionals nearing retirement: I develop a tailored distribution planning strategy that emphasizes 'wealth retained,' ensuring fees and taxes don't diminish their hard-earned assets.

Here's a glimpse of how I craft peace of mind:

⇛ Holistic Financial Planning: I believe in crafting strategies that are tailored to individual client needs, ensuring a comprehensive approach that stands the test of time and unpredictable market dynamics.

⇛ Wealth Accumulation & Distribution Strategy: With an in-depth understanding of market trends and investment strategies, I guide clients through wealth accumulation phases and ensure seamless wealth distribution, keeping future generations in mind.

⇛ Risk Management: Wealth preservation is as crucial as accumulation. I always focus on identifying potential risks and crafting strategies to mitigate them, ensuring your hard-earned assets are protected.

⇛ Flexible Client Service Model: I am fully licensed to serve on both an advisory and commission basis. This flexibility allows me to align with individual preferences and needs, ensuring transparent and personalized service.

Private Wealth Lead Advisor

Schlage Locks

Director, Channel Marketing & Analytics | Kansas City, MO 

Selected to provide vision and strategy in Consumer Channels as Director of Channel Marketing & Analytics, I led a cross-functional team in monitoring, enforcing, and reporting our authorized seller policy and gathering key channel insights for strategic program initiatives of Allegion Home's consumer business. 

As part of my role, I leveraged multi-disciplinary expertise in finance, supply chain and logistics, pricing, and multi-tier distribution strategy to maximize value for consumers while sustaining business profitability and minimizing risks to the business.

Following are some of my key initiatives and accomplishments:

⇛ Devised and implemented a strategic plan to prevent arbitrage and cross-channel margin leakage in multi-tier distribution channels. Championed and developed the concept of Channel Health with a dashboard implemented to drive focus. 

⇛ Developed and implemented a 120-day Ramp Up Plan to optimize engagement, productivity, and capacity planning while maximizing talent development and retention.

⇛ Created digital content operations and resource allocation plan to optimize the current external quantitative content score by 40% in 4 months.

⇛ Instilled a "one consumer voice" approach by listening to all key consumer stakeholders and partnering with the VP of Consumer Fulfillment to advance business opportunities for consumer fulfillment.

⇛ Drove process improvements to realize team efficiencies and seamless in-store, showroom, and online implementation. 

⇛ Led semi-annual account deep dive cross-functional sessions to create engagement and business integration plan, which were successfully piloted and implemented.

⇛ Scoped direct fulfillment eCommerce models to add pricing transparency for products and service offerings by quantifying the cost to serve, demand generation, promotional activities, and value-added by multi-tier distribution channels at every touchpoint throughout the segmented customer journey.

Director Channel Marketing & Analytics, Allegion Home Consumer Channels

As a Director of eCommerce Sales, provided leadership to sustain growth and profitability of national E-tailer account, Build.com, with all Allegion brands in the door hardware category. As part of my role, I assessed new business partners from ideation to onboarding stages and contributed with pitches and strategy building to support multimillion-dollar P&L cross-functional efforts. I also led channel expansion vetting with target market segmentation and gap analysis, driving new channel creation such as Houzz, Best Buy, and Walmart. I held accountability for $35M P&L and 3000+ SKU count, and scoped direct fulfillment eCommerce models to enable significant arbitrage opportunities.

Following are some of my key initiatives and accomplishments:

⇛ Established a transparent approach to double-digit growth accounts in fulfillment of promotional support areas.

⇛ Crafted a promotional plan, which enabled company brands to outperform category competition while leveraging investments to maximize profitability.

⇛ Implemented monthly operations review of Build.com and fulfillment partner operations' metrics on returns, in stock %, root cause analysis, and corrective actions, improving in stock by 2% and reducing returns by 3.5% in 10 months.

⇛ Created business case to test Facebook campaigns for Consumer & PRO audiences, which delivered return on ad spend (ROAS) of more than double the anticipated projections.  

⇛ Achieved success in creating and executing brand protection, including identifying and eliminating gray market online sellers.

E-Commerce Sales Director

Director of Sales | Kansas City, KS  | 2009 – 2017
Director of Sales | Minneapolis, MN | 2006 – 2008 ✦ Sales Manager | Minneapolis, MN | 2013 – 2013

As Director of Sales, I managed National Account, Menards, with Schlage brands in the door lock category. I led 3P Service Agency through optimizing in-store training to provide a premier brand experience. As part of my role, I performed strategic channel planning and business case creation in new channels by evaluating potential business partners. I also led a team of up to 3 National Account Managers for Convenience Hardware Channel in 2013. Held accountability for multimillion-dollar P&L, merchandising, promotion, brand experience, and inventory optimization.

Following are some of my key initiatives and accomplishments:

⇛ Pioneered Menards On-Site Analyst Program as the vendor/employee #1, which grew to 75+ vendors/employees.

⇛ Collaborated with internal/external partners in the creation/execution of over 20 promotions per year via print, on shelf, and television, as well as post-promotion ROI analysis. 

⇛ Trained 600+ store associates at annual training event on product, process, and upcoming program changes, resulting in premium brand experience in-store by team members.

⇛ Trusted advisor to Retail/Residential team on program operations, finance, marketing, customer experience, and product management across multiple channels, with accounts such as Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Build.com.

⇛ Captured double-digit percentage revenue growth and surpassed operating income target by restructuring the fragmented Convenience Hardware Channel to create a strategic growth pipeline.
⇛ Drove 40% increase of Ace Hardware assortment through leadership during line review and optimization efforts.

⇛ Reduced: 1) write-offs for pricing discrepancies by 60%; 2) orders/month by 66% while driving significant operational efficiencies; 3) vendor compliance fines exposure from 4.1% to 0.02% of sales, and defective/unsaleable returns by 29%.

Director of Sales - National Accounts

Ingersoll Rand

Sales Controller ― Residential / Retail Channel | Indianapolis, IN | 2005 – 2006

As Sales Controller for the Residential/Retail Channel, I led a team of 5 Analysts through business cases, spend analytics processes, and strategy to optimize payback at the customer level and above. During my tenure, I developed strategic channel approach to complement the existing annual/long-range planning cycle still active today. I also executed more than $50M of annual trade contract program funds and more than $25M SG&A budget. 

Following are some of my key initiatives and accomplishments:

⇛ Partnered with Sales and Finance Teams to create and manage customer programs which included revenue forecasting, budgets, internal/external audits, and annual/long-range strategic planning for national programs. 

⇛ Created Customer P&Ls for the largest accounts to implement sales incentive compensation plans tied to revenue and operating income.

⇛ Assessed and negotiated freight allowances with large retail customers (e.g., The Home Depot) based upon understanding and communication of actual freight costs and mode transport analysis. 

⇛ Evaluated and recommended contract programs for new construction and retail business opportunities such as Pulte Homes, Lowe's, The Home Depot, and D.R. Horton.

Sales Controller - Residential|Retail Americas

Distribution Controller ― Residential / Retail Channel  | Kansas City, MO | 2002 – 2005

As Distribution Controller, I collaborated with Operations and Finance teams to identify operational efficiencies and opportunities for US distribution in residential/retail channels. I also led a team of 2 Analysts on business cases, operational metrics, spend analytics processes, and strategy to optimize supply chain and customer experience. 

Following are some of my key initiatives and accomplishments:

⇛ Negotiated and created a statement of work for multiple 3PL locations in Puerto Rico, the continental US, and Mexico.

⇛ Established transportation, productivity, and footprint metrics to support manufacturing operations move from Mexico to Asia; identified the root cause of 25% higher transportation costs than projected and presented to ELT.

⇛ Completed strategic distribution relocation analysis and recommendations for Kansas City, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Dallas based upon change in manufacturing footprint and outbound customer contracts. 

⇛ Analyzed distribution relocation opportunities to balance transportation costs and lead time for high volume/low-mix distribution within the Americas upon change of manufacturing footprint and outbound customer contracts. Completed analysis of the shutdown of $5M Olathe, KS manufacturing facility, executed in July 2004.

Distribution Controller- Residential|Retail Channel

Cargill Animal Nutrition

Joined Cargill Animal Nutrition to provide leadership and direction to regional teams of 20 direct reports in the areas of logistics, customer service, inventory management, purchasing, pricing, risk management, bill of materials, sales operations, credit, and accounting in 4-7 manufacturing plants. I also conducted on-site interviews of prospective strategic acquisition targets as a due diligence team member.

Some key initiatives and responsibilities include:

⇛ Introduced value-based pricing compensation plans for sales professionals across multiple channels and a multi-tier distribution pricing strategy for retail/wholesale markets in the US and Canada. 

⇛ Reduced unidentifiable gross profit/margin erosion by 80%+ in one year in Oklahoma City and Alberta assignments; reduced demurrage expense from 80%+ in one year. 

⇛ Received the Working Capital Improvement Award for achieving the greatest working capital reduction division-wide.


My positions at Cargill Animal Nutrition included:

Regional Business Manager | Oklahoma City, OK & Alberta, Canada | 1999 – 2002
Regional Business Manager Trainee I & II | Sioux City, IA District & Fort Worth, TX District | 1998 – 1999

Regional Business Manager

I am an inventive and discerning leader with over two decades of experience leading teams to develop the best ideas, create key performance indicators, and garner executive leadership buy in

You aren't sure how to navigate the complex financial landscape. You want to achieve financial independence and security. You’re frustrated because the financial jargon and numerous options are overwhelming.

🚫 Without proper financial planning, your hard-earned money might not work as effectively for you. 🚫 Missing out on potential financial opportunities can hinder your long-term goals.

The truth is: With the right guidance and strategies, financial independence is within reach.

Without: • Expert advice tailored to your unique situation • A clear understanding of financial tools and options • A personalized and comprehensive financial plan
It’s hard to: • Maximize your financial potential • Achieve peace of mind regarding your finances • Plan effectively for the future

As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional, I've helped clients transform their financial lives. With a strong background in Finance, Agricultural Economics, and an MBA, I’ve guided executives, business owners, retirees, and young families towards financial success.

I’ve helped clients like you: 
✅ Turn complex compensation packages into effective financial plans. 
✅ Optimize long-term incentive plans for maximum benefits. 
✅ Achieve financial security and independence.

I help executives, business owners, retirees, and young families to: • Craft personalized financial plans. • Navigate complex financial landscapes with ease.
Work with me to: • Achieve your financial goals. • Gain peace of mind and financial security.

✅️ Increased financial security for a retiring executive. 
✅️ Optimized financial strategies for business owners. 
✅️ Financial plans tailored to young families’ unique needs

DM me 'GET' for a no obligation conversation. 

📧 joey.peck@nm.com 📞 913-270-9951 🌐 NorthStar Wealth Navigation Team

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