Sneak Energy isn’t just an energy drinks company for gamers; the Manchester-based company is also a textbook example of the growing trend toward “fractional executives”.
Let’s rewind a bit here: Sneak was founded by Jonny Teeling and Will Peirce in 2018, with the aim of creating both a healthy energy drink and a “culturally relevant brand for consumers of new media”. Its near-overnight success caught the eye of private equity firm True, which bought out the company in 2021.
That’s now led to a major transition from a founder-led organisation to executive-led, with Ashley Read – the former CMO of sports nutrition brand SIS – recently taking the reins. Read, for his part, immediately had a few hiring priorities on his plate…
? Restructure the digital team. iOS 14’s privacy updates – which have made it so difficult to target users with the right ads – really did a number on Sneak Energy’s digital advertising business. So hiring new Creative, Growth, and Brand Directors to lead the digital team was essential.
? Track down superstars. Read wanted to identify leaders that have excelled in their particular discipline, whether that was delivering industry-leading creative, building a profitable growth function, or defining a global brand strategy.
? Take on T-shaped leaders. T-shaped candidates – those that have a broad understanding of multiple facets of the business beyond their specialty – would go a long way to bolster Sneak’s reputation in the high-growth, direct-to-consumer environment.
Read’s solution?
To collaborate with on-demand chief marketing officer Mehul Garg of Be Gargantuan, leveraging the expertise of an external C-suite exec on a short-term basis. This move of employing a “fractional executive” has become particularly appealing to companies that are in transition periods – not yet ready to commit to a permanent C-suite hire, but still in need of their hard-won wisdom.
After all, executives with a background in major organisations are the authority on what a top-quality candidate looks like, as well as how their centre of gravity – in this case, marketing – influences wider business goals. That means Mehul has been giving Sneak his in-depth expertise, while also taking into account challenges that lie beyond his central focus.
As far as hiring went, Read needed another expert: Josh Shrive of Vine Talent, an established recruiter of direct-to-consumer leadership who knows how to engage top talent at speed. In fact, Sneak filled its digital team with world-class candidates in next to no time…
? Within 7 weeks, Sneak had hired Jacob Booty, formerly of GymShark and The Hut Group, as Growth Director.
? Within 8 weeks, Sneak had hired Tim Donald, formerly of Wieden + Kennedy and The Social Chain, as Creative Director.
? Within 12 weeks, Sneak had hired Eleanore Chetcuti*, formerly of Boohoo and Missguided, as Brand Director.
After such a transitional year, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting one under Read’s strategic prowess and a freshly recruited team of DTC superstars. Watch this space.
