Commercial Specialist - Board and CEO Team

Commercial Specialist, Board and CEO Team

Egon Zehnder · Chicago, United States (Hybrid) · Full-time · Posted 2026-08-21

Workplace: hybrid

Department: US Recruitment

Description

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Commercial Specialist to join our Expert team supporting the U.S. market. In this dynamic role, you will collaborate with our teams of consultants and subject matter experts to drive business development efforts and support the growth of Top of The House (ToTH) relationships across segments – Board Search, Board Effective Reviews, Board Advisory, Spin-out Board projects as well as a range of CEO Succession / CEO Search projects. Key responsibilities include generating business development materials, conducting market research, managing project workflows, and maintaining knowledge assets. As a core member of the U.S. Commercial Center of Excellence, you will provide strategic insights and client engagement support to help deliver impactful human capital solutions. The ideal candidate is a strong communicator and problem-solver with a strategic mindset and the ability to manage multiple priorities. This role reports primarily to the U.S. ToTH Research Leader, with additional dotted line reporting to the US Pitch Me Team Manager.

Top of The House (ToTH) Community Summary

Egon Zehnder’s ToTH Community, has the unique privilege of collaborating with some of the world’s most iconic companies. In an era marked by disruption and escalating shareholder demands, the need for transformational leadership in companies has never been more critical. In 2022, we merged our Board and CEO Practices into the combined Top of the House (ToTH) Practice. ToTH is integral to "Advancing Governance" within the "Our Services" framework, enhancing our ability to address all aspects of governance. We specialize in identifying and nurturing exceptional CEOs, focusing on succession planning at the CEO level, which allows us to build strong trust and drive transformative growth. This focus has contributed to our impressive trajectory, with ToTH now accounting for 23% of the firm's billings. ToTH offers webinars, gatherings, helping ToTH leaders with their careers, and continuously refresh and innovate our service offerings. The Commercial Specialist should bring relevant experience—or a strong interest—in engaging with senior executives and supporting business development at the highest levels. This includes creating materials, tools, and processes that enable consultants to expand and deepen client relationships across our firm’s Services. Success in this role requires a collaborative mindset and a proactive approach to sharing ideas, asking questions, and contributing to a culture of continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

Business Development

• Provide creative pitch materials and outreach strategies to client facing teams with a consistent focus on quality and speed
• Create high-quality client documentation (e.g., pitch decks, scope of work/letter of proposal documents, pricing strategies, sample reports, etc.)
• Design and implement self-service tools and resources to streamline pitch development and execution, including standardized templates, pricing models, and customized materials.
• Lead and support business development initiatives by proactively tracking market trends, company developments, and executive movements to inform strategic outreach in collaboration with the Community Leaders, Research Leader and ToTH Practice Specialists.
• Act as a partner with consultants to build targeted event lists for business development-related dinners, conferences, and other points of connection

Research & Project Planning

• Build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Serve as the Pre-Project (pitches & business development) Expert for multiple simultaneous projects in collaboration with Consultants and other members of the Research team
• Work with the market analyst to identify priority targets through market research, leveraging various data sources, and developing tailored, scalable business development solutions.
• Identify, calibrate and prioritize potential business development materials and solutions through a thorough research process, the internal Firm network and external resources
• Work broadly across different Firm offerings to continue developing a well-rounded understanding of our solutions to identify the best solutions for individual client needs

Knowledge Management

• Support global knowledge management by sharing expertise, capturing best practices, and building a strong internal network within key segments or functions.
• Maintain and grow the US ToTH Community regional Knowledge Base by sharing bespoke work product, generating new standard materials, and categorizing submitted materials.
• Develop an area of subject matter expertise, providing strategic guidance and high-quality insights on important trends and topics to support client teams

What We're Looking For

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• A minimum of 5 years’ professional work experience (post-undergrad)
• Demonstrated functional experience of a similar nature (e.g., B2B sales, pitching, qualitative or legal research, professional services/consulting, project planning)
• Previous project-based experience working effectively on multiple mandates simultaneously
• Ability to effectively operate in a fast-paced, client-driven environment
• Exceptional critical thinking and analytical skills
• Proficient in MS Office, specifically PowerPoint
• Excellent verbal and written communication ability
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• Affinity and interest in the CEO / Board market and/or professional services
• Superior engagement management abilities and initiative to lead projects with minimal guidance or supervision
• Exposure to user-centered design and basic graphic design principles, including an understanding of how design can improve communication, usability, and audience engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to push back constructively and offer solutions
• Forward-thinking, structured, and process-oriented thinker
• Proficient in Excel, Sharepoint administration
• Certified in Knowledge Management and/or Project Management
• Self-starter mentality with good business judgement

The compensation range for this role is $85,000-$95,000.

About Egon Zehnder

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose.

We are built on a foundation that supports partnership in the truest sense of the word and aligns our interests with the interests of our clients. Our 560 consultants across 64 offices and 36 countries are former industry and functional leaders who collaborate seamlessly across geographies, industries and functions to deliver the full power of the Firm to every client, every time.

We partner closely with public and private corporations, family-owned enterprises, and non-profit and government agencies to provide executive search, leadership solutions, CEO search and succession, and board advisory.

We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership.

Due to high volume, we will only be contacting applicants who meet all of the minimum requirements listed in the job description. Only those applicants who align most closely with our minimum and preferred qualifications will be contacted for an interview. The Recruiting team at Egon Zehnder will retain your application materials and may contact you regarding future opportunities.

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