Hire an ecommerce CEO who can take the brand to its next stage
The leader who built a brand is not always the one who should scale it. The right CEO knows the difference between running a business and growing one.
About this role
An ecommerce CEO owns the strategy, the P&L and the leadership team, and answers to the board and shareholders. In a growing brand, the hire often marks a founder transition. The founder moves to chair, creative director or head of product, and a professional CEO takes over the running of the business. In investor-backed brands, the board appoints a CEO to deliver the value-creation plan.
The job at this level is scaling. That means building a leadership team that can run without the CEO in every meeting, making the big channel calls and setting the pace the business runs at.
Ecommerce CEO recruitment is a small, quiet market. Most candidates are already leading a brand and will only talk in confidence. We approach them directly through our executive search practice. Revere Recruitment places executive leadership across ecommerce and retail brands throughout Australia.
Roles we place
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Managing Director
General Manager
Country Manager ANZ
Chief Operating Officer & Deputy CEO
Key skills to look for
Scaling experience Running a mature business and building one are different jobs. Look for someone who has taken a brand through the stage yours is about to enter.
Category knowledge Understands how your category trades. Seasonality, pricing, the competitive set and what the customer will pay for. A CEO from the right category starts making good calls months sooner.
Channel judgement Makes the big decisions on D2C, marketplaces, wholesale, stores and offshore markets. Knows what each one does to margin, brand and cash.
Building the leadership team Hires a strong executive team and holds it to account. Knows when the people who got the brand here are not the people who will take it further.
Board and investor management Reports clearly to a board and keeps shareholders aligned. In investor-backed brands, works to a value-creation plan and is comfortable with the scrutiny that comes with it.
Founder partnership Where the founder stays in the business, respects their brand and product instinct and still makes the decisions. Agrees early on who owns what.
Executive Salary Guide
What does an ecommerce CEO earn in Australia?
CEO packages usually include a short-term incentive. In investor-backed brands, equity or a long-term incentive tied to the exit is common.
Frequently asked questions
Should the founder stay on after we appoint a CEO? Many do, often as chair, creative director or head of product. It works when decision rights are agreed before the CEO starts. It struggles when two people both believe they are running the business.
Does our CEO need to come from ecommerce? Strongly preferred, and category matters as much as channel. A CEO from a larger retailer or FMCG business can bring structure and scale, but may find the pace and data of a D2C brand an adjustment. Many strong ecommerce CEOs came up through ecommerce leadership roles or general management in the category.
What is the difference between a CEO and a Managing Director? In Australia the titles overlap. Managing Director is common where the leader also sits on the board, or runs the local business of a larger or offshore group. Scope and reporting line matter more than the title.
Can a CEO search stay confidential? Yes. Much of our executive recruitment work happens before the wider team, or the incumbent, knows a search is under way. We approach candidates directly and never advertise the role.
Ready to find your CEO?
Tell us about the role and we'll come back to you within one business day.