How we secured a VP Sales for Prinova's US ingredients business

Prinova Case Study: Recruiting a Vice President of Sales to Lead a Multi-Hundred-Million Dollar Ingredients Business

Overview

Prinova is a global leader in the sourcing and distribution of ingredients for the food, beverage, nutrition, and dietary supplement industries. Founded in 1976, the company supplies a broad portfolio of products including flavours, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and functional food ingredients.

Beyond ingredient distribution, Prinova provides custom blending, formulation, and technical support services, helping manufacturers develop innovative and functional products. With operations across multiple continents, the company has built a strong reputation for quality, regulatory compliance, and sustainable sourcing.

Following the successful completion of a senior commercial recruitment project in Europe, Jamie was introduced by Prinova’s Global VP of HR to the US HR Director. The business was seeking a Vice President of Sales to lead a multi-hundred-million-dollar US ingredients division.

Although Prinova has a strong internal recruitment capability, leadership recognised the importance of partnering with a specialist executive search firm for such a critical leadership appointment.

Specific Requirements for the Search

Prinova required a senior commercial leader capable of managing a large revenue-generating business while developing and leading a high-performing sales team.

The ideal candidate needed:

Proven experience leading US sales teams within the ingredient industry
Demonstrated success developing, coaching, and improving commercial teams
Previous responsibility for multi-hundred-million-dollar business units
Background in B2B ingredient distribution or complex ingredient portfolios
Willingness to relocate to or be based in the Chicago area

The Challenge

The opportunity itself was highly attractive. Prinova is a well-respected brand with a strong global presence, and the role offered significant leadership responsibility.

However, professionals with the level of experience required were not actively looking for new opportunities. Most were already in senior positions and highly engaged in their current roles.

This meant the search required a carefully targeted and proactive approach, engaging senior leaders directly, understanding their long-term career goals, and clearly communicating the strategic value of the opportunity.

Our Approach

Stakeholder Alignment

We conducted detailed briefing sessions with Prinova’s leadership team both virtually and in person at IFT First in Chicago, ensuring a full understanding of the role, leadership expectations, and business objectives.

Market Mapping

A comprehensive mapping exercise was conducted across the US ingredient distribution and ingredient manufacturing sectors, identifying senior commercial leaders with relevant experience managing large sales organisations.

Targeted Outreach

Rather than approaching a large number of candidates, we engaged with a small, highly targeted group of senior professionals, focusing on those with proven leadership experience in similar ingredient markets.

Candidate Shortlisting

Following detailed discussions and evaluation, we presented a shortlist of four senior executives who met the required experience, leadership profile, and cultural alignment.

Interview & Offer Management

We coordinated multiple interview stages across busy leadership schedules and managed the full offer negotiation process, aligning expectations between Prinova and the selected candidate.

Results

The search successfully resulted in the placement of Nick Fiorito as Vice President of Sales – Ingredients (US) in late 2023.

When initially approached, Nick was aware of Prinova and held strong respect for the company, but due to his demanding role at the time, he had not actively pursued the opportunity.

Following a detailed discussion about the strategic scope of the position, leadership responsibilities, and long-term career potential, he quickly recognised the opportunity as a strong next step.

From first conversation to offer acceptance, the full recruitment process took less than four weeks.

Candidate Testimonial

Nick Fiorito – VP Sales, Prinova US

"Working with Jamie was not just a professional experience; it was a genuine pleasure. He is personable, approachable, and builds strong relationships with both clients and candidates.

His ability to understand not only the qualifications required for a role but also the cultural fit and long-term potential of a candidate demonstrates a holistic approach to recruitment.

Jamie is not just a recruiter — he is a strategic partner who genuinely cares about the success of both the client and the candidate. If you are looking for someone dedicated, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with, Jamie is the person you need."

Key Takeaways

This search demonstrates the importance of specialist executive search within highly competitive ingredient markets.

Key factors contributing to the successful outcome included:

Deep understanding of the ingredient distribution sector
Access to a strong network of senior commercial leaders
Proactive engagement with passive executive talent
Close collaboration with multiple stakeholders across the recruitment process

As a result, Prinova successfully secured a senior commercial leader capable of driving continued growth across its US ingredients business.

About Paragon Talent

Paragon Talent is a specialist recruitment consultancy connecting high-growth manufacturing businesses with senior leadership, commercial, technical, and operational talent.

We operate exclusively within ingredients-led industries, including:

Through deep industry knowledge, a global network, and a hands-on recruitment approach, we help organisations secure the high-calibre professionals required to drive innovation, operational excellence, and commercial growth.

About the Author

Jamie Pickup is the Founder and Director of Paragon Talent, specialising in executive search across the flavour, fragrance, food ingredient, and pharmaceutical ingredient sectors.

With nearly 15 years of experience in the industry, Jamie has built a strong track record of helping global manufacturing and ingredient businesses recruit senior commercial leaders, technical specialists, and operational executives across Europe, North America, and other international markets.

FAQs

Q. How does Paragon Talent identify senior leadership candidates?
A. We use market mapping, industry networks, and targeted outreach to identify both active and passive executives with the right commercial, technical, and leadership experience.

Q. Can Paragon Talent recruit for executive roles globally?
A. Yes. We regularly support leadership searches across Europe, North America, and other international ingredient markets.

Q. How long do executive searches typically take?
A. Every search is different, but our proactive search approach often allows us to identify strong candidates within weeks rather than months.

Q. What industries do you specialise in?
A. We recruit exclusively across ingredients-led sectors, including flavours, fragrance, speciality ingredients, pharmaceutical ingredients, and nutraceuticals.

Q. What types of roles do you recruit?
A. We focus on senior leadership, commercial, technical, and operational positions, helping businesses build high-performing teams across the ingredient value chain.

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