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Protis Global Named “Firm of the Year” by Manage HR Magazine

Celebrating 30 Years of Building Companies and Changing Lives

We’re proud to announce that Protis Global has been named “Firm of the Year” by Manage HR Magazine.

For over 30 years, Protis Global has been guided by one North Star: Building Companies. Changing Lives. This is the “why” that drives every search, every client partnership, and every candidate placement.

Now, that dedication has been recognized by the industry as a Top Executive Search Firm.

This recognition represents more than an award — it’s a reflection of who we are, what we stand for, and the values that have powered our growth from day one.

A People-First Approach

We refuse to reduce people to checkboxes on a résumé. As Bert Miller, Chairman & CEO, explains in the featured article:

“We get to know each person, their personal, professional, and financial motivations, their wants, and how they make decisions that shape every aspect of their lives. Whether you’re a client or candidate, you’re treated as an individual.”

This philosophy drives everything we do. Our approach is relational — deliberate, strategic, and built for lasting impact. Every search is treated as a partnership, aligning individuals, roles, and culture to drive sustainable results.

The Cost of Misalignment

Leadership vacancies can trigger cascading challenges: teams lose momentum, workloads spike, strategic initiatives stall, and morale suffers.

Many firms respond by filling roles quickly, often sacrificing alignment for speed. The result? Costly mis-hires that damage culture, erode performance, and disrupt long-term strategy.

Bert puts it plainly:

“To lead in this business is to understand that every hire reshapes a company’s future. Behind each decision is a human story that drives impact beyond organizations, to industries and society at large.”

A Testament to Our Team

This achievement wouldn’t be possible without the incredible team that is central to Protis Global. Every single team member plays a critical role in bringing our North Star to life. From our Search Consultants to our Marketing and Operations teams, every individual contributes to the shared goal of making a lasting impact.

As Bert shared in an internal memo:

“This award is a direct reflection of you — your hard work, commitment to excellence, and unwavering dedication to our North Star. It’s proof that when we live our values, we don’t just deliver for our clients — we set the standard for our entire industry.”

Our values aren’t just words on a website — they’re the daily behaviors that shape our client relationships, candidate experiences, and overall success.

Over Three Decades of Transformation

This award comes at a landmark moment — over three decades of helping brands grow and careers thrive.

From our early days to being recognized as a national leader in executive recruitment, Protis Global’s journey has been one of transformation, perseverance, and purpose.

Over the years, we’ve partnered with some of the most recognized names in beer, wine, and spirits, food and snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages, building long-term relationships rooted in trust, performance, and shared success.

What continues to define us isn’t just our industry expertise. It’s the Protis Global model — a collaborative team of experts dedicated to every client engagement. This structure allows us to move quickly, think strategically, and scale seamlessly — whether a client needs one key leader or an entire team of game changers.

Our focus has never been on simply making placements. It’s been on creating lasting impact — strengthening companies, driving innovation, and building cultures that thrive.

Building Companies. Changing Lives.

Our North Star — Building Companies. Changing Lives — is more than words on a website. It’s the compass that guides every decision we make.

  • For our clients, it means being a trusted advisor who helps grow their business by finding the right people — individuals who not only have the skills but also share the vision.

  • For our candidates, it means opening doors to opportunities that transform careers and lives.

  • For our team, it means finding fulfillment in the work we do every day, knowing that our efforts make a tangible difference in people’s futures.

This purpose-driven approach shapes the relationships we build, the partnerships we sustain, and the reputation we’ve earned.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking forward — because this recognition isn’t the finish line. It’s a reaffirmation of our commitment to evolve, innovate, and lead in a fast-changing marketplace.

Our goal is to remain the partner companies turn to when they need to build high-performing teams, and the firm candidates trust when they’re ready to take the next big step in their careers.

Thank You

Awards like this don’t happen in isolation. They’re the result of relationships built on trust, respect, and collaboration.

To our clients: Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your growth stories. Your partnership drives us to perform at our highest level and deliver talent solutions that help you win.

To our candidates: Thank you for trusting us with your career journeys. Helping you find the right opportunity is a privilege we don’t take lightly.

And to our team: This one’s for you. Your positive attitude, teamwork, work ethic, integrity, and high-performance mindset make Protis Global what it is today. This award is a reflection of your excellence and a celebration of what we’ve built together.

Read the Full Feature

We’re honored to be featured in Manage HR Magazine’s Executive Search section as part of this recognition. You can explore the full feature and learn more about what makes Protis Global a leader in executive recruitment below:

The Journey Continues

Being named Firm of the Year is an incredible honor — and a reminder of what’s possible when purpose meets performance.

For over 30 years, Protis Global has been doing more than filling roles. We’ve been helping people and organizations unlock their potential.

And as we look to the future, our North Star remains as clear as ever: to build companies and change lives, one placement at a time.

Our Impact

In 1995, our founders embarked on a journey that would disrupt the status quo of the executive recruiting industry. We have been transforming companies and lives ever since.

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9,395

First Round Interviews

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3,000+

Total Placements

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47%

Diversity Placements

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$700M

Economic Impact

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Brent Albertson

CEO, Zing Zang LLC

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“ Our experience with Protis Global has been very positive. They have strong multi-industry CPG experience and understand our business model and standards. They know the difference between an “A-player” and a “B-player” in several functions, and the honesty around that standard helps us move faster. Mike and team set up a great process, especially in early canvassing and vetting that helps our leaders engage at the right time and make decisions fast. ”

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Colin Nolan

Executive Vice President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc.

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“Protis Global’s approach to talent acquisition is marked by diligence, transparency, and a genuine dedication to client satisfaction. Their strategic insights and personalized service have made a substantial impact on our organization, ensuring that we always have the best professionals driving our initiatives forward. The team at Protis Global demonstrates a keen ability to identify individuals who not only possess the requisite skills but also align seamlessly with our company culture.”

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Hilal Tabsh

Chief Revenue Officer, Glass House Brands

Cannabis
Cannabis

“Over the last 10+ years my experience with Michael Bitar and the Protis Global team has been exceptional across multiple industries. Michael and his team work to get to the true needs of my hiring plan and partner with us throughout the process. They understand our business, company culture, what success looks like, and then propose candidates that will produce results while also fitting into our team dynamic. Overall it’s a great team and experience and I would recommend to anyone looking to hire top-notch quality candidates reach out to Protis Global and Michael Bitar.”

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Peter Iglesias

Chief Executive Officer, Bespoken Spirits

Beer, Wine, & Spirits
Beer, Wine, & Spirits

“I highly recommend Protis Global as a top-notch recruiting agency. I have had the pleasure of working with them for the past 15 years, both as a candidate and employer in the Spirits and Wine industry. In my 25 years of experience, I have found Protis Global to be the most efficient and effective recruiting agency I have ever dealt with. Protis Global has consistently come through for me in the clutch, providing exceptional professionalism and execution in job searches and placements. Their dedication to finding the right fit for both candidates and employers sets them apart from other agencies. I have always been impressed by their ability to understand the needs of both parties and successfully connect them in a timely manner.”

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Soley Van Lokeren

SVP, People

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“I have been in the field of human resources for over thirty years, in executive level roles both in-house and in outsourced positions. Michael Bitar is my favorite talent acquisition professional with which I have ever worked. He cares deeply about building a relationship with his clients, learning their business, culture, challenges, and truly understanding the needs of a role requisition. His approach is mirrored by the rest of the Protis team, who are courteous, thorough, and who make you feel like you are their only client. Protis successfully delivered hires for our Chief Commercial Officer role and for three key challenging roles (in both Marketing and Sales). They are simply – the best!”

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Brian Kuz

Chief Sales Officer

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

“Protis is unique in their go-to-market strategy in that they not only find the right candidate for the role, but they find the right opportunity and company for the candidate. Protis Global looks for people who are ready to make a change...I will continue to recommend Protis Global as one of the best placement agencies in the World, as I have worked on every continent and have dealt with the big executive placement firms and the boutique ones. Protis shines above all, and as long as I am hiring, I will continue to go to Protis Global first, if not exclusively.”

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Chris Hall

CEO, poppi

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“Partnering with Protis Global has been a game-changer for poppi. They understood our vision and the unique challenges we faced as a rapidly growing brand. Their expertise in executive search helped us find the right leaders who not only fit our culture but also brought the skills and passion needed to drive accelerated growth. The Protis Global team actively took our feedback and adapted the search so that we could focus on what we do best – creating innovative, healthy beverages that our customers love. They’ve truly become an extension of our team, and we couldn’t imagine achieving our success without the team members they helped us to bring aboard.”

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Chad Palma

President of Sales, Spindrift

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

“Michael Bitar and the Protis team have been such a pleasure to work with over the years. Not only do they do amazing work with recruiting but we have also developed a partnership between our two companies. Michael and his team provide a crucial role in reviewing my hiring needs at the beginning of each year. Once the review is complete, Michael begins searching for quality candidates that fit the role and culture for Spindrift. He and his team do an outstanding job of finding the right candidates for the position in need. I highly recommend Michael and the Protis team for your hiring needs.”

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John Sacksteder

President, Mark Anthony Brewing Inc

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“From the start, the relationship with Protis Global was different than other recruiting firms.  The team had a deeper level of commitment and desire to learn about our business than I had experienced with other firms. Our company was experiencing a time of exponential growth and our staffing needs were complex. We needed very experienced people across every possible function in the Operation and Supply Chain Teams and we needed them in a hurry. The Protis Global Team mobilized quickly and established a methodology to identify strong candidates and work them through the interview process in a professional and timely manner. Their grit, determination, understanding our needs and culture, sense of urgency and drive to exceed our expectations set them apart from the pack.”

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Thomas Frisch

Chief People Officer at IJW Whiskey

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

“The team worked quickly and efficiently to find a unique position.”

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Kim Nguyen

VP of Supply Chain at Lallemand

Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits

Everyone involved was extremely helpful - Gary, Michael, Ben - thank you!! The team didn't only search for candidates based on the job description, but also the qualities that I look for in candidates. 

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Shashank Gaur

VP of Product Technology & Innovation

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The interview process was smooth and extremely professional. Ben and team represented me as much as they represented the company. 

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Jeremy Schulman

Regional Business Manager - Foodservice

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

Consistent communication, updates, and detailed knowledge of the client. The whole experience was top notch!

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Blake T. Bermingham

Supply Chain Manager

Beer, Wine, & Spirits
Beer, Wine, & Spirits

Very simplistic process finding the right role for the right candidate...keep up the great work! 

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Don Stohrer Jr.

CEO, Arla Foods USA

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

“We’ve been a Protis Global client for eight years, and during this time have always appreciated the thoroughness of the recruitment process, as the candidates brought to us have been well-vetted, not only from a competency perspective, but more importantly from a [cultural] fit dynamic. Mike and the team have always been highly engaged to ensure they bring us candidates that match our culture. That’s been critical to the success of the candidates that have landed here by way of our relationship with Protis.”

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Alaa Selim

VP of HR, Solaris Paper

Packaging
Packaging

“Many thanks to the team, not only for identifying and placing excellent candidates but also for the Protis Global team’s professionalism and efficiency in the overall sourcing process. The platform you gave us access to and the candidate summary you provided were always on point and accurate. 

You made us feel you were part of the team.

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