AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH KILBURN

Protis Global

 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON THE BEER SPACE? WE NOTICED YOU’RE VEERING TOWARDS SPIRITS NOW AND WONDERED WHY?

Oh well,  I’ve spent the last eight years in beer and when I was thinking about next steps and where I wanted to go with my career, it made a lot of sense to evolve into spirits. Spirits always come after beer right? But seriously, I wanted to become a more well-rounded sales professional – that was the motivation.

WHAT YOU WILL YOU TAKE FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE INTO YOUR NEW ROLE?

I knew I didn’t have the spirits experience from working in beer, but at the end of the day, if you’re an effective sales professional, no matter what you’re selling you can apply the same principles. There’s going to be a lot of parallels between the two.

YES, WE CAN DEFINITELY SEE THAT.

SO, IN GENERAL, WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE GANG HERE AT PROTIS?

I’ve talked to a few recruiters prior to working with Protis and I just wasn’t very impressed with what they were bringing to the table and the way they presented themselves. At Protis, it was like dating. We got to know each other. I felt like I was being courted, and who doesn’t like that.

HAHA, WE DO LIKE TO FALL IN LOVE.

Honestly, it felt like that. Anthony Corsaro and Frank Judd worked to understand what was important to me and what my motives were – from title and role all the way through to a company’s culture. They listened. They were out there working hard to find something that satisfied multiple aspects. The attention to me was amazing – I couldn’t have had a better experience.

ANYTHING THE GUYS COULD HAVE DONE BETTER? 

I was very specific, to the point where there were five companies I was interested in. I don’t know if that was realistic and it’s important to set expectations. Anthony Corsaro warned me that these companies often have in-house HR teams so they often don’t take advantage of other resources. That was a little discouraging and we did run into those walls.

ANY LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?

That you need to keep an open mind. I think we put ourselves into these silos and we have ideas about what the next step should look like. I wish I’d said to Anthony “bring me anything that you think may be a good fit” and not limited myself.

WOULD THAT BE THE ADVICE FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE SAME POSITION?

Yes definitely: go in with an open mind. Look at any opportunities that could be advantageous to your career or personal growth. That and put the faith into this process and the people – this is what they do. You being happy in a role is just as important to them as it is to you.

ANY TIPS FOR THE ACTUAL INTERVIEWS?

Really trust what the people at Protis are saying. They had some really great insight into who these people are and of course, they know them better than you do. They’re the ones who have been working with them.

SO, HAVING NOT WORKED WITH RECRUITERS BEFORE, DID PROTIS MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

You exceeded. So much of this business is referrals and I’ve really been raving about you. I may send over some colleagues your way for your talent pool.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MANTRAS OR QUOTES THAT HELPS YOU KEEP MOVING TOWARDS YOUR GOALS?

What you don’t know, you don’t know. In professional settings there’s a lot of self-discovery and it’s important to figure things out on your own. But if someone just tells you, you can grow and advance much quicker rather than trying to spin your wheels. Sometimes you just have to ask someone to show you instead of trying to figure it out alone. You’re only new once, so you should leverage that and ask every question you can.

 

And with that bit of advice we finished up what was a lovely chat with Sarah. She’s quite an exceptional individual and we enjoyed working with her. Part of our mantra at Protis Global has always been “Building Companies + Changing Lives”, and we really live, breathe and eat that. We’ve been around for over 23 years, and that has built us such a beautiful network of humans, both on the candidate and client side of our business. We naturally dig deep, trying to truly understand the elements that matter to each individual and in the end making a partnership that will work in the long haul. Due to the way we engage we build relationships which last years on end, and we are certain this will be the case with Sarah. We can’t wait to see her exceling and growing at her new organization. These are the days we live for around here.]]>

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

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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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Kathleen Hutchison

Senior National Account Manager at Arla Foods

Food & Snacks
Food & Snacks

Kayla was awesome and very thorough in her vetting of candidates. She understood our brief as we were looking for candidates and helped to weed through those who were not a good fit for the role. 

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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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