Online marketplace recruiter, Patrick Murray, partnered with specialised Amazon growth partner, WAKE Commerce to engage a senior hire. They needed to onboard a Head of Client Services to ease pressure on WAKE’s Founder, James Wakefield. Since then, Patrick has introduced the business to multiple hires as they continue to grow.
WAKE Commerce is a specialist Amazon and marketplace growth consultancy, helping FMCG brands accelerate performance across channels such as Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central.
As the business expanded, their founder recognised that the next phase of growth required additional leadership within the organisation. To continue scaling while maintaining client service standards, they needed greater operational support from someone capable of leading teams, clients, and delivery functions at a senior level.
The business needed to appoint a Head of Client Services who would effectively become the founder's second-in-command. This was the most senior hire in the company’s history, requiring:
It was incredibly important that James could trust the new hire and give him the confidence to spend more time working on the business rather than in it.
Finding someone with credibility across all three areas was challenging. The market for senior Amazon talent is highly competitive, and candidates with both technical expertise and proven leadership experience are not easily accessible through traditional hiring methods.
Finding candidates with both marketplace expertise and senior leadership capability is challenging. The role required a rare blend of executional excellence, commercial credibility and people leadership
The business needed a headhunter with access to senior Amazon and marketplace talent. Patrick’s deep network within the ecommerce and marketplace ecosystem, combined with long-term candidate relationships, gave WAKE Commerce access to individuals who would not typically be active in the market.
Rather than conducting a broad market search, Patrick leveraged a relationship he had spent several months developing with a highly relevant senior candidate. Thanks to their regular communication, Patrick understood precisely what would motivate her to consider a move and the type of business that would align with her ambitions.
When the Head of Client Services opportunity emerged, he immediately recognised the fit.
The alignment was clear from the outset. The match between both parties became evident very quickly, allowing the process to move at pace while maintaining confidence on both sides.
Patrick successfully appointed the Head of Client Services, providing WAKE Commerce with the senior leadership support it needed during a critical period of growth.
The success of that hire led to a further appointment within the team. Following consultation around the business's evolving needs, Patrick later placed an additional Customer Success Manager in May 2026. The opportunity was proactively identified and introduced by Patrick as a solution to an emerging business requirement.
These appointments strengthened the client services function and provided the leadership structure needed to support the company's continued expansion.
Pat is the best.
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