A résumé can tell you where someone has worked, what titles they have held, and what they have accomplished. What it cannot always tell you is how they think, how they lead, how they solve problems, or what they may be capable of doing next.
This is where the real work of executive search begins.
When VernDale Products, a family-owned Michigan manufacturer, engaged Purple Squirrel Advisors to find a Quality Control Director, the candidate we ultimately placed was not someone who would have emerged from a simple keyword search. Nicole came from forensic science and laboratory management within a much larger organization, not from a traditional manufacturing quality background.
But as we got to know Nicole and understood what VernDale truly needed, we began to see something much more important than a perfect résumé match: the way she approached problems, her discipline around process and standards, and her ability to bring structure to complex environments.
Our job was to bring those qualities to life and help both Nicole and VernDale see how well they could translate. That decision ultimately changed the trajectory of both her career and the company.
THE SEARCH
VernDale needed more than technical expertise.
As a family-owned business, the company wanted an outside leader who could introduce greater structure without disregarding the culture that had made the organization successful. The right person would need to earn trust, navigate family and business dynamics thoughtfully, and still possess the confidence and initiative to move an important function forward.
Nicole’s background in forensics and laboratory management initially seemed far removed from the day-to-day realities of a niche manufacturing operation. But when we met with her, the connection became much clearer.
She explained that forensic science is fundamentally about solving complex problems, following exacting standards, analyzing information, and creating processes that produce reliable results. She could see how that same disciplined way of thinking would apply to quality systems, manufacturing certifications, and continuous improvement.
More importantly, she was able to help us see it, too.
That conversation became a pivotal moment in the search. The question was no longer whether Nicole had held the exact same title in the exact same industry. The question was whether she had the intellectual curiosity, discipline, judgment, and leadership ability to build what VernDale needed.
We believed she did. Our role was then to help both sides look beyond the traditional profile and see the potential in the match.
Making an Early Impact
Nicole joined VernDale in July 2018 with an immediate and significant mandate: helping the company achieve FSSC 22000 certification. The work required tremendous attention to detail, persistence, and the ability to bring people along through meaningful operational change. VernDale achieved its initial certification in November 2019.
But Nicole’s impact extended well beyond completing a certification initiative.
She helped change the way the organization approached quality. She introduced greater structure and accountability while building confidence across the team. As she learned the operation, her influence naturally began to expand beyond quality control and into the broader manufacturing business. Over time, Nicole became someone others trusted for judgment, problem-solving, and leadership—even before her title reflected the full scope of her contribution.
By 2021, it was becoming clear that the Quality Control Director role no longer captured what she was doing or the value she was bringing to the organization. She was not simply maintaining standards. She was helping shape processes, guide people, and influence the future direction of the business.
In October 2022, VernDale promoted Nicole to Director of Operations, giving her responsibility for manufacturing across both of its Detroit-area plants.
What began as an unconventional placement had grown into something much larger.
What This Search Reinforced
This search is a powerful reminder that the strongest candidate is not always the person who has already done the exact job before.
Sometimes, the best hire is the person whose experience has prepared them to see the challenge differently—someone who brings transferable skills, a disciplined way of thinking, and the capacity to grow alongside the organization.
That does not mean overlooking experience or taking unnecessary risks. It means doing the deeper work to understand which qualifications are truly essential, which skills can translate, and where a candidate may have the potential to contribute far beyond the original position.
Nicole was hired to lead quality control and help VernDale achieve an important certification. She ultimately became the leader responsible for manufacturing operations across the company.
For us, that is what meaningful executive search looks like. Not simply filling an open position, but recognizing what someone could become—and helping a company see it, too.
