Testimonials & Endorsements

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  • Sr. Marketing Director, children’s retailer

    “I sincerely appreciate all that you have done through this process. You have been a wonderful advocate and the most thoroughly prepared recruiter I have ever worked with.”

  • Executive Recruiter | #1 ranked, $10B, industry leading retailer

    “Lisa and Marc-Allen Associates, Inc. have helped to fill some really challenging niche roles that required very specific industry experience, with some stellar, high-quality candidates. Lisa is easy to work with; we’re always on the same page. She is awesome at what she does and knows how to help lock-in candidates. In fact, she was instrumental in filling 2 complex Manager roles in just the past 2 months!”

  • SVP Human Resources, $1B department store retailer

    I am pleased to recommend Lisa Schwartz. She is a true professional who is pro-active, terrific communication skills and very thorough in her searching for candidates. She receives and acts upon feedback and is very flexible and timely in her response to requests. I would happily utilize Lisa in future search efforts.

  • Foot Locker, former EVP/CFO

    “Mike was our number one outside recruiter at Foot Locker for many years. We hired dozens of high-quality people through Mike and almost all became valuable employees. Mike helped create the turnaround story at Foot Locker, which was very near bankruptcy. Many of our hires from Mike were critical in saving Footlocker. His input was accurate and supportive of our goals. He never treated us like a "to do" list and always forwarded us great candidates. A relationship with Mike is long term and he manages the relationship in that manner.”

  • Asset Strategies, Director Audit Services

    "When Mike first called me 13 years ago to discuss the "perfect" position it all came down to his knowledge and expertise in matching the right candidate with the right company. Mike is thorough, knowledgeable, and his efforts serve both the client and the candidate. He is an expert recruiter that I highly recommend to any professional seeking a career, or any company seeking a professional recruiting firm."

  • VP, Human Resources & Talent Acquisition, fast casual restaurant chain

    “Lisa, I want you to know that I’m very happy, not only with the result, but the process. I can say it was as if you were an extension of our team, and it was seamless. You presented great candidates and kept us on task. It was as if you were part of my HR team. Thank you for that. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

  • Asset Strategies Group, Chief Financial Officer

    “I have had the opportunity and pleasure to work with Mike Powell and his team both as a candidate and hiring manager in my career.  His team has a proven track record of finding the right candidates with the best credentials and experience. Mike is tenacious, trustworthy and highly ethical.  I recommend Mike and Marc-Allen Associates to my colleagues because they are the best. “

  • Director Financial Optimization | Leading retailer in the automotive industry

    During our initial conversation and throughout the interviewing process, Lisa shared a significant amount of key information regarding the company and how to prepare for the interview process. She provided links to pertinent articles and reached out to the internal recruiter to get answers to my questions. She responded quickly to all of my requests and was always available when I needed her.

    Lisa had me comfortably prepared for each interview so I was able to be my best during, what can be a stressful time. After each interview, she would follow up to get feedback from me regarding how it went and evaluate how the support she was providing was working. Ultimately, I was offered and accepted the job!


    “You are the only recruiter who followed through on things that they have told me. It speaks volumes and makes candidates more seriously consider the role and relocation, as well.”

  • Gabe’s, VP Human Resources

    I have had the opportunity to work with Mike Powell and his team over the last 6 years, and I have found Mike to be a true professional.  He brings forward great candidates and, when needed, does so in a confidential manner.  Mike and his team have very high standards, vet candidates thoroughly and present only the “best of the best”.  I trust Mike and his team and Marc-Allen Associates has and will be my very first choice for external talent recruitment because they always have our organization’s best interests in mind.

  • SVP Supply Chain | Burlington Stores

    “I strongly recommend Mike Powell as an Executive Recruiter. My experience with Mike was as a candidate. He helped me navigate through an extensive interview and selection process at Burlington Stores. He was extremely effective at helping me understand the culture of the organization and the personality of key executives in that organization. This helped me decide if I was an appropriate fit for this company. I was indeed the successful candidate and I am enjoying the beginnings of a long and successful career with my new company. I also appreciate Mike’s effectiveness from the perspective of an Employer who has sought to fill key executive positions.”

  • Human Resources Director, D2C retailer

    I've partnered with Lisa on several occasions over the past few years for recruitment assistance for roles that are often very niche and very specific...unicorns if you will. Lisa has always been a top notch resource for these efforts. In addition to providing multiple qualified candidates, she does an awesome job of providing feedback to me regarding her search efforts and top notch summaries of the candidates presented. She does her homework and really vets candidates before presenting them. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone recruiting in the retail space. I would also recommend her to anyone looking for a next opportunity.

  • Burlington Stores, EVP/Chief Financial Officer

    “It is my pleasure to write this unqualified recommendation for Mike Powell and his team.  Before he began his first executive search at our company, Mike spent significant time meeting myself and the rest of the executive team to really understand our hiring profile and the types of executives we were looking for and the culture we were trying to create.  He has gone on to fill dozens of jobs with outstanding candidates that fit superbly within our organization.  I truly appreciate the partnership and relationship that continues to this day.”

  • Director Digital Analytics | $4B omnichannel retailer

    "One thing I will say, Lisa, is that I've talked to a few recruiters, and I must say that I found working with you so helpful. You are so organized, well prepared, and detail-oriented which I much appreciated throughout the whole process. Whether things work out in the future or not, I must say it was a pleasure!

  • Fred Long, VP Logistics | Gabes

    I have recently worked with Lisa and Marc Allen Associates to secure a new job opportunity. I have to say that Lisa was the most prepared and detail-oriented recruiter that I have ever worked with. She gave solid background information about the company and culture, as well as valuable insight into how to approach each interview. It was a complete pleasure to work with her, and she was critical to my success in obtaining this new opportunity. She is professional, personable, and dedicated to her clients.

  • Senior Director, Retail Operations Finance, big box retailer

    "I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with feedback on Lisa - she was very professional and courteous in all of our interactions. In addition, I can tell that her work-ethic is superior to other recruiters I have interacted with recently; she always responded very quickly, no matter when I contacted her.  Most importantly, she was exceedingly knowledgeable about the role we were discussing and her knowledge about the business and retail in general were very impressive. I hope that you pass this along."

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