Testimonials & Endorsements

View All our Testimonials Here

  • 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.”

  • Dollar Tree, VP Ecommerce Digital Services

    "I highly recommend Mike. I have had the pleasure of working with Mike in the past and he is honest, professional and great at keeping open the lines of communication. Mike not only knows the ins and outs of his profession, but also has a wide network of colleagues to draw upon."

  • Director, Property Management, $14B off-price retailer

    Lisa is, without doubt, the most experienced and knowledgeable real estate/retail recruitment consultant I’ve met in the 20 years I’ve been in the industry. Her detailed understanding combined with her market expertise makes Lisa undoubtedly the choice of consultant for your next career move within the retail/real estate arena.

    Besides being a reliable source of information and an extraordinary ambassador for both the company trying to recruit talent or the individual looking for a new opportunity, the most important quality that Lisa displays is Integrity.

    Lisa can be depended upon to make a good match between employer and employee. I know that I can always depend on Lisa to work in the best interest of both the company recruiting talent as well as the professional seeking a new opportunity. I believe this quality is truly rare in the world of professional recruitment and is extremely beneficial in the long-run for her clients.

    I highly recommend Lisa and her professional recruitment services. She is an honest and forthright professional in her own right and does an excellent job matching company needs to a professional’s desires.

    Top qualities: Personable, Expert and High Integrity.

  • 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."

  • 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.”

  • 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!

  • Destination XL, SVP Human Resources

    “I have been working with Mike Powell since 1997 and regard him and his firm as one of our most valued business partners. Mike knows what I'm looking with regard to technical skills and understands the behavioral profile candidates must have to be successful in our environment. He consistently delivers candidates that meet or exceed my expectations.”

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.”

  • EXPRESS: Director Enterprise Organizational Development & Learning

    “I have worked with Mike Powell for over 20+ years and find his professionalism and results in the recruitment arena exceptional in the Retail industry. I would highly recommend Marc-Allen Associates and Mike Powell to anyone who is looking for a Talent Acquisition expert!

  • Ross Stores, former SVP Human Resources

    “I've worked with Mike on a large number of searches since 2006. He has proved himself to be responsive, very well connected in the retail space, and great value. He is tenacious and works hard to identify the right candidate, and has placed some fabulous talent into our organization. He's a pleasure to work with.”

  • Tops Friendly Markets, SVP Human Resources

    "I would highly recommend Mike to any company who is in need of an Executive Recruiter. Mike over delivered on our expectations by producing more top quality candidates than we could of ever asked for in a short period of time. Mike personally traveled to meet our executives, learn about our business and master our expectations prior to reaching out to find candidates. Mike is highly professional and very trustworthy."

  • Regional HR Director, off-price retailer

    “Lisa reached out to me in late 2017. She recommended me as a candidate for an open position for which she was recruiting and worked closely with me to ensure I was prepared and confident throughout my interview process. I am extremely happy with my new job and so grateful to Lisa for providing me with this opportunity. I recommend her highly to all of my colleagues and cannot thank her enough for her help.”

We place TOP RETAIL TALENT.
Guaranteed.