Testimonials & Endorsements

Lisa is not only a pleasure to speak with, but she is very detailed, organized, and thorough. Her professionalism and expertise make her a great partner to work with.

Lisa is a great partner and resource for anyone looking for their next hire, not only to the company but also to the possible candidate. She went above and beyond throughout the process, communicating the next steps and providing resources to prepare me for them.

I have never had such a close line of communication with a recruiter before, and I was amazed at how well Lisa managed the entire process on both ends. She was a pleasure to collaborate with, and I know she is rooting for my success in my new role.

"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."

"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."

"From my perspective Mike has three characteristics that make him a special Executive Recruiter. The first is always functioning with the highest level of integrity in everything that he does. Second is that he gets things done and finally he has a great personality that makes him easy to work with."

“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!

If you want to use the absolute best in the industry, look no further than Lisa Schwartz and Marc-Allen Associates.

I've been working as an attorney in the retail industry for nearly 20 years. In fact, a recruiter helped me land my first legal job. I've worked with a number of them over the years, but I have never had a better experience than I did working with Lisa and Marc-Allen.

From our initial conversation all the way through accepting a new position, Lisa was not only magnificent, but equally challenged me and encouraged me every step of the way. Starting with my initial resume review, she was able to help me focus on making those changes that would help me stand out on paper. But it went beyond that.

My interview prep was extensive and I've never seen the level of detail that she included. It was truly a top-notch experience.

Finally, the support from her and Marc-Allen didn't simply stop once I had accepted the new role. She continued to follow up with me to ensure that any questions I had were still being answered and any needs were addressed.

"Mike is the "go to" recruiter I now use for a lot of our retail openings. He is an extremely responsive business partner and provides a well qualified slate of candidates for each opportunity. Mike goes the extra step with the candidates he presents, in that his communication to them and to us is superior. I view Mike and Marc-Allen Associates as a long-term business partnership which is what I look for in my recruiter relations. I would without any hesitation recommend him to other Companies (as long as they don't have the same openings we do and at the same time)!"

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.

Lisa and Marc-Allen Associates were extremely helpful and provided tremendous value in my most recent job search. Her professionalism, responsiveness, and support during the entire process were by far the best search experience of my career.

Lisa took the time to ensure I was a good fit before we engaged with her client and was very transparent during the entire process. She thoroughly prepared me for each step of the interview, offering invaluable insights and guidance. Lisa followed up with me during each step with thoughtful feedback and updates from her client.

I highly recommend Marc-Allen Associates and Lisa to any executive or leader looking for their next career opportunity!

“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.”

“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!”

"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!

“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.”

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.

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.”

Lisa provides a focused service, ensuring that both the employer and the candidate are the best fit for each other. She takes pride in successfully placing candidates. Being exceptionally dedicated to her work, Lisa gave me advice and guidance throughout the interview process.

You will receive the highest value and professionalism while working with Lisa. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an opportunity.

“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. “

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

“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.”

“I have been associated with Marc-Allen Associates for the past 20 years. Mike Powell has guided me to successful career decisions and has provided top talent for organizations I have led.  Marc-Allen Associates has and will be my first choice to identify and place talent.  They are a highly professional organization with deep roots in the Retail industry and have an ability to find the right candidates that meet both the technical and cultural needs of an organization.  I have NEVER been disappointed with new partners hired through Marc-Allen Associates.”

“I have had the great pleasure of working closely with Mike Powell of Marc-Allen Associates for executive search over the last 10+ years.  Mike and his team always sourced, selected and managed highly skilled, top-notch executive leaders during the recruitment process.  Marc-Allen Associates make the recruiting process easy because they make it their business to know the company culture and quickly scour the Retail industry talent pool for the best candidate fit-both skill and culture. Marc-Allen Associates always has qualified candidates that are a great match ……. the first time!”

"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."

“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.”

“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.”

“I had the pleasure of working with Mike on a large (50 positions), and fast hiring initiative within my organization. Mike was meticulous in his approach to understanding the scope of my needs, the skills and experience I required and the culture fit I was seeking in potential candidates. Mike delivered exceptional candidates within a very short period of time and assisted my organization in driving the talent injection we needed to meet critical business needs. Mike is a true professional and business partner who works with you to deliver outstanding results.”