Solving a Niche Product Leadership Search for Lendable in Washington DC

Delivering Consumer Credit Expertise in a Complex Hiring Environment

When Lendable engaged Find Group, the mandate was both geographically and technically challenging.

The business required a senior product leader based in Washington DC with niche experience in consumer credit cards — a highly specific profile within a tightly defined regional market. It was a search the team had not previously executed in that location, and the talent pool was neither broad nor easily visible.

The brief was clear in ambition, but fluid in detail.

The Challenge

The role demanded:

Deep product leadership experience within consumer credit cards
Strong understanding of US consumer finance regulation
Market familiarity within the Washington DC ecosystem
Strategic alignment with Lendable’s long-term product vision

Complicating the process further, internal requirements evolved as the search progressed. Role parameters shifted. Priorities recalibrated. Alignment took time.

In high-priority leadership mandates, this is not unusual. But it requires agility, resilience and disciplined communication.

“Complex searches rarely fail because of talent scarcity alone. They fail because alignment breaks down.”

The Approach

Find Group activated a two-track strategy:

Leverage our existing Washington DC network to surface proven operators within consumer finance.
Conduct targeted outreach to newly identified profiles aligned to the refined brief.

As the search evolved, we re-steered candidate targeting multiple times to reflect updated criteria. Rather than resetting momentum, we maintained continuity through:

Constant communication with the hiring team
Transparent feedback loops
Rapid recalibration of candidate profiles
Ongoing market intelligence sharing

The strength of the process lay not just in sourcing capability, but in maintaining alignment through change.

The Outcome

Within six weeks, Lendable secured an outstanding product leader aligned to both the technical depth required and the organisation’s strategic direction.

Despite shifting requirements and a complex internal decision-making process, the search concluded successfully — reinforcing the importance of partnership over process alone.

Hiring Team Perspective

Allison Gruneich, Managing Director at Lendable, commented:

“Owen was an invaluable partner in our recent search for a high-priority candidate. We presented a uniquely difficult challenge given our requirements shifted multiple times and our internal alignment process was slow, but Owen handled every change with remarkable responsiveness and professionalism. He truly rolled with the punches and ultimately delivered an outstanding set of candidates, leading to a successful hire. I highly recommend him for any challenging search.”

Strategic Takeaway

Difficult searches are rarely linear.

When hiring criteria evolve and alignment takes time, the differentiator becomes communication discipline and adaptability. In niche financial markets such as consumer credit cards, especially within specific geographies like Washington DC, success depends on network depth combined with partnership mindset.

For Lendable, the right hire was secured not through rigidity — but through responsiveness and sustained collaboration.