True Appoints Michael McGoohan as Managing Director — Former USTA CGO and Solo Brands President Joins to Lead CEO, Board, and Consumer Practice Growth
True (Philadelphia; the premier global executive talent platform powered by data, AI, and deep sector expertise; products include True Search for executive recruiting, TrueBridge for fractional and interim placements, True Talent Labs for coaching and assessment, Thrive Talent CRM, and SearchEssentials), has announced the appointment of Michael McGoohan as Managing Director in its CEO, Board and Consumer Practices. McGoohan joins True after more than two decades of operating leadership across some of the world's most recognised consumer brands — including roles as Chief Growth Officer of the USTA, President of Solo Stove and Chief Growth Officer of Solo Brands, and senior leadership at Mondelēz, Central Garden & Pet, and Performance Health. He began his career in consulting at Boston Consulting Group and Deloitte. At True, McGoohan will partner with boards, investors, and leadership teams to identify and recruit CEOs, presidents, and board directors across consumer and sports businesses — with additional focus on senior go-to-market and commercial leadership.
"I've spent my career stepping into businesses at moments where growth needed to be rebuilt, not just managed. That experience gives me a clear view of what actually drives results — and where leadership often falls short. Clients today aren't just looking for great operators; they need leaders who can translate strategy into sustained commercial performance. True brings a level of rigor and insight to those decisions that I have not seen elsewhere, and I'm excited to help identify leaders who can deliver that kind of impact."
— Michael McGoohan, Managing Director, CEO, Board and Consumer Practices, TrueTwo Decades of Growth Transformation — USTA, Solo Brands, Mondelēz, and BCG
McGoohan brings 20+ years of direct enterprise P&L accountability across public, private equity-backed, and founder-led businesses ranging from $100 million to $3 billion+ in revenue. At the USTA, he served as Chief Growth Officer — leading the organisation's nationwide participation strategy and commercial transformation, with a target of reaching 35 million tennis players by 2035, overseeing Play & Competition, Coaching, Marketing, Digital Strategy, Strategy & Innovation, and Industry & Sales. At Solo Brands, he was President of Solo Stove and Chief Growth Officer, leading the turnaround and transformation of a $500 million consumer lifestyle brand platform — stabilising operations, redefining commercial priorities, and driving omnichannel expansion across retail and DTC. At Central Garden & Pet, he co-led the company's largest enterprise transformation, delivering 14 consecutive record quarters. At Performance Health, he propelled Biofreeze into the fastest-growing OTC pain relief brand, resulting in a successful sale to a strategic buyer. At Mondelēz, he led the global agenda across Cadbury and Oreo resulting in record shareholder returns.
"Michael didn't just manage growth, he rebuilt the systems behind it and consistently left those businesses in stronger positions. Boards and investors today aren't just searching for proven executives — they need leaders who can step into uncertainty and drive measurable results. Michael joins True at a moment when that distinction has never mattered more."
— Sam McGrath, GM, Global Search, TrueTrue's Platform — AI-Powered Executive Talent Management Across the Full Leadership Lifecycle
True is the most trusted executive talent management platform powered by data, AI, and global expertise — serving boards, investors, and C-suites across consumer, technology, and professional services. Its product portfolio spans the full executive talent lifecycle: True Search (executive recruiting with AI-driven precision), TrueBridge (fractional and interim placements), True Talent Labs (leadership team coaching and assessment), Thrive (a modern Talent CRM), and SearchEssentials (tech-enabled precision in hiring). McGoohan's appointment reinforces True's push into consumer, retail, and sports leadership recruitment at a time when many brands are reassessing growth strategies amid shifting consumer demand, digital commerce pressures, and evolving expectations around operational efficiency. His first-hand experience navigating exactly these challenges — from sports associations to DTC consumer brands to private equity-backed turnarounds — gives True a practitioner's perspective that data alone cannot provide.
True appoints Michael McGoohan as Managing Director. Philadelphia; premier global executive talent platform powered by data, AI, and deep sector expertise; products: True Search, TrueBridge, True Talent Labs, Thrive Talent CRM, SearchEssentials. Announced 14 May 2026. Michael McGoohan appointed Managing Director in True's CEO, Board and Consumer Practices. Will partner with boards, investors, and leadership teams to identify and recruit CEOs, presidents, and board directors across consumer and sports businesses — plus senior go-to-market and commercial leadership. trueplatform.com.
Michael McGoohan — career background. 20+ years of direct enterprise P&L accountability; $100M to $3B+ revenue businesses; public, PE-backed, and founder-led. USTA: Chief Growth Officer — nationwide participation strategy and commercial transformation; target 35M tennis players by 2035; oversaw Play & Competition, Coaching, Marketing, Digital Strategy, Strategy & Innovation, Industry & Sales. Solo Brands: President Solo Stove + Chief Growth Officer — $500M consumer lifestyle brand turnaround; operational improvement; omnichannel retail and DTC expansion. Central Garden & Pet: co-led largest enterprise transformation — 14 consecutive record quarters. Performance Health: Biofreeze fastest-growing OTC pain relief brand — successful strategic sale. Mondelēz: global agenda Cadbury and Oreo — record shareholder returns. BCG and Deloitte: early career consulting.
True's market positioning and the consumer practice expansion. True is the most trusted executive talent management platform for boards, investors, and C-suites. CEO, Board and Consumer Practices: recruiting CEOs, presidents, board directors, and senior commercial leaders for consumer, retail, and sports businesses. McGoohan's appointment reinforces True's push into consumer, retail, and sports leadership recruitment at a time when brands are reassessing growth strategies amid shifting consumer demand, digital commerce pressures, and evolving operational efficiency expectations. True's AI-powered platform differentiates through data-driven precision in executive matching — McGoohan's operating depth adds the practitioner perspective that data alone cannot replicate.
True's full product portfolio. True Search: executive recruiting with data and AI-driven precision — the core search practice. TrueBridge: fractional and interim executive placements — for boards and companies needing leadership capacity without permanent hire timelines. True Talent Labs: leadership team strengthening through coaching and assessment — continuous leadership development for existing teams. Thrive: modern Talent CRM — technology infrastructure for talent pipeline management. SearchEssentials: tech-enabled precision in hiring for operational efficiency. Sam McGrath (GM Global Search, True): "Michael didn't just manage growth, he rebuilt the systems behind it and consistently left those businesses in stronger positions."
Strategic significance — operating experience as the ultimate executive search differentiator. McGoohan's framing — "growth needed to be rebuilt, not just managed" — captures the exact distinction that boards and investors are making in 2026 when evaluating senior leadership candidates. In a market where executive performance expectations are higher and tenure is shorter, the ability to evaluate candidates against firsthand operating experience (rather than credentials and career trajectory alone) is the differentiating capability of an executive search advisor. True's AI-powered platform provides the data; McGoohan provides the operating credibility to validate what the data reveals. This combination — practitioner judgment on top of AI-driven precision — is the architecture that makes True's CEO, Board and Consumer Practices distinctly valuable to the boards and investors it serves.