Meet new Charles Aris practice leader Mark Sapienza

Charles Aris marketing manager Sydney Olszewski sat down with new practice leader Mark Sapienza to discuss his background, the details of his new practice and what he’s most excited about in this new role.

Sydney: Tell me a little bit about your background

Mark: Prior to joining Charles Aris, I was the executive vice president and general manager at HoMedics – a leader in the health and wellness space. I’ve spent the last 25 years leading sales, marketing and product development across numerous, prominent consumer brands including Sunbeam, ACCO Brands and Avedis Zildjian Cymbals.

Throughout my career, I have experienced firsthand the impact talent acquisition and management has on the success of an organization. A passion of mine has always been to align organizational design with strategy and build effective teams by identifying and developing A-level talent.

Sydney: How do you think your previous experience will integrate into this new role?

Mark: There’s no substitute for hands-on experience, it’s a huge bonus. It helps to have an understanding and appreciation of the type of talent a hiring manager is looking for. There is such a heavy interdependency in the sales and marketing world. From product development to marketing to sales to innovation and leadership, everything is intertwined, and I truly enjoy spanning the full functional spectrum.

Sydney: Describe your practice and what kinds of organizations you’ll be working with.

Mark: I’m joining the existing sales and marketing practice at Charles Aris, working adjacent to senior vice president Greg Harper. My practice will largely focus on finding top sales, marketing and product development talent for consumer durables organizations. These will be companies that specialize in household goods, furniture, apparel and more.

Sydney: When you think about this new role and joining the Charles Aris team, what are you most excited about?

Mark: It’s just an exciting opportunity from every perspective. I get to work with a broad group of clients and combine my experience in the consumer durables space with my experience in finding top talent. I have a passion for finding and hiring great talent along with the satisfaction that comes with it. It is deeply rewarding. I feel lucky to be able to get to stay in the industry I love, work among a diversified group of clients and find top level talent for their teams.