TALENT for what's next
EXECUTIVE SEARCH & TALENT INTELLIGENCE FOR LUXURY, FASHION, AND BUSINESSES SHAPING WHAT'S NEXT
The
LEVEL UP APPROACH
YOUR fashion INDUSTRY EXPERTS, RETHINKING the rules of TALENT AND RECRUITMENT.
INDUSTRY EXPERTISE. human judgment. market intelligence. precision.
Brands deserve talent as visionary as the brands themselves. Yet recruitment too often undermines employer brands—transactional processes, post-interview silence, and a lack of strategic partnership that leave candidates disengaged and leaders without clarity.
We exist to level up the industry standards.
We partner with pioneering luxury brands as an extension of their leadership team—aligning talent strategy with brand vision, values, and long-term growth. Guided by integrity, transparency, and creative precision, we deliver a highly personalized recruitment experience that protects reputation, elevates candidate experience, and consistently delivers exceptional hires. Because in luxury, recruitment is not a transaction, it's a strategic decision which is a reflection of the brand. We believe the right person doesn't just fill a role, it changes what the business can become.
BEYOND THE RÉSUMÉ
THE LEVEL UP method™
01-EXPERIENCE
What have they actually done?
02-Potential
What could they become?
03-instinct
How do they think?
04-impact
What have they changed?
05-alignment
Why them? Why here? Why now?
MEET
THE founder &
SEARCH PARTNER
“I have spent my career understanding what makes a brand and the people behind it exceptional. The most rewarding part of what I do is recognizing the person who can walk into an organization and change what it believes is possible.”
A New York native and graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, Stephaney began her career in FIT's highly competitive Design program, where she developed an early understanding of creativity, craftsmanship, aesthetics and the discipline required to bring vision to life. Her career evolved far beyond design—through merchandising, retail, operations, and talent acquisition—giving her something increasingly rare in executive search: a perspective shaped by actually being inside the business. Across Prada, Miu Miu, Stuart Weitzman, Marc Jacobs, Elizabeth & James, Michael Kors and Ruthie Davis, Stephaney experienced firsthand what separates a great brand from an extraordinary one—and how profoundly the right people influence that distinction. She has worked on both sides of the table: inside luxury organizations, understanding the commercial realities and leadership challenges of the business, and within the agency world, identifying and evaluating the talent capable of solving them. That dual perspective became her advantage. Stephaney doesn't look at a candidate and simply ask whether they can do the job. She asks whether they can elevate the organization. Challenge the status quo. Strengthen the culture. Expand the vision. And become the kind of leader a business will be grateful it hired five years from now. That is the standard she brings to every search. And it is why she founded Level Up Your Talent Group. A firm built on the belief that the most consequential talent decisions deserve more than a database, a job description or a transactional process. They require judgment. Intuition. Market intelligence. Discretion. And an extraordinary understanding of people. Because Stephaney believes the best search partners don't simply find talent, they recognize it.
WHY
LEVEL Up
The next leader isn't always the obvious choice. Neither is the next great company.
We believe talent decisions should be approached with the same rigor, instinct and ambition that define the world's most exceptional luxury businesses.
We don't simply search for people who can do the job. We identify the people who can change what the job—and the business—can become.
A Different way of SEEING TALENT.
Level Up Your Talent Group brings together industry expertise, market intelligence, human judgment, and a deep understanding of leadership to see beyond the résumé—and beyond the obvious. Our 5-Lens Level Up Method™ looks beyond the résumé to evaluate the five dimensions that reveal exceptional talent.
WE EVALUATE THROUGH THE 5-Lens LEVEL UP METHOD™.
Five lenses. One complete picture.
We look at the intersection of Experience × Potential × Instinct × Impact × Alignment—because that's where exceptional talent lives.
Judgment is the difference.
Technology can expand our reach and surface information. It cannot replace judgment, instinct, context or human connection.
EXPLORE
OUR SERVICES
01-EXECUTIVE SEARCH
Leadership appointments that shape the future of the organization
02-STRATEGIC RECRUITMENT
Strategic recruitment across critical corporate, commercial, creative & retail functions
03-TALENT ADVISORY & INTELLIGENCE
Organizational, compensation, succession and workforce intelligence
04-TALENT MAPPING
Proprietary market intelligence and identification of high-value talent
05-EMBEDDED RECRUITMENT
Flexible, high-touch recruiting capability integrated into the client's organization
06-LEADERSHIP & SUCCESSION
Succession planning, leadership assessment and next-generation talent strategy
07-CONTRACT & INTERIM SUPPORT
Flexible talent solutions designed to provide immediate expertise, seamless continuity, and strategic support through growth, transition, leave, and change
EXECUTIVE SEARCh
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C-Suite & Executive Leadership
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Presidents & General Managers
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Creative Leadership
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Commercial Leadership
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Digital & E-Commerce
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Marketing & Communications
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Operations & Supply Chain
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Finance & Human Resources
CREATIVE, COMMERCIAL & CORPORATE RECRUITMENT EXPERTISE
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Corporate & RETAIL
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RETAIL EXCELLENCE
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DESIGN & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
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BUYing, PLANNING, MERCHANDISING
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WHOLESALE
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ECOMMERCE & DIGITAL
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STORE PLANNING & VISUAL MERCHANDISING
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MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & PR
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SUPPLY CHAIN, LOGISTICS & OPERATIONS
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FINANCE
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HUMAN RESOURCES
Talent
advisory OFFERINGS
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organizational design
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COMpENSATION BEnCHMARKING
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WORKFORCE PLANNING
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SUCCESSION PLANNING
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leadership assessment
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talent strategy
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organizational effectiveness
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market intelligence
TALENT MAPPING & INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITIES
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Competitive Talent Mapping
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Leadership Landscape Analysis
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Succession Pipelines
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Compensation Intelligence
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Target Company Identification
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Passive Talent Identification
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Emerging Leadership Mapping
THE
LEVEL UP search
PHILOSOPHY
01-understand
The business.
02-MAP
The market.
03-discover
The talent.
04-assess
The potential.
05-advise
The decision.
06-Elevate
The outcome.
President,
luxury FOOTWEAR BRAND
"To Whom It May Concern,
I retained Stephaney to fill a vital position for us - National Sales Manager in the United States.
Stephaney provided outstanding service to me and was incredibly professional and useful to me throughout the process. She presented strong candidates, managed the process extremely well, helped us determine the strongest hire and helped me create an ideal compensation plan. We were able to bring on an outstanding hire for the position and are very pleased with her performance so far.
I would enthusiastically recommend Stephaney to any fashion company looking for the most professional and effective search partner. I look forward to working with them again soon."
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR,
GIAMBATTISTA VALLI
“I retained Stephaney to lead a search for a strategic North American Senior Vice President position, and from the outset, she provided an exceptional level of service and partnership. She was incredibly thorough, thoughtful, and consistently brought valuable perspective to every stage of the process.
Stephaney presented a highly qualified slate of candidates, managed the process seamlessly, and worked closely with us to evaluate the talent and ultimately identify the strongest leader for the Region. Her ability to surface insights and considerations that may not have been immediately apparent was particularly valuable throughout the search. We were able to bring on an exceptionally talented executive, and we have been extremely pleased with his performance thus far. Stephaney’s expertise, judgment, and commitment were instrumental in helping us make such an important executive appointment. I would enthusiastically recommend Stephaney to any fashion company seeking a true strategic search partner—someone who goes beyond filling a position to understand the business, the talent, and what success looks like.”
GLOBAL HEAD OF HR,
CONFIDENTIAL FASHION BRAND
“Stephaney brings a level of strategic rigor and discernment to executive search that is increasingly rare. We engaged Level Up Your Talent Group for a critical leadership search, and Stephaney quickly distinguished herself as a true partner to our organization—not simply an external recruiter managing a search process. She took the time to understand our business, organizational dynamics, leadership culture, and the capabilities required for long-term success in the role. More importantly, she challenged our thinking when appropriate and brought forward perspectives that helped us evaluate talent beyond what was evident on paper. The quality of the candidate slate was exceptional, and Stephaney managed the process with a high degree of discretion, transparency, and professionalism. She demonstrated strong judgment throughout—from candidate assessment and market intelligence to stakeholder alignment and closing. The resulting hire has made a meaningful impact on the organization, and we were extremely pleased with both the caliber of talent Stephaney identified and the overall experience of partnering with her. I would highly recommend Level Up Your Talent Group to organizations seeking a search partner who combines deep industry expertise with strategic talent judgment, discretion, and an exceptional understanding of what makes leaders successful.”
