KING OF PRUSSIA, PA — JM Search founder and Chief Executive Officer John Marshall has been named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Greater Philadelphia program, placing the executive search firm’s long-term growth and leadership strategy among businesses being evaluated for one of the region’s highest-profile entrepreneurship awards.
The recognition comes as JM Search continues expanding its position in the executive recruiting market, having more than tripled in size during the past five years through organic growth, according to the company.
Marshall founded JM Search in 1980 as a solo operation and built it into a national retained executive search firm focused on private equity-backed and growth-oriented companies.
Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists are selected by an independent judging panel based on entrepreneurial leadership, company growth, organizational purpose and long-term impact.
“Being recognized alongside this group of entrepreneurs is a real honor,” Marshall said. “I started this firm with the belief that great leadership changes the trajectory of a business, and that the best way to serve our clients was to invest in our own people first.”
The company attributes part of its growth to employee retention, reporting a recruiter retention rate of 95%.
The finalist designation adds to a series of recent industry recognitions for JM Search. The firm was included on Forbes’ 2026 list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and ranked No. 11 on Hunt Scanlon Media’s 2026 Top 50 Recruiters list.
In 2025, JM Search also appeared on the Inc. 5000 and Financial Times Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies rankings.
Greater Philadelphia winners will be announced on Thursday, June 11, at The Union League of Philadelphia. Regional winners will advance to the national Entrepreneur Of The Year competition, with national honors scheduled to be presented in November during the Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California.
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