Marshall joins a class of finalists evaluated for entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact
May 19, 2026 (King of Prussia, PA) – JM Search, the leading retained executive search firm for private equity and growth-oriented organizations, today announced that Founder and CEO John Marshall has been named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 Greater Philadelphia program, presented by Ernst & Young LLP. The recognition honors nearly five decades of entrepreneurial leadership and Marshall’s role in building JM Search into one of the nation’s premier executive search firms.
Now in its 41st year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year® program recognizes leaders who turn ideas into lasting impact. The 2026 finalists are entrepreneurs who – through innovation, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership – are shaping industries, strengthening communities, and creating opportunities that reach well beyond their own organizations. The 2026 Greater Philadelphia finalists were selected by an independent panel of judges based on four core criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, company growth, and lasting impact in building long-term value.
Marshall founded JM Search in 1980 at age 25, launching the firm as a one-person operation with no outside capital. Over the decades that followed, he built it into a nationally recognized executive search provider that has more than tripled in size over the past five years through entirely organic growth. The firm’s 95% recruiter retention rate reflects a people-first culture that Marshall considers the foundation of its sustained performance.
“Being recognized alongside this group of entrepreneurs is a real honor, and one I share with every person at JM Search,” said John Marshall, Founder and CEO of JM Search. “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. Forty-five years later, that belief still drives us, and this recognition belongs to the team that lives it out every day.”
The finalist recognition comes amid a year of momentum for JM Search. The firm was recently named to the Forbes 2026 list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms with a top 20 ranking, recognized as No. 11 on Hunt Scanlon Media’s 2026 Top 50 Recruiters list, and was ranked among the Largest Executive Recruiters: Retained Search Firms in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Business Journal. In 2025, the firm earned a place on both the Inc. 5000 and Financial Times Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies lists.
Greater Philadelphia winners will be announced on June 11 at The Union League of Philadelphia. Regional winners advance to the Entrepreneur Of The Year® National Awards, presented in November at the annual Strategic Growth Forum® in Palm Springs, California.