Brian Nichols

About Brian Nichols

Most veteran-hiring programs promise \"we love veterans\" and deliver a 40% turnover rate inside the first year. I\'ve spent 15 years making that math work differently. If you\'re a CEO, COO, or head of talent trying to hire a veteran operator for a role where the seat actually matters, and you\'re tired of agencies that send resumes instead of leaders, this is what I do. The problem I solve: Veteran hires fail for one reason: nobody actually translated the role. Not the job description, not the interview, not the onboarding. The candidate was evaluated against civilian assumptions, and the veteran was evaluated by a hiring manager who didn\'t speak their language. Everyone walked in hopeful. Most of them walked out at month seven. How we fix it at Veteran Hiring Solutions: We built the Video Job Description (VJD) methodology. The hiring manager goes on camera and describes the role, the team, the pressure, the outcomes, the politics. We extract a Big Five personality profile of that hiring manager from how they describe their world. Then we source, screen, and submit candidates against both the work and the human environment they\'ll step into. That\'s why our placements stay. The numbers: career hires across nonprofit, agency, corporate, and global operations60%+ fill rate on active searches97%+ 1 year retention on placed candidatesPlacements across all 50 states plus Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle EastBuilt and led talent functions at The Kraft Group, Triple Canopy/Constellis, Wounded Warrior Project, and Adecco Outside VHS: Vice National Commander, Combat Veterans of America. Host of Mission Monday: a weekly LinkedIn Live on veteran career transition and the future of hiring. Got a leadership role you need to fill with a proven veteran operator? DM me \"MISSION\" and I\'ll send a sample Candidate Intelligence Brief so you can see how we actually evaluate talent. Then we\'ll decide together if there\'s a fit. Hiring managers, transitioning veterans, and military spouses all welcome in the DMs.

Experience

1. Chief Growth Officer

   Veteran Hiring Solutions

   Apr 2026 — Present · Providence, RI, US

   As Chief Growth Officer at Veteran Hiring Solutions, I lead the unification of our recruiting and sales functions under a single growth mission. The role aligns people, processes, performance metrics, and external partnerships so veteran placements and client acquisition move together, not in parallel. Reports directly to the CEO.Cross-Functional Growth Leadership:I lead the integration of recruiting and sales under one growth framework with shared visibility across the full revenue cycle, from job order intake through placement and retention. This includes defining handoff protocols, facilitating joint operating reviews, and removing the silos that prevent most staffing firms from scaling with quality intact, while focusing on unified growth KPI\'s.Strategic Partnerships & Business Development:I build and formalize partnerships with veteran service organizations, military transition programs, higher education institutions, employer associations, and peer firms with complementary specializations. Focus is on co-referral, co-marketing, and co-delivery arrangements that expand VHS\'s reach without proportional cost increases.Client Success & Executive Partnership:I maintain executive relationships with VHS\'s most strategic clients through quarterly business reviews, proactive account planning, and a 24-hour response standard on all escalations.Team Leadership & Coaching:I provide senior leadership across recruiting and business development, partner with the Head of Sales and Head of Recruiting on capability building, and develop high-potential team members into the next generation of VHS leaders.Core Competencies:Strategic Vision, Cross-Functional Leadership, Partnership Development, Data-Driven Execution, Extreme Ownership, Veteran Mission Alignment, Executive Presence

Education

• Columbia University

  Certificate, Executive Education and Leadership

• Florida State University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Marketing

Skills

• Personnel Management
• Intelligence
• Physical Security
• Operational Planning
• Counterterrorism
• Defense
• Government Contracting
• Tactics
• Combat
• Leadership Development
• Navy
• Special Operations
• Personnel Supervision
• Organizational Leadership
• Workforce Development
• Military Training
• Military Experience
• Readiness
• Military Liaison
• Program Management
• Supervisory Skills
• Top Secret
• Recruiting
• Government
• Dod
• National Security
• Job Fairs
• Counterinsurgency
• Marine Corps
• Policy
• Military Logistics
• Weapons
• Career Development
• Intelligence Analysis
• Exercises
• Emergency Management
• Veterans
• Onboarding
• Resume Writing
• Public Policy