Trust at the Center: How a Discreet Member-to-Member Match Delivered Executive Firepower for AG1’s Next Chapter

Every successful high-growth company reaches an inflection point. The early years are often defined by pace, agility, and vision. But as the scale compounds—headcount grows, complexity expands, regulatory scrutiny tightens—the executive toolkit needs to evolve. What got you from $0 to $100M may not get you through $500M and beyond.

At AG1, formerly Athletic Greens, that moment arrived in 2024. The company had grown substantially over the last several years, becoming one of the most trusted brands in consumer wellness with a customer base spanning over 160 countries and a unicorn-level valuation. Financially, the systems had matured. But so had the demands.

Sam Diacos, AG1’s long-standing CFO, had been with the business from its earliest days. A former investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Diacos first joined AG1 when it was still in its infancy. Over the years, he helped guide the company through multiple funding rounds, international expansion, and the build-out of a world-class finance team. But as AG1 pushed into its next phase of growth, he recognized a structural gap: a deeply experienced executive needed to step in and lead accounting and treasury—freeing Diacos up to focus on capital strategy, corporate development, and long-range planning.

But this wasn’t a typical hire. Diacos needed someone with the credibility, experience, and operational depth to fully own the function. It had to be someone who could step into a fast-moving environment quietly and bring trusted leadership to the table from day one.

It also had to be discreet.

“This was a very sensitive hire—there were internal dynamics that made this role delicate,” Diacos shared. “I didn’t want to open up a broad process. What I really wanted was a few extremely qualified, extremely trustworthy candidates—people who came through a vetted network and who understood what kind of role this was.”

He turned to The F Suite.

Because Diacos was already a member of The F Suite, he was able to tap directly into the private executive talent ecosystem built within the community. No recruiters. No job boards. Just a bespoke, member-driven search that unfolded quietly and efficiently—rooted in trust.

That search surfaced Steve Emberland.

Emberland is a veteran finance executive with more than 30 years of experience in accounting, finance, operations and administration. He’s served as SVP of Finance at Carrot Fertility, and VP Finance & Administration at SoundHound AI, and held executive roles at both public and private technology companies. His resume includes principal accounting officer experience, public company controller work, and a rare ability to pair technical accounting depth with strategic finance thinking. He’s also been a longtime member of The F Suite—part of the founding wave of executives who helped shape the culture of the community.

Emberland was actively exploring his next role, but the opportunity at AG1 wouldn’t have surfaced through traditional channels. Instead, it came directly through a warm The F Suite introduction, facilitated through a trusted matchmaking process.

“At this stage in my career, I was looking for something meaningful,” Emberland shared. “I wanted a role where I could bring my full experience to the table in a high-growth environment—but with the right kind of team, the right kind of culture. This opportunity was exactly what I was looking for.”

The match was almost immediate. Emberland’s operational depth perfectly complemented Diacos’s strategic lens. Together, they’re a formidable pair that positions AG1’s finance team with both agility and sophistication as the company continues to scale.

And the process itself became a case study in what makes The F Suite unique.

“On the employer side, we’re now able to build customized candidate pipelines—completely discreet, deeply informed, and fast-moving,” said Chris Sands, founder of The F Suite. “On the candidate side, we act as an executive talent agent, surfacing targeted opportunities that are often not available anywhere else. This duality—supporting employers while actively advocating for our members—is what makes our system work.”

The placement also exemplifies a growing trend within The F Suite: full-cycle hiring from within. Both the hiring executive and the placed executive were members. Both understood the culture, the norms, the speed, and the values of the community—a shared foundation that made the process move faster, smoother, and more meaningfully.

“We’re building the rails for a new kind of hiring market,” added Sands. “Trust is the infrastructure. We use AI and automation to streamline discovery, but everything is grounded in real relationships. And because employers never pay a fee, we’re able to prioritize fit over placement. The value flows to the community, and the community keeps getting stronger.”

For AG1, the result was a strategic hire made quickly and quietly.

For Emberland, it was the opportunity to step into a company at a stage that matched his skill set and ambition.

And for The F Suite, it was yet another example of what’s possible when you replace outdated executive search infrastructure with a network that actually works.