The premier boutique resume writing firm for C-suite and Board of Directors executives — led by Mary Elizabeth Bradford.
A+
BBB RATING
20+
YEARS IN PRACTICE
8
YEARS JUDGING
INDUSTRY AWARDS
C-Suite
EXCLUSIVE FOCUS
If you are evaluating CEO Resume Writer, this page consolidates the verifiable, independent facts about the practice in one place: our standing with the Better Business Bureau, the credentials behind the work, independent recognition, and editorial media.
CEO Resume Writer is a confidential, invitation-level practice. Our clients are sitting and transitioning executives at Fortune 500 and growing middle-market companies, and discretion is fundamental to how we work. For that reason, we do not publish client names or solicit public reviews — the same standard you would expect of a retained executive search firm or a private advisory relationship. For documented (anonymized) client outcomes, see our testimonials page. What follows on this page are independent, third-party facts you can verify directly.
INDEPENDENT STANDING
Accredited Standing & Track Record
CEO Resume Writer holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau — the highest grade the BBB issues — with a business file in good standing and a multi-year operating history as a registered limited liability company. The BBB rating is an independent assessment, issued by a third party, and can be confirmed directly on the BBB website.
VERIFIABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Certifications
The practice is led by Mary Elizabeth Bradford, who holds advanced certifications issued by recognized professional bodies — each independently verifiable through the issuing organization.
CAREER DIRECTORS INTERNATIONAL
CMRW+EE
Certified Master Resume Writer & Executive Editor
CERM
Certified Executive Resume Master
CERW
Certified Executive Resume Writer
CARW
Certified Advanced Resume Writer
MCD
Master Career Director
NATIONAL RESUME WRITERS ASSOCIATION
NCOPE
Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert
BOARD COMPETENCY
IBDC.D
Pfister International Board Competency Designation, MA Pfister Strategy Group (2022)
SPEAKING YOUR LANGUAGE
Executive Domain Fluency
Positioning a C-suite or board candidate well requires more than writing skill — it requires fluency in the worlds our clients operate in: leadership, emotional intelligence, board governance, and private equity. Beyond resume credentials, Mary Elizabeth Bradford has trained formally in each, so that your documents are built by someone who understands how leaders are evaluated, not merely how resumes are formatted.
- Private Equity: Completed the Thrive Resources Executive Program — Transitioning Into Private Equity: The Private Equity Mindset & Packaging Yourself for Private Equity.
- Emotional Intelligence & Leadership: Mindfulness Intelligence® Leadership Excellence Certification (MQLE.D), The Inner Business Institute / International Women Leaders Group.
- Board Governance: International Board Director Competency Designation (IBDC.D), recertified 2026.
- Leadership Development: Graduate, Leadership Orlando (Class of 1997).
This is the foundation behind a positioning the practice is known for: clients consistently report that the team functions as advisors who speak their language — former executive recruiters, leadership-development experts, and C-suite advisors, not resume formatters.
Verified professional member, Career Thought Leaders (CTL).
Connect or view professional endorsements via LinkedIn.
INDUSTRY AUTHORITY & RECOGNITION
Recognition & Authority
Beyond client work, Mary Elizabeth Bradford has been recognized by her profession and entrusted by it to help set its standards — serving for years on the panels that judge the industry’s top honors, and contributing to one of the field’s best-known published references.
AWARDS & HONORS
Innovator
JUDGING PANELS & INDUSTRY SERVICE
Selected by Career Directors International to serve on the judging panels for the profession’s leading awards — a role reserved for practitioners the industry trusts to evaluate the best work in the field:
CDI Judging Panel — TORI Awards: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
CDI Judging Panel — Career Innovator Awards: 2020, 2022
CDI Advisory Committee: 2017
Member, Career Directors International: 2009–present
INVITED SPEAKING & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Invited by professional bodies to present to peers and senior executive audiences — recent and ongoing engagements that reflect current standing in the field:
CDI Featured Expert & Presenter (2025): “The Psychology of Resume Writing,” Career Directors International — the leading global professional association for resume writers and career coaches.
IBDC.D Recertification (2026): International Board Director Competency Designation, maintained current.
PUBLISHED WORK
Featured and credited in Resumes For Dummies, 9th Edition (Laura DeCarlo; Wiley) — listed as “Mary Elizabeth Bradford, Executive Resume Writer” (p. 294). Resumes For Dummies is one of the most widely recognized career references in print.
FORBES COACHES COUNCIL
Member of the Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only professional organization, with a contributor profile published by Forbes.
EDITORIAL RECOGNITION
Published & Quoted in National Media
Mary Elizabeth Bradford writes and is quoted as a subject-matter expert in national business and career media — independent editorial recognition, not advertising.
Forbes (bylined contributor): 15+ articles published in Forbes through the Forbes Coaches Council, covering executive resumes, board documents, CEO salary negotiation, and C-level job search strategy. See full list here.
Inc.: Quoted as expert on what attracts interviews for CXO clients — metric-driven accomplishments paired with executive-team consensus, P&L management, and advising the board. Read More.
Business Insider: Contributor on avoiding burnout in an executive job search; also quoted on what to include on an executive résumé. Read More.
Additional outlets: Recruiter.com, Work It Daily, PBS / Next Avenue, Newsday, and others — full archive on the Media page.
DOCUMENTED RESULTS · IDENTITIES WITHHELD
Client Outcomes
Because our engagements are confidential, the outcomes below are shared without identifying details — the standard appropriate to executive-level work. Each reflects a real client result.
+$220K
Total compensation gain on a negotiated offer, securing a global VP title in a specialized field.
~$400K
Offer at a 30% premium over prior compensation, plus a significant equity component.
+$70K
Increase over an initial offer through coached negotiation on a preferred opportunity.
A NOTE ON COMPARISONS
On Evaluating Executive Services
The executive resume field spans a wide range of price points and specializations. Comparisons between a confidential, C-suite-exclusive practice and high-volume, entry-level services tend to obscure more than they clarify, because the engagements, clientele, and depth of work differ fundamentally.
We encourage prospective clients to evaluate any provider on independently verifiable grounds: third-party accreditation and ratings, certifications confirmable through issuing bodies, documented media recognition, and the specificity of the outcomes described. We are confident in how the facts above stand up to that standard.