CASE STUDY 
Head of Quality

Brief

Our client, a global Tier 1 manufacturer specializing in metals and tooling, required a Head of Quality to oversee all quality functions at one of their key German sites. The role was pivotal in ensuring that quality standards were met across the plant and involved leading a team of 15 professionals. However, the team was young and lacked extensive experience, particularly in engineering. Additionally, the site had a diverse cultural workforce, which required a leader with strong coaching skills, patience, and the ability to motivate individuals from different backgrounds.

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Our Process

We focused our search on identifying candidates who had:

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• Extensive experience in quality management within the metals and tooling sectors, ensuring they understood the complexities of production and precision required for Tier 1 automotive components.

• Proven leadership skills, with a track record of leading cross-functional teams and coaching younger, less experienced professionals, particularly within engineering.

• The ability to manage culturally diverse teams, displaying patience, adaptability, and a motivational leadership style that could unite individuals from different cultural backgrounds.

 

Through our network and detailed market analysis, we identified candidates with the right balance of technical expertise, leadership acumen, and cultural sensitivity to drive quality initiatives and inspire the team to reach higher performance levels.

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Challenges

• Experience Gaps in the Team: The primary challenge was leading a relatively young and inexperienced team, particularly on the engineering side. The Head of Quality needed to have strong coaching and mentorship abilities to develop the team’s skills and ensure they met the high standards required for production quality.

• Cultural Diversity: The plant had a multicultural workforce, and the new Head of Quality needed to navigate this diversity by fostering a cohesive and inclusive work environment. This required patience and the ability to effectively communicate and motivate individuals from various cultural backgrounds.

• Leadership Requirements: Beyond technical expertise, this role required a determined and adaptable leader who could guide the team through daily challenges while ensuring alignment with the company’s global quality objectives.

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Result

Within a short period, we were able to provide a shortlist of strong candidates, all of whom had substantial experience in quality leadership within the metals and tooling industries. The selected candidate not only had the required technical expertise but also demonstrated excellent coaching and mentoring skills. They had previously led young and diverse teams, showing a natural ability to motivate and elevate their team members’ performance.

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The new Head of Quality quickly established themselves as a key leader at the site, implementing comprehensive training programs for the younger team members and improving overall team performance. By creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, the candidate fostered greater collaboration across the workforce, successfully navigating the cultural diversity within the plant.

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