CASE STUDY 
VP of Operations

Brief

Our client, a global leader in industrial parts and machinery, was seeking to appoint a Vice President of Operations to oversee their EMEA operations for a unique product group. This was a particularly significant search, as the company had a longstanding tradition of internal promotions and very rarely looked to the external market for leadership roles. It was crucial that we identified the best possible candidate, not just within the current market, but someone who could bring transformative leadership and operational excellence.

Our Process

We launched a thorough search across the EMEA region, focusing on highly experienced operations leaders with strong backgrounds in industrial manufacturing and complex product lines. Given the rarity of external hires for this company, we prioritized candidates who not only had deep expertise but also demonstrated long-term strategic vision, cultural fit, and the ability to manage a diverse, multinational team.

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• We conducted in-depth assessments of the market, targeting industry leaders and executives who had experience with complex supply chains and unique manufacturing processes.

• Our research focused on identifying individuals who had successfully led operations transformations and process optimization initiatives at a regional level, ensuring their experience aligned with the company’s operational challenges.

• Collaboration with the client was key—we regularly updated them on potential candidates, ensuring alignment with the company’s goals and their unique culture of excellence and innovation.

Challenges

One of the major challenges was the client’s longstanding preference for internal promotions, meaning the external search had to yield a candidate who was truly exceptional. The individual had to seamlessly integrate into a company culture that valued stability, longevity, and internal growth, while simultaneously bringing fresh ideas to drive operational improvements.

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Additionally, the EMEA region is incredibly diverse in terms of regulations, market needs, and operational complexities. The VP of Operations would need to manage multiple facilities across different countries, each with its own set of challenges, including varying compliance standards, supply chain logistics, and workforce management.

Result

We successfully placed an experienced VP of Operations who had a robust background in leading multi-country operations across the industrial manufacturing space. The candidate was not only a strong fit for the company’s immediate operational needs but also demonstrated the strategic foresight to drive long-term growth within the unique product group.

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Within the first six months, the newly appointed VP of Operations implemented efficiency improvements across the region, streamlining supply chain processes and reducing operational costs. The individual’s leadership helped unify the regional operations under a cohesive strategy, fostering better communication across the different sites and positioning the product group for future success.

This placement marked a pivotal moment for the company, demonstrating that the right external hire can bring fresh perspectives and transformative leadership while respecting and maintaining the company’s long-standing values.

Client

"Cameron delivered very good candidates and the communication towards all parties in the selection process was very professional, I highly recommend him!"