Leading the Board of an entrepreneurial design-led Consumer business during a period of progressive transformation.
Salary: Strong base and wider package
Location: North West
Our client has a wonderful heritage and an exciting future. The business manufactures and sells wonderful products in to a range of channels. It is a regular winner of prestigious and recognisable awards for quality and design.
The business is based out of a modern head office facility and employs over 300 people. It is very 'values-oriented', with a strong focus on product innovation, quality and growth. An outstanding Managing Director now needs to be secured to ensure the continued growth, one who offers a strong focus on commercial and operational performance.
Drayton Partners are working exclusively with our client to identify and secure an outstanding new leader for the business.
The key responsibilities of the role include:
- Agreeing the vision and enacting the plan to achieve long-term, sustainable, profitable growth for the business. Central to this is the shareholder’s thesis of the need to evolve its existing balance between intimate, private label partnerships and fuelling a faster growing portfolio of licensed and owned-brands.
- Ensuring the senior management team continue to be developed and coached to become even more effective leaders. Fostering the business' culture, with entrepreneurialism and quality as its cornerstone.
- Being an active and, at times, provocative member of the main Board, facilitating significantly enhanced performance. Proactively contribute to realising the synergies that are achievable across the complex and dispersed supply chain.
- Supporting the shareholders as they develop plans to further grow the branded portfolio. Operating as a ‘brands champion’ within the business.
- Ensuring the business continues to innovate way ahead of its competitors and is seen as the clear choice of customers. Ensuring that the business exceeds its customers’ credibility and trust expectations.
- Deepen the relationship with key partners, specifically their leading retail relationship but also the other Majors. In tandem with this, continue the shift towards the digital channel, with D2C being a component with in this.
- Encouraging the greater use of insight to fuel decision-making, both within the business but also up and downstream, namely supply partners and customers.
- Leading from the front and being a highly visible Managing Director across the wider stakeholder population; shareholders to customers and every member of the business family.
Knowledge & Experience
Our client is seeking an outstanding leader for the business. You will need to demonstrate deep ambition, real pace of thought and action, and be an expert in building profitable growth. The rewards, both financially but also in terms of personal development, are highly attractive.
- An expert in leading and inspiring sizeable teams, almost certainly within a dynamic branded or private label FMCG environment. Ten years of senior management leadership experience is essential.
- Substantial time within a respected, well-known branded organisation and, ideally, further experience gained in a medium sized, more entrepreneurial business. An appreciation of the nuances of private or family owned businesses would be highly advantageous.
- A commercially astute, highly strategic leader, able to demonstrate a strong and intimate focus on the customer and consumer.
- It is anticipated that your formative career will be in ‘commercial’. This will, most likely, be biased towards sales, specifically credible periods leading the partnership with critically important, focus-customers. However, it would also be advantageous if candidates offered a blend of brand development and supply chain experience.
- Success operating with a challenger mind-set, demonstrating a desire to push beyond what others might perceive as boundaries.
- Able to demonstrate the aptitude and experience to succeed in an informal, operating model. Requires an ability to handle market complexity.
Personal Attributes
- Strong financial acumen, with excellent budgetary, forecasting, cash-flow management, and future planning skills.
- Inherently an outstanding commercial operator, with a demonstrable track record of consistently delivering sustained, profitable sales growth.
- Natural self-confidence and self-awareness combined with extremely high levels of emotional intelligence and minimal ego. Strong leadership, coaching, development and change-management skills.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. A willingness to roll-up-the-sleeves, when appropriate, and lead from the front.
- High levels of drive, energy, and resilience. Able to demonstrate an ability to work, most commonly, highly autonomously whilst also recognising the significant development opportunity of reporting to a family Chair.
- It is foreseen that the individual will need to be based in the NW for the majority of the week.
If you have the skills and experience and you are looking for a new challenge, we would be delighted to discuss this opportunity further.