The Organisation:

Our client is a private equity backed speciality food manufacturing company based in the South East with c.100 staff.

Role & Responsibilities:

We need a really hands-on CEO for 12 months initially to lead the organisation through a turnaround phase. This is a hands-on role with involving significant operational remodelling and will need someone full-time at the factory located in the SE.  The business is stable but the CEO will need to work closely with the board and shareholders to position for the future.

Key priorities will be:

• Strategic Direction: Create consensus on the direction of the turnaround and restructuring, setting strategic direction. Bring credibility and objectivity to discussions, providing counsel and advice to stakeholders.
• Alignment and Execution: Align resources, people and financial, towards execution of a laid down plan, detailed to deliver against strategic objectives agreed.
• Culture Codification: Ensure culture is set and driven throughout the business, fostering a culture of accountability and discipline and engendering a bias to action and pace to deliver on the turnaround plan swiftly.
• Operating Model, Operating Structure & Governance: Assess the current operating model, operating structure, and governance structure to determine short-medium term requirements to ensure compliance, quality assurance, operational effectiveness, efficiency and enable delivery of strategic objectives.
• Management Reporting: Assess current reporting structure, determine to be and implement ensuring required flow of information to stakeholders.
• Leverage Talent: Quickly assess talent and ensure critical talent is leveraged to support the turnaround and restructuring efforts.
• Financial Health: Assess the financial health of the business and implement immediate actions to mitigate and monitor, assess cost optimisation plans in place and develop an approach to restructuring the balance sheet.
• Financial Management: Develop a consistent framework for forecasting, planning and resource allocation.
• Commercial Health: Assess current customer sentiment and plans in place to rectify issues, build commercial plans to deliver against strategic objectives agreed. Build relationship with customers. Provide a hands-on approach to contract negotiations.
• Stakeholder Management: Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers and suppliers where relevant.

The Desired Candidate:

• Previous CEO, CRO or Chief Transformation roles
• Full P&L accountability
• Track record of turnarounds and restructuring in small/mid-cap businesses
• Private equity context is essential
• Deep experience across operational, commercial and financial aspects; ability to apply this know how in balance and in the development of a turnaround and restructuring plan in partnership with majority shareholders and the Board of Directors.
• Manufacturing experience is essential, preferable in food
• Expansive experience dealing with large and top end retailers.

How to Apply:

Please apply through the Russam portal or email: jason.atkinson@russam.co.uk