As someone who has spent much of my executive search career working with SaaS and tech companies, I recently found myself on a terrain that I was less familiar with —leading the search for a CEO in a UK-based manufacturing business, far removed from the glassy offices of London and deep into a sector where products are tangible, operations never sleep, and leadership looks very different.

And I learned a lot.

What struck me first was the sheer professionalism of the sector. These are businesses where passion isn’t worn like a badge—it runs deep. Candidates spoke with pride about their products, many of which are the result of decades—sometimes generations—of innovation, craftsmanship, and community. There’s a history here that is lived every day, not just archived on the company website.

But the pride doesn’t end with the product. It extends to the people. Many leaders talked not only about what their business made, but who made it, often referencing families who had worked there for decades. Culture in these organisations isn’t a slide in a PowerPoint deck; it’s a real, beating heart that pulses through the factory floor and boardroom alike.

Another revelation was the energy. Manufacturing moves fast. It has to. Lines run 24/7. Downtime isn’t tolerated. That sense of urgency—of being close to the customer, to the product, to the point of failure and fix—is unlike anything I’ve seen in software businesses. It creates leaders who are responsive, resilient, and relentlessly focused.

These leaders are not only commercially savvy but also deeply operational. They know what it takes to earn the respect of the workforce, and that often means understanding the intricacies of production as well as the pressures of the P&L. There’s no room for ivory tower thinking—these are confident, visible leaders, just as comfortable on the factory floor as they are in front of a private equity board.

And speaking of private equity—ownership matters. One of the challenges in today’s manufacturing sector is the shift toward international ownership or investment. It brings opportunity, but it also brings complexity. Decision-making slows down, culture can get diluted, and not every leader is ready for the scrutiny or demands of external investors. Those who succeed combine operational credibility with strategic vision and strong financial acumen. They know how to tell the story of the business in numbers, but also how to protect what makes it special.

Finding such leaders, who can drive growth, deliver change, and remain authentic to the values of the business, isn’t easy. It takes a rigorous, thoughtful, and deeply tailored executive search process. It takes a partner who understands that leadership in manufacturing isn’t about buzzwords or bravado—it’s about integrity, substance, and the ability to connect with people across every level of the organisation.