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Manufacturing and Industrial
Executive Search

Novo’s Manufacturing and Industrial sector experts can help you identify & attract your next exceptional executive.

Manufacturing and Industrial Executive Search

Novo has helped industrial and manufacturing companies identify and recruit executive talent and the leaders they need to succeed. With talent more critical than ever, our experts understand the unique leadership development challenges of this diverse business sector.

Companies across the industrial and manufacturing sector have historically concentrated on making their formidable physical assets the basis of competitive advantage. Today, however, leading industrial companies increasingly recognize that the quality of their leadership talent will make the real competitive difference in a world of globalization, rapidly emerging markets, off-shoring, outsourcing, and far-flung supply chains.

These companies want innovative global leaders who possess the strategic, operating, and financial skills required to win in this complex environment. They want commercially-focused managers who can develop distinctive value-added solutions. Above all, they want leaders who have the ability to make both an immediate impact and a long-term contribution.

Our industrial team combines unparalleled search resources with a deeply consultative approach. Working closely with clients in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, we can develop the ideal candidate profile against their unique competitive challenges, business objectives and leadership culture. We have deep vertical experience in every industry sector and specialty area and serve every region across the globe, including emerging markets such as China, Russia, India, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

To discuss your requirements further please contact

Dale Perrett: [email protected]

Agribusiness

Our business specialists work with all facets of the industry, including major seed and agrochemical producers, trading houses, food manufacturers and funds and investment banks involved in the agricultural sector.

In addition, we have sector specialists in each of the following sub-sectors:

  • Seeds, Chemicals and Animal Nutrition – including fertilizers, pesticides, agronomy and animal feed producers
  • Trading and Supply Chain Management – including the origination, trading and basic processing of grains, oilseeds, sugar and cocoa
  • Food and Ingredients – including the processing, bottling, packaging and distribution of products for further food manufacturing and the consumer market

We understand how to develop successful and different strategies to attract talent from developed versus developing markets. Our team provides the breadth of experience (function, market, product) for high potential individuals to develop into effective leaders, as well as finding and training global talent with consistent delivery models.

Automotive

Our experts have helped companies in this dynamic industry find a way to grow and prosper. The search for talent is more critical now than ever because of the magnitude of issues currently impacting the industry. We recognize the leadership challenges that automotive companies face from the boardroom to the factory floor.

We have deep vertical experience in the following industry sectors:

  • Automotive manufacturers
  • Commercial vehicle manufacturers
  • Automotive and commercial vehicle parts manufacturers
  • Service providers to the automotive industry
  • Automotive and commercial vehicle dealerships
  • Aftermarket / retail parts and services

Our global presence combined with our reputation as a premier provider of search and leadership consulting services gives us unparalleled access to the best and brightest automotive talent around the world.

Building Products

Whether it’s a multinational with a robust product line or a local PE-backed start-up, companies use our experts to help them build teams that understand the challenges in this sector and select the right moves from among a wide range of business growth opportunities.

Building products companies face a variety of challenges in today’s marketplace. They are grappling with fluctuating raw material costs, pressure from their customers to offer green and other environmentally-friendly products, as well as cyclicality and consolidation in the marketplace.

 

Our team has deep experience in a wide variety of industry specializations:

  • Steel, lumber, concrete and other structural materials
  • Windows, doors and hardware
  • Plumbing, HVAC and electrical
  • Paints, coatings and adhesives
  • Interior finished products
  • Distribution

We understand the issues that face the industry and of the types of leaders that excel across the sector. As a result of our deep knowledge, we help our clients build successful boards and senior leadership teams for global and regional companies of all sizes. In addition, our leadership consulting offerings provide a range of proven ways to measure performance and establish solid strategies for managing and growing the core business.

Capital Equipment

Our experts are uniquely qualified to assist leading companies in this sector maximize growth opportunities by developing its executive talent. Our experienced team of global consultants knows the talent from both an industry segment and geographic perspective. We work hard to maintain a deep understanding of market trends and industry dynamics in order to assist clients in effectively building their talent leadership teams.

Today’s capital equipment sector spans a diverse range of products and industry segments. This complex global business has significant growth opportunities due to the continued expansion in developing economic regions as well as the need to repair and upgrade infrastructure in Europe and North America.

We have deep vertical experience in:

  • Plant equipment and machinery: machine tools, automation and control equipment, drives, pumps and motors
  • Power generation oil and gas and other energy related equipment: boilers, turbines, transformers, compressors and blowers
  • Off-highway equipment: agricultural, construction, mining, material handling and remote access
  • Distribution of capital equipment: rental and sales

Beyond our core executive search expertise, we have made significant investments to build a highly competent global leadership consulting organization. We aspire to earn a trusted advisor status with our clients by complementing our executive search capabilities with other offerings such as assessment, succession planning, organization redesign and coaching, to name a few.

Chemicals

Our team of experts understands that this industry continues to evolve as companies react to changing and uncertain economic conditions, continued mergers and acquisitions, and other diverse sector factors. Efforts to increase sustainability and to become more environmentally green have also taken root.

All of these dynamics pose a challenge for its leadership, and also place a strain on the available global leadership pool of executives who are able to drive success in this environment.

We continue to pro-actively develop relationships with highly talented executives to lay foundations of trust and credibility to attract them to our clients’ leadership roles. Our experience includes public & private corporate enterprises, private equity-backed businesses, and pre-IPO venture capital companies focusing on innovative technologies. Our experts also have deep vertical experience in petrochemicals, plastics, feedstocks, chlor-alkali, fine chemicals (APIs), agrichemicals, fertilizers, specialty and commodity chemicals, and industrial gases.

Electrical

Novo has been working with electrical and electronics companies to remain competitive in their talent strategies for many years. Our experts are frequently sought out by industry executives to help them build high-performance teams that can steer and navigate their companies through turbulent times.

Our global presence combined with our reputation as a premier provider of search services gives us unparalleled access to the best and brightest talent through our proprietary database, a vast network of industry resources and contacts and brand recognition that enables access to even the highest-placed executives. In addition, our team possesses specialized knowledge in the following sub-sectors, including: lighting, electronic components, display components, contract manufacturing, batteries, power distribution and generator manufacturing.

We understand the leadership challenges that these companies face – from the board room to the factory floor. Through a deeply consultative approach, we collaborate closely with every client to understand their organization’s unique competitive challenges, business objectives and leadership culture.

We will align the success profile of executives within your organization to the search criteria and apply what we know to develop a detailed candidate profile.

Mining and Metals

Novo has been building a strong reputation in the upstream and primary metals sector for more than 13 years. Our track record in search assignments and effective cross-border search teams – particularly for roles in difficult locations requiring a combination of strategic, operational, project and leader skills – is well recognized by the key players in this sector.

Leadership success depends both on the delivery of high quality, major capital projects as well as the ability to find a careful balance between operational cost-control and technological innovation. These must all be achieved while maintaining a license to operate, working in partnership with global communities and addressing increasingly complex environmental challenges such as climate change.

Our experts understand that leaders must have a keen eye on global trends to identify and take advantage of opportunities that develop top line growth, leverage and diversify resources or reduce risk. They must also be able to deliver short-term results, yet have the confidence to retain a long-term view. Our dedicated Mining and Metals experts provide clients with the global reach and specialist local knowledge required to develop industry leading teams.

Paper and Packaging

The paper and packaging sectors are undergoing a dramatic transformation in scale, scope and strategy. In the face of consolidation and globalization, paper and packaging companies must be strategically sophisticated, able to drive growth while astutely manage assets. To succeed, they will need a new generation of leaders. Amid this need for new talent, companies turn to Novo to align talent with business goals.

The pressures driving this transformation come from all sides: rising prices for raw materials, customer demands for lower costs, better service and innovative design. Seamlessly drawing together industry, functional and geographic expertise to meet our clients’ unique requirements, our global team works to achieve a common goal: to identify, assess and deliver the best possible talent.

Our depth of industry knowledge ensures our ability to help a variety of consumer and business-to-business organizations including producers of lumber, solid-wood products, pulp, paper and packaging companies find the talent they need to succeed in this rapidly changing environment. With offices located everywhere from major to emerging markets, we are uniquely equipped to serve an industry that is being redefined by globalization.

Transportation and Logistics

Our experts have an authentic and demonstrable track record of delivery in each niche of transportation and logistics.

We work with a diverse cross-section of the category, including: integrators, freight forwarders, 3PL providers, ocean carriers, airlines, as well as rail, port, terminal and airport operators. However, our relationships go beyond transportation and logistics companies themselves – we hold key relationships with private equity firms, venture capitalists, infrastructure funds, deal makers (both buy and sell side), investment bankers, management consultants and the academic community.

We know the talent, and with offices distributed all over the world, we are uniquely equipped to serve an industry that is being redefined locally, regionally and globally.

  • Ryan Mills
    Sector Specialist
    Ryan Mills Director

    Looking to retain a headhunting search practice?

    Are you looking for an exceptional executive in the Manufacturing and Industrial sectors? Contact Novo and discuss your needs with one of our Manufacturing and Industrial experts.

    Call: 0844 241 2064
  • Dale Perrett
    Sector Specialist
    Dale Perrett Founding Director

    Looking to retain a headhunting search practice?

    Are you looking for an exceptional executive in the Manufacturing and Industrial sectors? Contact Novo and discuss your needs with one of our Manufacturing and Industrial experts.

    Call: 0844 241 2064
  • George Woodward
    Sector Specialist
    George Woodward Director

    Looking to retain a headhunting search practice?

    Are you looking for an exceptional executive in the Manufacturing and Industrial sectors? Contact Novo and discuss your needs with one of our Manufacturing and Industrial experts.

    Call: 0771 589 4058

Clients

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

  • “Thank you very much for your involvement in identifying our new Product Development Director and managing a very smooth process. This was a significant recruitment process for our business and I am very pleased with how it has gone from start to finish.”

  • “During the first half of 2021 Novo worked with the Central Bedfordshire Council on 3 retained search assignments; the recruitment of a Non-Executive Chair to oversee the Board of a start-up housing development company, and a start up care homes and services business, as well as suitably experienced Executive Directors for both of these new organisations. All 3 roles were filled.’

  • “Novo were a real pleasure to deal with and impressed me with there professional, friendly manner and made my recruitment process smooth and problem free.”

  • “We have worked with Novo Executive Search before on a couple of challenging pieces of recruitment. Novo has provided an excellent quality of service which has led to a successful appointment on both occasions. We would be happy to recommend Novo to other companies wishing to secure the services of a specialist executive search business.”

  • “In a challenging and competitive market I have been impressed by the level of service and communication provided by the team at Novo Executive Search. I would have no hesitation in recommending using the services again as we continue to grow and expand.”

Managing Director
Salary: Circa £90,000 Salary with Benefits

Our client specialise in maximising the service performance of process plant and equipment, used to convey, store or process bulk solid materials within utilities, primary manufacturing and process industries. The company’s service offering consists of a package of design, manufacture, protection and site installation of process plant equipment.…

  • CEO/MD
  • Engineering Manufacturing
  • West Midlands Region
Job Ref No: MD GW 03/24
Date Added: 18-03-2024
Business Unit Director
Salary: Competitive six figure salary, bonus and incentives

Our client is a growing £80m high end manufacturing business with around 600 employees in the UK. They design and manufacture for science, medicine and industrial markets with a high emphasis on high performance, quality and durability.…

  • Board Director/Partner Sales/Business Development
  • Engineering Manufacturing Support Services
  • West Sussex
Job Ref No: BUD JW 02/24
Date Added: 01-02-2024
Operations Director
Salary: Flexible salary plus executive package to attract the best

Our client produces a range of composite structures, machined components and sheet metal fabrications with a focus on the aerospace Industry. Specialist capabilities include a full range of surface treatments and a dedicated Spares and Repairs capability.…

  • Board Director/Partner Operations
  • Engineering Manufacturing
  • North West England (GB)
Job Ref No: JH OD 23
Date Added: 14-12-2023
Commercial Business Partner
Salary: Competitive Base + Benefits

Our client is a fast-growing niche food manufacturing and distribution company based in Kent. This dynamic business, with an entrepreneurial culture is diversifying lines and continuing to significantly grow internationally. They are looking for a Commercial Business Partner to join the company.…

  • Finance/Risk
  • Consumer Products and FMCG Life Science Manufacturing
  • Kent (GB)
Job Ref No: CBP GW 11/23
Date Added: 23-11-2023
This job has now been successfully concluded.
Managing Director
Salary: executive package with equity potential

Our client is a well-established and international market leader in high-end consumer technology products. The MD will oversee continued UK and international growth. appointment will, in time, lead to a successful exit for the company’s current owners. …

  • CEO/MD
  • Consumer Products and FMCG Manufacturing Technology
  • South East England (GB)
Job Ref No: MD DP 11/23
Date Added: 16-11-2023
This job has now been successfully concluded.

Insights

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