RHH202520

Chief Executive Officer

Industrial Manufacturing

THE COMPANY

Our client is a long-established, privately owned Midwest-based low-volume high-variation designer and manufacturer known for combining engineering rigor, ergonomic design, and durable materials to deliver safe, comfortable, and aesthetically compelling interiors for transportation OEMs. The culture emphasizes innovation, proactive leadership, and close collaboration with OEMs to anticipate their customers’ needs rather than reacting to them. Teams work in a performance-oriented yet supportive environment where continuous improvement, product quality, and on-time delivery are central to decision-making and success measurement. The company is undergoing a comprehensive operational and financial transformation. This initiative is focused on restoring performance and driving consistent operational execution, which will support sustainable growth and increase enterprise value.

THE OPPORTUNITY

A Chief Executive Officer stepping into this role will lead a recognized industry player. The position offers a rare opportunity to drive strategic growth through company-wide optimization. The CEO will lead a full business turnaround, restoring performance, strengthening trust with employees, customers, and supply chain partners, and positioning the company for long-term profitable growth. The CEO will partner closely with an engaged, newly formed ownership group to balance near-term operational priorities with long-term value creation. The CEO will build a performance-driven culture grounded in trust, transparency, collaboration, and accountability. A core mandate is rebuilding credibility across the organization by increasing alignment, clarity of purpose, and accountability at every level.

This position reports to the Board of Directors and has five direct reports.

JOB DEFINITION

The CEO will set strategic and tactical direction and lead all company functions, ensuring operational stability, on-time delivery, plant consolidation, and financial discipline that aid in maximizing enterprise value. The ideal candidate must be hands-on, with proven success in unionized environments, have a track record of operational turnarounds, and be able to deliver immediate improvements while building a sustainable, mission-aligned company.

This leader must be a blue-collar, player-coach who is highly visible on the shop floor, trusted by frontline employees, and capable of translating strategy and tactics into disciplined execution. The CEO will foster a purpose-driven culture where employees understand the mission, the importance of their work, and how it connects to the production plan and customer requirements. They will drive alignment around safety, quality, delivery, and continuous improvement, ensuring the organization executes reliably and consistently.

SKILLS

Summary of Key Responsibilities:

  • Partner with the Board of Directors to set and communicate a clear long-term vision/direction, a strategic plan/roadmap, and annual operating objectives that position the company as the preferred partner for its customers.
  • Own full P&L responsibility, ensuring disciplined budgeting, robust forecasting, cost management, and capital allocation that support sustainable EBITDA and cash performance.
  • Drive improvements in cash flow and working capital performance through disciplined inventory management, supplier terms, and operational execution, strengthening liquidity alongside profitability.
  • Partner with the Board and external consultants to execute the turnaround plan; deliver rapid improvement in manufacturing, on-time delivery, supply chain, and quality performance. Once operational stability is achieved, the focus will shift to financial optimization, organizational alignment, and enterprise value creation.
  • Partner closely with the Board to provide transparent, regular, structured reporting, including KPI dashboards and
    performance reviews; strategic insights and recommendations; and timely, concise, data-backed updates on performance and key initiatives, to ensure the Board has clear visibility into progress, risks, and initiatives to inform decision-making.
  • Oversee operations, manufacturing, and supply chain to deliver high-quality products on time and at competitive cost, with a focus on lean practices, continuous improvement, process optimization, and disciplined cost management.
  • Support the ongoing consolidation of two production facilities into one existing facility.
  • Build and maintain a constructive, transparent, and collaborative relationship with union leadership; proactively resolve labor issues; strengthen engagement; and ensure alignment with operational and financial goals.
  • Partner with HR to lead collective bargaining, contract administration, and day-to-day labor relations in a fair and balanced manner.
  • Champion innovation by aligning engineering, product development, and marketing around customer insights, trends, and emerging materials and technologies.
  • Drive profitable revenue growth through expansion of core lines, introduction of new products, and entry into adjacent markets or geographies.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with OEMs by actively engaging in strategic sales opportunities and major contract negotiations.
  • Ensure effective risk management across safety, regulatory compliance, quality, financial controls, and cybersecurity.
  • Sponsor key strategic projects such as capacity expansions, footprint optimization, new technology implementations, or M&A opportunities.
  • Serve as a credible external ambassador for the company with customers, suppliers, industry partners, community stakeholders, and other external constituents.

 

Leadership and Management:

  • Responsibility for building and strengthening the direct leadership team, with a primary focus on Finance and Operations functions.
  • Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing team capable of sustaining improvement and driving long-term growth by setting clear expectations and providing coaching, feedback, and succession planning.
  • Align the organization’s structure to support strategy and build a performance-driven culture centered on proactive problem-solving, clear accountability, and data-backed goals, where results are measured, recognized, and addressed in real time.
  • Lead from the front in the early phase of the turnaround, with a visible, hands-on presence in manufacturing operations to rapidly diagnose root causes, stabilize performance, and embed lean behaviors that drive sustainable improvement.
  • Break down silos and foster cross-functional collaboration between sales, engineering, operations, and finance to improve decision-making speed and quality.
  • Communicate frequently and transparently with employees at all levels to build engagement, trust, and alignment around the company’s mission and priorities.
  • Support leadership development at multiple levels of the organization through training, stretch assignments, and structured development plans.
  • Lead change management efforts related to new systems, processes, and organizational structures, ensuring adoption and minimal disruption.
  • Model a safety-first mindset across all facilities, ensuring that environmental, health, and safety standards meet or exceed regulatory and customer requirements, reinforcing a culture where employee well-being, compliance, and operational discipline are foundational to performance.
  • Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture where a broad range of perspectives informs strategy, hiring, and daily management practices.

BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE

  • 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing. Industry background in industrial manufacturing preferred.
  • Demonstrated success in a senior P&L role (e.g., CEO, President, GM, or divisional leader) with accountability for multi-functional teams and annual revenue of meaningful scale.
  • Proven success in turnaround or transformation leadership.
  • Strong familiarity with high-mix/industrial manufacturing and well-versed in job shop operations.
  • Demonstrated success leading unionized manufacturing organizations, with direct experience partnering with union leadership to drive performance, engagement, and operational change.
  • Proven track record leading strategy development and execution that delivered profitable growth, operational efficiency, and improved customer satisfaction.
  • Deep familiarity with engineered products, configurable solutions, or complex bill-of-materials manufacturing environments.
  • Deep knowledge of lean manufacturing, supply chain management, and operational improvement methodologies.
  • Strong commercial acumen, including experience with key account management, contract negotiations, and long-cycle sales to OEMs, government entities, or large enterprise customers.
  • Experience leading teams through change, including system implementations, footprint changes, or organizational restructuring.
  • Exceptional communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders.
  • High integrity, sound judgment, and a hands-on leadership style suited to a mid-sized manufacturing organization.

 

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, operations management, or a related field required.
  • MBA or other relevant advanced degree strongly preferred, or equivalent combination of education and executive-level experience.
If you have these qualifications and are looking for a challenging career, please submit your Resume using the button below.
Eric Hohauser
President & Lead Consultant
Kate Scott
Director, Executive Recruitment
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