Position: General Manager

• Background

  Our client was a European manufacturer of niche consumer products. Its North American operations focused on supplying its products to independent retailers.

  The recruiting situation was sensitive. It required the confidential replacement of an underperforming General Manager of the American division. With no senior personnel available to take over, the incumbent General Manager had to remain in the role until a replacement was found.

• Our Challenge

  We had to keep the incumbent unaware of the search to replace them. We also had to keep rival companies unaware of the situation so they would not take advantage. This was tricky because the ideal candidate would need to come from a direct competitor. And, in a small marketplace everyone knows everyone else.

• Our Solution

  We approached candidates directly, keeping the the client’s identity private. Only enough detail of the position was given to attract the top front-runners.

  A list of marketplace rivals was compiled. It included 7 direct competitors and another 24 selling similar products through the same retail channel. This resulted in a final selection of 9 applicants, 2 of whom were from direct competitors.

Position: Divisional Controller

• Background

  The client – a publicly traded (NYSE) manufacturer of premium transporation products – was recognized as the maker of “go-to” products in their industry sector. With multiple facilities in Canada, it was a full commercial and operational Proft and Loss business unit.

• Our Challenge

  We were asked to recruit a controller capable of heading finance in the stand-alone Canadian division. At a minimum, they had to have the following background:

  • Combined reporting/financial management experience in manufacturing, sales, and distribution over a significant operation 100M+
  • SOX or IFRS compliance for publicly traded companies
  • Treasury and currency hedging (more than 50% of production was exported to the United States)
  • Experience with SAP (the company was undergoing a new ERP implementation)

  The hiring situation was complex because the company’s location made it difficult to recruit locally.

• Our Solution

  We began by identifying manufacturers – within a 1 hour radius – who were SAP users. Senior financial persons within those organizations were interviewed by us. Three candidates with matching experience were selected. Two more well qualified prospects were added through relaxing the requirement for SAP implementation experience.

  To ensure all bases were covered, a job description was posted on a major job board.

• The Outcome

  The client interviewed all 5 candidates before making a final selection.