Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer | Manufacturing | East Anglia

Zachary Daniels Recruitment is delighted to be supporting this well established and ambitious manufacturing-led business, seeking an experienced Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth and development.

Having recently completed a period of operational stabilisation and investment, the business is now well positioned to accelerate commercial performance, strengthen market presence and build scalable infrastructure for long-term success.

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced executive who can combine strategic thinking with operational delivery, driving both performance improvement and sustainable growth across the organisation.

The Role

Reporting to the Chair and Board, the CEO will take full responsibility for the overall leadership, strategic direction and operational performance of the business.

The successful candidate will lead the senior leadership team and ensure the business delivers against its commercial, operational and financial objectives while continuing to strengthen organisational capability and culture.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Growth & Strategy

• Develop and execute a clear growth strategy aligned to Board objectives
• Drive sustainable revenue and profitability growth across existing and developing markets
• Strengthen customer relationships, routes to market and commercial effectiveness
• Identify opportunities for expansion, innovation and market differentiation
• Translate strategic priorities into measurable operational plans

Operational Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing leadership team
• Ensure operational efficiency, execution discipline and continuous improvement across the business
• Drive performance through robust planning, forecasting and KPI management
• Maintain strong financial discipline, including cash flow and working capital management
• Ensure investment decisions are aligned with long-term business objectives

Product & Innovation

• Support the development and successful commercialisation of new products and solutions
• Ensure innovation activity is aligned to customer and market requirements
• Balance creativity and pace with operational delivery and quality standards

People & Culture

• Foster a collaborative, accountable and high-performance culture
• Build leadership capability across the organisation
• Attract, retain and develop high-quality talent
• Provide visible and inspiring leadership across all levels of the business

Governance & Risk

• Ensure strong governance, compliance and risk management practices
• Maintain transparent communication with the Board and key stakeholders
• Support effective decision-making through clear reporting and strategic insight
• Protect and enhance the reputation of the business in the market

Candidate Profile

We are seeking a commercially driven and operationally capable leader with experience leading businesses through periods of growth, transformation or performance improvement.

The successful candidate will bring strong strategic capability alongside a hands-on approach to execution and leadership.

Candidates will be able to demonstrate:

• Board-level leadership experience within a manufacturing or fast moving industrial product-led environment
• A track record of delivering commercial growth and operational improvement
• Strong financial and commercial acumen
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in complex operating environments
• The ability to build scalable processes, systems and organisational capability
• Experience developing customer relationships and driving market expansion with focus on the US
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• A data-driven and performance-oriented leadership style

Personal Attributes

• Credible, visible and decisive leadership style
• Strategic thinker with a pragmatic and commercially minded approach
• Resilient and comfortable operating in fast-paced environments
• Collaborative and engaging communicator
• High levels of energy, drive and accountability
• Committed to continuous improvement and high standards of performance

Further details regarding the business and opportunity will be shared with shortlisted candidates during the process.

BH36175