President; Private Equity backed manufacturing

Our client is a lower middle market, private equity backed and highly innovative manufacturing company. The company is in the early stages of their PE ownership and growth trajectory. To support those efforts, the Company has created this new senior leadership role to join as President - the number two role under the current CEO and the succession plan hire for that role.

The President will oversee all day to day operations, finance, HR and IT while also playing a key role in the commercial efforts of the business.

Must have experience will include:

• Must currently reside in the greater Chicago area
• 20+ years of overall experience, including relevant experience leading a middle‑market manufacturing company where one can demonstrate a track record of success in developing strategies that led to double digit sales/profit growth and identifying/penetrating additional customers/channels.
• Proven experience in another private equity backed manufacturing company during a period of profitable growth and success.
• A high degree of intelligence and the ability to rapidly synthesize information.
• Exceptional people skills, and the ability to excite and inspire an audience in a way that is energizing but also sincere, realistic, and grounded
• A person with entrepreneurial instincts who possesses strategic thinking abilities that uses imagination and foresight to conceptualize new business opportunities in a changing market.
• Strategic thinker and leader who, while comfortable in the trenches, maintains a long‑term perspective, and steadily stays the course.
• A solid overall general management executive who understands all facets of business but whose core background and strengths are in operations and/or sales and marketing.