Executive Search Case Study – Chief Operating Officer for a Manufacturing Business

 Executive Search: Chief Operations Officer – Home Improvement & Manufacturing Sector

When a leading home improvement brand required a dynamic COO to lead cultural change and operational transformation, we delivered the leadership to scale excellence.

✅ Who This Is For

• B2C or manufacturing businesses seeking to align operations with growth and customer satisfaction

• Organisations navigating cultural transformation and needing a cross-functional operational leader

• Companies operating across multi-site facilities requiring leadership that blends strategic vision with execution

🚧 The Challenge: A Transformative COO to Unify & Elevate Operations

Client context:
Our Client, a household name in home improvement, was entering a pivotal phase of operational and cultural transformation. With a legacy of quality and customer service, the business needed a Chief Operations Officer (COO) to unify national operations, professionalise processes, and enhance customer experience—all while preserving the brand’s trusted identity.

The brief:

• Oversee 14 depots, a factory, and multiple support functions across the UK

• Embed operational excellence across manufacturing, technical, field, and service teams

• Lead a culture shift toward digital-first, customer-centric thinking

• Ensure profitability through process improvement and cost efficiency

Key challenges:

• Managing cross-site integration of teams and systems

• Balancing efficiency gains with customer experience enhancement

• Driving forward an already-started cultural transformation initiative with fresh leadership

🎯 Our Search Strategy: Leadership That Balances Transformation With Execution

We designed a four-phase executive search process that matched our Client’s ambition and complexity.

1. Deep Client Discovery

Working closely with their executive team, we:

• Defined key COO responsibilities across manufacturing, operations, customer service, and HSE

• Clarified the transformation journey already underway and its strategic intent

• Mapped the necessary leadership behaviours to influence dispersed teams and create operational alignment

2. Precision Talent Mapping

We sought a senior leader who could bring together people, process, and purpose, by:

• Targeting seasoned operational executives in home improvement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer-first sectors

• Prioritising professionals experienced in multi-site leadership, transformation, and customer-centric delivery models

• Screening 75 potential candidates and narrowing to a top shortlist of 5 with sector-relevant expertise

3. Rigorous Candidate Assessment

Our interview and evaluation framework assessed candidates on:

• Strategic vision and operational transformation planning

• Experience managing financial performance across complex functions

• Leadership style: ability to build trust and unify diverse teams

• Cultural adaptability to our Client’s evolving professionalised and customer-first model

• Leadership in health, safety, and environmental compliance across operations

4. Finalist Presentation

We presented 5 elite candidates, each bringing:

• Proven results in delivering high performance through operational transformation

• A clear track record in cost efficiency, quality improvement, and customer engagement

• Leadership that could unify operational silos into one cohesive, agile engine for growth

🏆 The Appointment: A Culture-Led Operations Leader

Why they stood out:

• 15+ years in B2C and manufacturing operations, leading large, cross-functional teams

• Track record of delivering significant improvements in customer satisfaction, quality, and cost control

• Strong financial oversight paired with a pragmatic, people-first leadership approach

• Perfect cultural fit to accelerate evolution toward digital and customer-first operations

✅ The Result: Transformation Delivered from Day One

The new COO quickly made an impact—bridging strategic vision and daily delivery across Everest’s operations.

Impact Highlights:

• Cultural Change: Advanced the transition to a professionalised, digital-first culture

• Operational Gains: Improved efficiency across 14 depots and the South Wales factory

• Customer Experience: Embedded service enhancements that boosted satisfaction and retention

• HSE Excellence: Strengthened compliance and introduced proactive safety frameworks

• Financial Performance: Delivered early-stage profit improvements and scalable process frameworks

🚀 First 90 Days: Fast Wins and Strategic Foundations

• Gained trust across operational sites and quickly aligned teams to strategic objectives

• Delivered early efficiency wins while designing long-term improvement plans

• Enhanced customer service delivery models for higher consistency and responsiveness

“We needed someone who could deliver operational structure, but also lead people with empathy and vision. That’s exactly what we found.” – Client Feedback

📌 Key Takeaway

This appointment underscores the power of a tailored executive search strategy to secure transformational leaders. By aligning operational needs with the right leadership DNA, we enabled a COO placement that has already delivered clear business value—and laid the foundation for long-term growth.

📞 Ready to Elevate Your Operations?

Need senior leadership to drive transformation, unify teams, and boost performance across your business? Let’s talk.

👉 Call 020 7160 6996
📧 Email info@executiveheadhunters.co.uk
We’ll help you find the right leader to move your operations forward.