0207 160 6996 
Executive Search: Production Director – Furniture Manufacturing Sector
When a global manufacturer needed a hands-on leader to transform production at their UK site, we delivered a high-impact appointment to support long-term growth.
✅ Who This Is For
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International or regional manufacturers seeking senior operational leadership
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Businesses undergoing production optimisation, efficiency drives, or scale-up
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Organisations needing strong leadership combined with technical expertise in production environments
🚧 The Challenge: Leading Growth Through Operational Excellence
Client context:
Our client—a global designer and manufacturer of high-end industrial furniture—required a Production Director to lead their UK operation in South East England. The site employed 22 production staff and was pivotal to the company’s long-term growth within the UK market.
The brief:
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Appoint a strategic and operational leader to drive production performance
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Identify a candidate with deep expertise in manufacturing, change management, ERP/MES systems, and team leadership
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Ensure long-term on-site presence and cultural alignment with the Group’s growth vision
Key challenges:
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Remote site location with a limited local talent pool
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The need for a rare combination of technical acumen and team leadership in furniture production
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Alignment with the Group’s international values around quality, innovation, and sustainable growth
🎯 Our Search Strategy: Cross-Border Precision Meets Manufacturing Insight
With an urgent need for a candidate who could drive efficiency, manage people, and align globally, we crafted a tailored, multi-phase strategy to locate the ideal Production Director.
1. Discovery & Brief Refinement
We collaborated closely with both UK-based management and the Group’s International leadership to:
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Understand production pain points and areas for improvement
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Define the blend of technical and cultural competencies needed
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Map strategic alignment with the firm’s broader global vision
2. Deep Market Mapping
Our team conducted a targeted headhunt across the UK industrial furniture and manufacturing landscape, including:
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ERP/MES-literate professionals with project delivery experience
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Leaders who had delivered performance improvements and team development
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Professionals with engineering qualifications and hands-on operational insight
3. Rigorous Candidate Evaluation
We identified a longlist of 36 industry-relevant professionals, assessing each against strict criteria:
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Leadership and communication style
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Proficiency in data-driven performance management
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Experience with change management and shopfloor optimisation
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Fluency in English and comfort in cross-border collaboration
4. Focused Final Shortlist
We presented a shortlist of three top-tier candidates who not only met the technical brief but also demonstrated:
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Experience in industrial or upholstered furniture manufacturing
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Track records in leading high-performing production teams
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Cultural adaptability and stakeholder alignment
🏆 The Appointment: Production Director with Impact from Day One
Why they stood out:
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Over 5 years’ experience in industrial furniture production
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Deep knowledge of ERP/MES systems, project-based work, and production KPIs
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Proven team leadership in fast-moving environments
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Strong track record of delivering efficiency gains and team motivation
✅ The Result: Embedded Leadership, Aligned for Growth
Within just months, the new Production Director had:
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Streamlined production processes using a data-driven approach
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Built bridges between the UK and German sites, aligning local execution with global strategy
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Implemented effective change management, improving morale and productivity on the shopfloor
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Supported the realisation of board-level goals as a key member of the senior team
“This was more than a hire—it was a catalyst for transformation. We found someone who could lead operationally today and scale strategically for tomorrow.” — Client Feedback
📌 Key Takeaways
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Leadership in manufacturing today requires more than technical know-how—it needs vision, collaboration, and adaptability
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Cultural alignment is just as important as sector experience in driving long-term success
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A targeted executive search strategy can uncover candidates with the perfect blend of operational expertise and people leadership—even in niche sectors or remote locations
📞 Looking to Appoint a Senior Production or Operations Leader?
Whether you need a Director to overhaul production lines or drive long-term strategic change, we can help you source leaders with the right mindset, experience, and cultural fit.
👉 Call us on 020 7160 6996 or
📧 Email: info@executiveheadhunters.co.uk
Let’s find the operational leader who will unlock your next phase of growth.
