General Manager Process Industry

General Manager

? General Management plus restructuring and integration of two plants
? Revenue > € 80 Mio NL - worldwide group approx. € 5B, 40.000+ employees
? Integrated technical solutions for the process industry
? People Management – > 140 FTE
? Innovative and technologically driven – solution sales
? Exceptional leadership skills

For our client Mahle Industrial Filtration we are currently looking for a new General Manager for their Dutch Operation: Amafilter Group.

» GENERAL INFORMATION

The MAHLE Group
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest companies in the automotive supply industry worldwide. Every second automobile produced worldwide contains MAHLE components. MAHLE employs around 40,000 people at 110 production plants and eight research and development centers. In 2008, MAHLE achieved sales of over EUR 5 billion (USD 7.5 billion).

MAHLE Industrial Filtration
In addition to the automotive industry, MAHLE also supplies the small and large engine areas as well as the market for industrial filtration. MAHLE Industrial Filtration is an independent profit center with its own engineering, production, and sales teams, integrated in the MAHLE Group.

Mahle Industrial Filtration (Benelux) B.V. (Amafilter Group)
In July, 2008, the business division Industrial Filtration of MAHLE Filtersysteme GmbH acquired the Amafilter Group Holding BV, headquartered in Alkmaar with a second location in Lochem, both in the Netherlands.

The Amafilter Group employs approximately 400 employees and had a sales volume of about 80 million Euros in 2008. Amafilter Group produces integrated filtration solutions for the process technology and possesses production locations in the Netherlands, England, France, Italy, and the USA and optimally complements the existing production locations of the business division MAHLE Industrial Filtration. Also, regarding the product portfolio and the customer structure, it perfectly fits into the existing business division. In the coming years, MAHLE plans to achieve a significant growth in sales by using the new potentials mainly in the growth markets food, energy technology, oil and gas as well as in the chemical industry.

For more info see www.mahle.com and http://www.amafilter.com.

» BACKGROUND TO THE ROLE

» The Dutch organisation has production locations in Alkmaar and Lochem. Until recently these production companies have been run as completely separate independent companies with own management, engineering, sales and finance. The Lochem plant joined the Amafilter Group in 2006. Mahle management has decided that the strategy going forward will be to manage these two production locations as one company. With one management team responsible for both locations.

 

» The General Manager will lead the local MT and will have full responsibility for both production sites. In addition to that, he should support the process of restructuring and integration to facilitate the potential growth for the coming years.
» The main responsibilities of the General Manager include providing operations leadership in setting direction and objectives to support overall company’s goals and priorities and working closely with international headquarters to align resources and to increase operational efficiencies. Further, he is responsible for all aspects of operations within the production sites.

Main Responsibilities and Deliverables:

» Gives direction and aligns the people and organization. Leads and manages the ongoing restructuring and integration process. Bringing the two sites together and creates reconciliation, efficiency and synergy to ensure maximum performance with regard to quality, cost and delivery. This will include operations, engineering, finance, sales, logistics and procurement.
» Establishes an atmosphere of joint endeavor, conducive to the maintenance of sound employee relations in the team and throughout the whole company.
» Examines production process to determine whether improvements in the quality, the speed of production or in labor and material costs can be made.
» Establishes benchmark processes to ensure state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and cost structures.
» Controls and manages the resources of people with operations, inventory and capital to ensure the organization is effective with adequate future capability and succession planning.
» Ensures adherence to a common quality system.
» Works closely with the Profit Center Management in developing and implementing the strategic and operative plans.
» Determines whether effective current production control practices are being employed which optimize the achievement of targets.
» Liaises closely with sales to safeguard all commercial targets.
» Is responsible for continuous improvement of lead and cycle time to increase customer satisfaction.
» Works with Logistics and Supply Chain Management to ensure that stock is maintained at cost effective levels which permits delivery performance in line with the Business Plan and valid sales requirements.
» Develops appropriate training programs to overcome any shortage of skilled operatives, having ensured that processes are deskilled to the maximum degree.
» Ensures that adequate measures are taken to prevent accidents and minimize hazards, and maintains legally required standards of safety.
» Strong linkage to other functional groups and departments to facilitate communication and process flow and to achieve overall company objectives.
» Establishes goals for the function in line with the company goals and takes care of the proper deployment throughout the organization.
» Drives product management, product engineering and innovation.

Profile of the ideal candidate:

» Educated to a Bachelor or University degree in Science, Mechanical Engineering or Technology.
» Minimum of 10-15 years of relevant work experience in operations in an international industrial manufacturing environment where complex systems are built (e.g. machines, engines, pumps, etcetera).
» Minimum of 5 years experience in working in a general management position in a large, fast-paced and dynamic manufacturing environment with at least 100 people.
» Profound and vast experience with restructuring and change management processes.
» Has experience with technology driven sales and product management.
» Good knowledge of and proven experience with continuous improvements methodology such as Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing.
» Training in Management Systems and TQM and/or time-and-methods is considered a strong plus.
» Advanced Project Management skills are preferred.
» Strong leadership and interpersonal skills. Ability to motivate and empower people, strong people manager.
» Has standing, gets respect and is an example for management team and work floor.
» Capability to think “lean”.
» Ability and drive do deliver results also under pressure.
» Strong strategic thinking capabilities.
» High degree of flexibility and creative mindset. Hard working, no 9-5 mentality.
» Fluency in both written and spoken Dutch and English is required, German is considered a plus.

Position in the organization

The position directly reports to the business unit director at the international headquarters.

Location
Alkmaar, The Netherlands

If you are interested please send your resume in English and in Word-format to tasja.manolarakis@kienbaum.nl and refer to project number 09074.

Please contact Melanie Sikkes or Michiel Prins at +31 (0) 20 6971410 for more information.

KIENBAUM Executive Search
Amsterdam Teleport Towers
Kingsfordweg 151
1043 GR AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)20 697 1410
www.kienbaum.nl