Managing Director

The organisation

Our client, Aurubis Netherlands BV in Zutphen, is 100% daughter in Aurubis Group. Mothercompany is Aurubis AG, based in Hamburg. Aurubis Group is the leading integrated copper group and the world’s largest copper recycler. The group produces more than one million tons of copper cathodes each year and from those a variety of copper products. It has an annual turnover of €14B, about 6500 employees and production sites in Europe and the US. The group operates over the entire copper value-added chain. It integrates the production of primary copper and precious metals, the recycling of secondary raw materials and the processing of copper into semifinished products.

On September 1, 2011 Aurubis concluded the acquisition of the former Luvata Rolled Products Division. Flat Rolled Products has production sites in the US, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Sales and Service Offices in Asia North America and Europe. Today, the FRP activities have an annual turnover of €1.5B and approximately 1,750 employees. In addition to high-precision industrial applications, FRP offers superior architectural solutions made of copper and copper alloys.

The product portfolio includes sheets, circles, squares and plates as well as bare and tin-plated foils and strips. Customers branches are the automotive sector, electrical engineering and electronics, telecommunications, new energy technologies and mechanical engineering benefit from the well-developed solutions.

Aurubis Netherlands BV in Zutphen is the reporting entity for all business related to the products manufactured at the rolling mill facility in Zutphen. Aurubis NL produces an extensive portfolio of rolled products of copper and copper alloys, as well as standard copper and high-quality special alloys. The facility produces approximately 55,000 tons of finished products per year. Depending on the metal price, revenue of the business is in the order of €300M.

There are about 350 employees in the company. For this client we are looking for a Managing Director.

The position

As MD you will report to the Senior Vice President of Flat Rolled Products and you will manage the management team, presently with the following direct reports: Finance, Sales, Production, Maintenance & Engineering, Supply Chain, Safety, Metal Management, HR, Business improvement and Quality. You will have the P&L-responsibility of the reporting unit by a) leading Operations, Finance and (inside) Sales, and b) by optimizing capacity utilization and developing capabilities.

Tasks & responsibilities

The MD is responsible for safe working conditions in the mill and for creating a high level of safety awareness among the work force resulting in zero incidents, and implementation and follow up of strict safety policies and regulations to be embedded by line management. You will lead the MT and create an environment of high motivation, contribution and achievement within the team. You are responsible for the strategy development and with your team you will increase output by improving the overall organization, e.g. increase productivity, reduce maintenance times, improve production planning, and increase plant availability.

As MD, you will manage relationships with stakeholders (customer, suppliers, union leadership, employees and communities) and you will actively help lead global customer relationships together with the sales team (customers in approximately 70 countries). You have a good understanding of how technological developments impact the industry.

Together with the FRP (Flat Rolled Products) functional leaders you are establishing the FRP strategy, developing/implementing FRP strategic plans and create value with this team and other reporting units. Currently an important process of continuously improvement is executed. You will contribute to this process by developing and implementing measures to increase productivity, yield and reduction of costs using the lean principles. To be successful you need to change the culture into a culture in which management and employees take ownership and feel responsible for executing tasks that contribute to the results of the company. You will establish and coach your MT so the knowledge and the experience of the employees can be used in an optimal way.

Candidate profile

For this role Aurubis is seeking a skilled, highly accomplished and inspiring executive leader who brings well-rounded expertise in managing and growing a metals business profitably and with a profound knowledge and experience in change management. The ideal candidate should have exposure in commercially orientated General Management responsibilities in the metal industry preferably, or in similar process manufacturing industries. Feels at home in an environment of continuous improvement and understands the lean principles. Global business experience will be highly regarded in candidates. You hold a degree (Bachelor/ Master) in Business Management, Engineering or a related field. An MBA would be beneficial.

You hold a track record of successfully managing relevant revenues as well as people management in similar size or bigger organisations. You are familiar as MD in a full-continuous production environment, with capital intensive machinery and equipment. It is considered a plus if you have gained this experience in a comparable metals or process environment in the heavy industry. You have strong leadership skills, and have successfully managed a comparable P&L in a corporate structure and you have a track record of profitable growth through a dynamic market approach. Furthermore you have experience in dealing with employee participation, works councils and trade union representatives, and the related legal and communication procedures and regulations that are needed.

The ideal candidate is an exemplary leader of people, entrepreneurial spirit, “roll up the sleeves” attitude, hands-on person. No-nonsense, easily approachable but analytical and conceptual thinking, and has the ability to quickly analyse commercial and technical alternatives, quantitative benchmarking, understanding kpi’s driving todays and future business results.
Other qualities: strong customer and stakeholder relationship management, – capable of developing strong bonds with customers and other key external stakeholders, – strong networker internally and externally, – outgoing personality, – capable of managing expectations and resolving conflicts, – proven people management ability. Fluent in Dutch, English and preferable German language skills.

Interested?

If you are interested in this position please click the link below. For more information please contact the consultants in charge Gertjan van de Groep or Anco de Graaf or Research consultants Karin Bakker & Monique van Dijk, at +31 (0)346 87 00 20.