Participating CEO

The organization

Our client is a highly innovative chemicals company that develops, produces and sells IP protected nanotechnology based, multifunctional coatings and composite materials. Over the past few years the company has developed a portfolio of unmatched high performance nanotech coatings for various applications. Products have been successfully tested by market players and the company is on the brink of scale up and accelerated growth. The company recently attracted venture capital to be able to capture market opportunities and fuel growth and now seeks to strengthen the leadership team.

The position

The participating CEO has the end-responsibility to lead the company and realize the growth ambitions. He/She manages the scale up to reach the state of a highly profitable company with great potential for further growth. The CEO provides strategic leadership, oversees finance and is hands-on in push and pull sales and key account management. Key is to further accelerate marketing and product commercialization and successful introduction and expansion in the strategic markets. The position is  based in the south of the Netherlands and reports to the Supervisory Board.

Candidate profile

Experience and Background

• Master degree, ideally in a technical or business related discipline.
• Track-record in growing companies or business units from early stages towards profitable sales of €20+ million and value of €50+ million. Familiar with holding P/L responsibility.
• Experience in international strategic selling and partnerships with long lead times and complex DMUs.
• Experience in industrial environment/converting industry, such as functional materials in electronics and/or high performance plastics processing.
• Know-how in optical coatings would be considered a plus.
• Familiarity with roll-to-roll or sheet-to-sheet processing would be preferred.
• Experience in value add sales of performance products.
• Affinity with private equity or venture capitalist owned companies.
• Fluency in English. Additional languages would be considered a plus.

Personal Skills

• Entrepreneurial spirit and adventurous mind-set.
• Energetic, dynamic, hands-on self-starter that likes to get his/her hands dirty.
• Strong interpersonal skills, develops long-term and meaningful relationships.
• Excellent commercial and strategic sales drive and abilities; able to open doors but also close deals.
• Convincing and impactful communicator and influencer with well-developed negotiation skills.
• Visionary, strategic thinker with helicopter view and analytic skills.
• Knows how to prioritize and doesn’t lose eye on the target.
• Result-driven and goal-oriented to achieve outstanding results. Finishes the job.

The offer

The position of CEO offers the exciting occasion to lead a vastly innovative company with considerable growth potential into its next chapters. The challenge comes with an entrepreneurial opportunity to participate in the company (participation/investment is required).

If you are interested please submit your English CV in Word format via the link below. Please note that reference checks, background checks and assessments are a standard part of the procedure.