- Chief Operating Officer
- Reporting to: CEO
- Location: MA
BSG has commenced an executive search for Chief Operating Officer (COO) for our client, a world leader in combining metals and ceramics to improve the performance and reliability of applications in a variety of end markets. In collaboration with the CEO and the Board of Directors, this individual will play a leading role in identifying opportunities appropriate to the company's capabilities, confirming marketplace interest, working with the product development team, and overseeing manufacturing, product launch, and delivery.
Opportunity Overview
Chief Operating Officer
THE COMPANY
Our client is a world leader in combining metals and ceramics to improve the performance and reliability of applications in a variety of end markets. The company’s primary focus has been metal matrix composites (MMCs), which – compared to conventional materials – have several superior properties including more-precise thermal expansion matching, higher stiffness, lighter weight, and higher thermal conductivity.
Our client’s customers use its aluminum silicon carbide products in IGBT baseplates for high-power applications like motor controllers for high-speed electric trains, hybrid and electric vehicles, subway cars, and wind turbines. The company’s components also serve as heat spreaders in Internet switches, routers, and high-performance microprocessors. Potential new market opportunities include, but are not limited to, components for inverters used in electric vehicles; hermetic packaging of electronics for aerospace and defense applications; and lightweight vehicle armor.
The company has approximately 160 employees and annual revenues in the range of $20 million to $25 million.
THE POSITION
Our client is searching for a leader to help propel the company to the next level. He/she will report to the CEO and, along with the CFO, will be one the company’s three most-senior executives. This individual will also work closely with the Senior Scientist/VP of Technical Sales, the VP of Sales, the VP of Operations, and the VP of Administration, among others.
The successful candidate will be expected to immediately add value in his/her area(s) of functional expertise. In fairly short order, though, the new executive will be counted on to become involved in a broader range of management issues, especially those related to the company’s strategy and growth. In collaboration with the CEO and the Board of Directors, this individual will play a leading role in identifying opportunities appropriate to the company's capabilities, confirming marketplace interest, working with the product development team, and overseeing manufacturing, product launch, and delivery. The Board’s expectation is that, at the right time, the new hire will be the leading candidate to succeed the CEO.
Desired experience: The successful candidate’s background will include many of the following elements:
- P&L responsibility - having been a true GM (not just product line, sales/marketing, or operations responsibilities); CEO experience would be a plus
- Significant experience growing a business, with personal involvement in sales, marketing, and business development
- Experience in sophisticated manufacturing businesses involved with advanced materials, defense electronics, and/or high tech; exposure to custom manufacturing would be a plus
- Financial acumen and a strong understanding of value creation; the ability to balance an awareness of financial constraints with a willingness to take calculated risks in pursuit of upside potential
- A track record of success in leading small to medium-sized businesses or business units
- Experience with large OEM customers
- International experience, especially in Europe and Asia
- Experience with technology introduction and/or substitution
- Exposure to boards of directors, investors, and corporate governance issues
- B.S. or B.A. required, preferably in a technical field; MBA or other graduate degree would be a plus
Required attributes:
- Strong leadership skills: Not a revolutionary, because it will be important to maintain the company’s positive environment and collaborative culture, but this must be someone who can set clear expectations and hold people accountable.
- A good balance of strategic and operational skills: He/she will have to develop a strategic plan by identifying all possible opportunities which would leverage the company’s capabilities, assessing them rigorously, determining the resources and actions required to pursue each, and prioritizing. He/she will then have to create detailed and pragmatic plans to pursue the selected opportunities, including identification of people involved, tasks, budgets, timelines, and so on.
- A player/coach attitude: Each senior member of the management team is expected to not only to lead, but also to play an active role and to carry his/her own weight.
- Energy, drive, and a strong desire to build the business and leave a real mark on the company.
- Unquestioned ethics
- The ability to work independently and be decisive when necessary, combined with a willingness to accept input and direction from the Board.
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