CEO

The organisation

VB Airsuspension develops and assembles air suspension systems and vehicle specific kits for light commercial vehicles, RV and specialty mobility applications. The company operates in a high mix, low volume model where engineering depth, configuration accuracy, documentation, software development and traceability are critical to product quality and compliance.

Production is assembly and kitting based, with a large share of component value sourced from an international supplier base, with further sourcing expansion under evaluation. Engineering and R&D play a central role in product definition, validation and configuration, closely linked to customer specific applications.

The organization has grown rapidly in recent years, both in headcount and international reach. The Management Team is experienced and committed, with strong technical and functional ownership.

Strategically, the business is moving into a phase focused on long term value creation and performance optimisation, alongside operational simplification, tighter cross functional alignment, portfolio focus, supply chain reliability and more disciplined international expansion. Ownership expects stronger governance, clearer prioritization and improved performance predictability, while preserving the entrepreneurial and technical strengths of the company.

The position

The CEO is responsible for the total business performance and organizational alignment of VB Airsuspension. The role centers on strengthening structural profitability, increasing execution focus and integrating engineering, operations and commercial functions into one coherent operating system.

The CEO brings direction and discipline to a technically strong but currently fragmented execution environment. A key part of the mandate is to reduce initiative overload, enforce priority sequencing and connect commercial commitments with realistic engineering, sourcing and production capabilities.

The role requires building an operating rhythm with clear KPIs, decision rights and accountability, strengthening leadership below Management Team level, and improving cross functional cooperation between Sales, R&D, Engineering and Operations. The CEO defines the forward direction of the company, translates it into a limited number of strategic priorities, and ensures consistent follow through.

Looking ahead, the CEO prepares the organization structurally for scalable international growth and future transaction readiness through clearer governance, performance transparency and operating model clarity, including decisions on central versus decentralized activities.

The CEO reports to the shareholder representatives and supervisory structure, leads the Management Team across Operations, Engineering, Sales, Finance and HR, and works closely with international subsidiaries, key customers, strategic suppliers and selected external partners.

Candidate profile

Knowledge and experience

• End responsible leadership experience in an industrial or technical manufacturing business.
• Proven P&L responsibility in an engineered products, assembly or systems environment.
• Experience in high mix, low volume or configuration driven production models.
• Track record in profitability improvement and performance optimisation.
• Experience in private equity backed or strongly performance driven ownership environments.
• Exposure to organizations where R&D, engineering, operations and sales are tightly interdependent.
• Experience with supply chain complexity and long lead time environments.
• International business exposure across multiple regions.
• Experience leading through organizational growth and increasing structural maturity.
• Familiarity with shared services and central versus local operating model choices.

Skills & Competencies

• Sets clear direction and holds the line on priorities
• Strong execution and follow up discipline
• Connects technical, operational and commercial perspectives
• Makes decisions with incomplete information and avoids analysis paralysis
• Balances structure with entrepreneurial drive
• Builds trust with technical experts and shop floor teams
• Holds senior specialists accountable without undermining expertise
• Drives cross functional alignment instead of silo optimization
• Communicates transparently and repeatedly across levels
• Leads change in a pragmatic, stepwise manner
• Maintains calm, humor and accessibility under pressure
• Develops leadership capability in the Management Team and the layer below

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below.

 

For more information, contact Righardt at +31 6 30614949.