General Manager

The organisation

ZND is a global leader in the production of temporary fencing, barriers, hoarding and accessories. Through their network of distribution partners, they sell their products to the construction and events sector across Europe and North America. ZND Group prides itself on top operational excellence and on its agility in both production and sales processes to meet product requirements that differ strongly between countries. In 2017, Rivean Capital invested in the company to support the company’s growth.

ZND has existed since 1965 and has a strong reputation and recognition in the industry as pioneers in the temporary fencing business. Currently, ZND operates own factories in The Netherlands, the UK, Poland, and the United States, from where products are shipped to regional customers. Their fence panels and barriers have featured at some of the world’s most prestigious events including Olympic Games, Tour de France, and the Glastonbury Music Festival. On a day-to-day basis, people run into ZND products at construction sites, protecting the public from the work hazards.

The global ZND organization is managed by the group CEO and a CFO, under which there is a US Director and a European Director. Each of the businesses have a dedicated General Manager, who owns the P&L and oversees the factory, commercial activities, and financial aspects (including balance sheet and cashflow), supported by a management team focused on operations, sales, and finance/HR. The General Managers in Europe report into the European Director.

With a team of circa 50 people, the Dutch factory and business unit serves customers in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Now is the moment for the new GM to lead and drive the business to the next level.

“Since its conception, ZND developed into a global leader in producing, selling, and supplying the highest quality temporary fencing. Our recent digitization of sales processes increased the availability of management information, facilitating faster and more accurate decision-making. Ultimately resulting in improved customer performance” – Marcel van Kesteren, CEO

The position

ZND is a global leader in the production of temporary fencing for events and construction sites and backed by Rivean private equity. The group has recently restructured the Dutch business (covering DACH, France, Benelux) and is prioritizing strong growth in the region. The General Manager further develops the organization and drives its performance and growth. This is an exciting opportunity for a driven commercial manager with relevant P&L experience to make a direct impact on the group’s regional success.

Tasks & responsibilities

The General Manager of ZND in The Netherlands leads the business in the DACH region, Benelux, and France, and has two key responsibilities: one organizational, one commercial. Internally, the General Manager is tasked with building an effective organization and high-performance culture. This includes training the team, developing capabilities, and streamlining the way-of-working. Attracting and hiring new talent where needed is part of this assignment.

Externally, the GM is in charge of growing the regional business, proactively engaging with market developments and collaborating closely with channel partners (distributors and rental companies) to improve ZND’s commercial positioning, understanding of end-users’ needs, and product innovation. The GM is also responsible for conducting an assessment of where to play and how to win, and creating a clear and unique value proposition. Colleagues from Poland and the UK will support this endeavor, sharing best practices and transferring local knowledge. A commercial attitude and strong intuition for marketing is therefore essential in this position. Growing the Dutch business is a top priority for ZND Group.

ZND operates in a complex market due to high volumes and short sales cycles, as the need for fencing arises at a late stage in the end-user’s project. The General Manager must leverage previous experience in selling high volumes with last minute requests and the associated short production and delivery times. These skills will apply both to managing close relations with the sales teams of channel partners, and to seamlessly aligning ZND’s operations with that of the channel partners. ZND Group is committed to always fulfilling their commercial promise.

“We are very commercial and results-oriented. If a last-minute order comes in for a big event, we deliver, that’s our promise to the client. That means quick decisions, going beyond the 9-to-5, and sometimes enjoying the rollercoaster – you got to have some fire in the belly!” ” – James McLean, Managing Director Europe

Candidate profile*

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercial, driven management professional with relevant P&L experience in a manufacturing environment, to drive the Dutch business of a global, PE-backed market leader into a new phase of regional growth and top performance.

• Bachelor’s degree
• 12+ years of experience in a commercial position
• Experience managing a full P&L/ Cashflow/ Balance sheet/li>
• Experience in production / factory environment
• Professional proficiency in English, Dutch, French, and German

* Research shows that while male candidates feel confident enough to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements, female candidates only apply when they tick every box. So if this role has your name on it, but you’re not sure about the criteria, we still want to hear from you.

Interested?

You can apply for this position by using the link below. ZND works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.