Sourcing New Leadership for one of Europe’s Largest Cement Plants – Aalborg Portland

The Industrial Practice at Beaumont Bailey recently delivered an exceptional internationally experienced candidate to lead one of the largest and most complex fully integrated cement plants in all of Europe, for Aalborg Portland.

SEARCH BACKGROUND

Our client wanted to engage in a transformation of their largest flagship European cement plant. They required a new Plant Manager who would bring fresh perspective and possessed experience in managing a diverse array of plant cultures. Against the clock, Beaumont Bailey was mandated to discover and place a new plant leader to kick-start this transformation.

One of the largest talent gaps across the global cement industry is at Plant Manager level. Quality candidates, who possess the required blend of technical knowledge, strategic planning and experience leading large teams are incredibly rare to come across, at a time when demand for these unicorns is ever-increasing in a growing sector.

Consequently, like many other competing manufacturers, our client had exhausted internal options, and found little luck in engaging local markets, where talent is constantly hounded with new career opportunities. This provided opportunity for Beaumont Bailey to engage its global network of plant managers, spanning 6 continents and over 70 countries.

REQUIREMENTS

The organisation presented Beaumont Bailey with three key criteria for the role:

1. The Individual must be technically solid, with a keen eye for detail, organisational improvements and operational efficiencies – capable of overseeing a huge workforce, producing one of the largest quantities of cementitious material in all of Europe and distributing produce globally through a fully integrated supply chain.
2. They must have demonstrable experience in cement manufacturing and have experience in delivering major improvements and plant transformation projects, within similarly sized cement operations.
3. Finally, they must be a culturally collaborative leader, who not only possesses proven experience to lead in a variety of international environments, but can work collaboratively with local cultures to bring out the best of their inherited teams.

OUTCOME

Launching a full international search process, covering 6 continents and supported by an existing and continuously updated network of plant leadership, Beaumont Bailey was able to find an exceptional individual, with proven international experience, who had consistently delivered results in major cement plant operations. This individual relocated halfway across the world, as they were strongly aligned with the specific challenges associated with our client’s needs, and felt a great personal connection to the size and scope of the opportunity. The successful candidate is already impressing in their new role and has seamlessly integrated with the local culture.

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