Rebuilding Leadership Across Three Manufacturing Sites

Guided Search Partners helped a global paper packaging manufacturer rebuild leadership across three critical manufacturing sites. The work supported external hires, internal advancement decisions, and broader team rebuilding across locations with different operational needs.

Client Need -
The client lost Plant leaders at three sites for different reasons. Two facilities required turnaround leadership, while one facility needed cultural and team improvement despite meeting revenue goals. Each location required a different leadership profile based on site conditions.

Search Execution -
GSP built separate recruiting strategies for each location. At Facility 1, 21 candidates were recruited and interviewed over four weeks until the right leader was identified. The selected candidate was hired six days after the initial interview, and GSP later supported two additional Department Manager hires. At Facility 2, sourcing took two weeks, six candidates were selected for interviews, and three advanced to final rounds before the hire was made. At Facility 3, 20 candidates were sourced and 14 were interviewed over three weeks, helping validate the promotion of an Operations Manager previously placed with GSP’s support.

Hiring Outcome -
Leadership decisions were completed across all three locations through a combination of external recruiting and internal promotion support. The work extended beyond individual placements and contributed to broader team rebuilding.

Business Impact -
Senior leaders and managers across the three sites became more engaged in the rebuild process, and operational progress continued. The client valued GSP’s consistency and willingness to stay in the search until the right solution was identified.