General Manager (GM)
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Requirements*
- Bachelor’s degree
- 12+ years of experience in a commercial position
- Experience managing a full P&L, Cash flow and Balance sheet
- Experience in a production or 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.
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ZND Group is a leading global producer of temporary fencing for events and construction sites. Backed by Rivean Capital, they are expanding the Dutch business across DACH, France, and Benelux. The General Manager will further develop the organization and drive its performance and growth in this exciting opportunity to make a direct impact on the ZND’s regional success.
About ZND Group
ZND Group is a global leader in the production of temporary fencing, barriers, hoarding (the safety panels surrounding construction sites and festivals), and accessories. Through their distribution partners’ network, they sell products to the construction and events sector across Europe and North America. ZND provides both operational excellence and agility in their production and sales processes to meet product requirements that differ greatly between countries. In 2017, Rivean Capital invested in the company to support its growth strategy.
ZND Group was founded in 1965 and has earned a solid reputation and recognition in the industry as pioneers in temporary fencing. They operate from factories in The Netherlands, the UK, Poland, and two locations in the US, which ship products to regional customers. Their fence panels and barriers have featured at prestigious global events including Olympic Games, the Tour de France and the Glastonbury Music Festival. And in their day-to-day basis, ZND fencing surrounds construction sites, and protects the public from potential work hazards.
The global ZND organization is managed by the group CEO and a CFO, supported by a US Director and a European Director. Each business unit has a dedicated General Manager, who manages the P&L and oversees the factory, commercial activities and financial aspects, including the balance sheet and cash flow. They are supported by a Management Team focused on operations, sales, finance and HR. The General Managers in Europe report to the European Director.
With a team of fifty people, the Dutch factory is a relatively new business unit that serves customers in The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. In 2018, they installed their first fully automated machinery. By 2023, the company began to fully focus operations on temporary fencing. Now, the new General Manager (GM) will lead and drive the business to the next level.
“Since its inception, ZND has developed into a global leader that produces, sells, and supplies only the highest quality, temporary fencing. Our recent digitization of sales processes increased the availability of management information, which facilitates faster and more accurate decision-making. Ultimately, this results in improved customer performance.” – Marcel van Kesteren, CEO of ZND Group
Vacancy: General Manager (GM)
The General Manager (GM) of ZND in The Netherlands leads the business in the DACH region, Benelux, and France, with two key responsibilities on organizational and commercial activities. Internally, the GM will develop an effective organization and high-performance culture. This includes training the team, developing capabilities, and streamlining the way-of-working as well as attracting and hiring new talent.
Externally, the GM will expand the regional business, proactively engage with market developments and closely collaborate with channel partners, from distributors to rental companies. This way, they can improve ZND’s commercial positioning, understanding of end-users’ needs, and product innovation. The GM is also responsible for assessing potential new opportunities, and create a clear and unique value proposition. Colleagues from Poland and the UK will support these endeavors, share best practices and transfer their local knowledge. A commercial attitude and marketing background is essential for this role’s success and 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 their 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 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. Which means quick decisions, going beyond the 9-to-5, and sometimes enjoying the rollercoaster – you’ve got to have some fire in the belly!” – James McLean, Managing Director Europe for ZND Group
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.
Interested?
ZND works with Top of Minds to fill this vacancy.
To express your interest, contact Stephanie Stuit at stephanie.stop@topofminds.com.
