HR Director | Fenestration Manufacturer, European Leading Group

The Client

Founded some 50 years ago and still family owned, this Group is one of the largest manufacturers of PVC-U profile systems in Europe. Global sales run to c. €1.5bn across 19 countries, with around 6,200 employees.

The UK business turns over in excess of £90m and manufactures exclusively from a single Northwest England site, employing almost 400 people since production began there in 1986. Within the global structure it sits fourth, behind the US, Germany and Poland, but punches well above that ranking on culture: a flat, relaxed reporting line, real autonomy from the parent Group, and a track record of regional and national business awards.

A new strategy had recently been set to coincide with the arrival of a new UK Managing Director (promoted from Sales Director), reflecting a deliberate shift toward world-class service and a more diversified business. People were central to that strategy.

The Role

Post-pandemic, the business had faced the same retention pressures as everyone else in manufacturing, although they’d made progress. What they didn’t have was a modern, joined-up approach to the people agenda, or the succession and progression planning to match the ambition of the new strategy.

Having not had one prior, this was a genuine board-level HR Director role: full ownership of a 15-strong HR, H&S, recruitment and payroll function, headcount responsibility for 400 employees, and a direct seat at the table shaping strategy, not simply administering it.

The brief was explicit about culture: not words on a wall, but values the business wanted lived out loud, with someone credible enough to hold leadership to that standard.

The Business Challenge

Most HR Director briefs ask for a safe pair of hands. This one asked for something less comfortable: someone willing to walk into a business that already had a strong, established culture and tell it, diplomatically but honestly, what wasn’t working.

This was harder than it immediately sounds. Strong HR generalists with genuine manufacturing-sector credibility; candidates who’d handled TUPE, restructures, harmonisation of terms, and culture change, not just policy administration – were in short supply. Fewer still were comfortable operating in a flat, family-owned structure where influence has to be earned through credibility rather than hierarchy.

There was also a limitation on talent pool. Within the Northwest, there are a limited number of manufacturers who operation at over ~300 heads.

The Solution and Result

In summary, the following process took place:

39 potential candidates identified following initial research undertaken

36 candidates engaged with

9 CV’s received

6 candidates interviewed by Collingwood

4 candidates interviewed by the client

2 candidates taken through to final stage

Indeed, this did prove to be a limited headhunt. Fortunately for both Collingwood and the client, the trusting, collaborative relationship had been built through recruiting five of their previous board level positions, to include the main stakeholder, their Managing Director.

This allowed Collingwood to share the raw data behind the research – 39 individuals who, in theory, fitted the brief didn’t provide much wiggle room!

However, through Collingwood’s interviewing, four candidates were shortlist, three of which particularly shone.

The feedback on two of these four was particularly strong, with Collingwood managing to typically elongated client interview process associated with this foreign owned manufacturer.

The preferred candidate had a wealth of people change strategy, and naturally held a strong personality, that would stand up well within their boardroom.

Finding the right cultural fit is just as important as finding the right skills.

Our executive search approach helps family-owned and privately held businesses appoint leaders who can earn trust, influence change, and deliver sustainable growth. Contact us to learn more.