Family Values, Global Vision: Executive Search for Industrial Materials Leaders

>The Background 

Engineering a Succession 

A specialized German industrial equipment company, Graphite Materials GmbH, had established itself as a solution provider with strong engineering competence over twenty-five years under its founder, Dr. Ing. Rolf Terjung. With rising demand for graphite materials in green and future technologies, the company developed an ambitious growth strategy. Simultaneously, the owner decided to step down from his CEO role due to upcoming retirement, necessitating the installation of a new management layer to realize growth objectives and assume top management functions in the future. 

>The Challenge 

Building the Carbon Framework 

Our firm was retained to conduct multiple executive searches for this critical transition. The mandate required finding two of the future four executives from the external market, replacing two existing roles, and establishing a newly created position for a proactive Sales Manager. 

The assignment encompassed five key positions:

1. Director of Sales and Internationalization
2. Director of Technology, Engineering, and Production
3. Head of Production
4. Head of Supply Chain
5. Sales Manager

As the company maintained a family culture despite its 25-year history, finding candidates with the right cultural fit was essential to preserving its values while enabling growth. 

>The Solution 

Crystallizing the Perfect Team 

To address the client’s requirements, we conducted thorough briefings to understand the necessary profiles, business context, and candidate market. Recognizing the company’s family culture, we implemented psychological testing for both candidates and existing leadership to ensure strong cultural alignment. 

We defined target industries to search for the right competencies and experiences, then approached potential candidates with an attractive narrative about the company’s growth in green technologies. Our comprehensive assessment process evaluated both technical expertise and cultural alignment to present the most suitable candidates for this family-oriented yet ambitious organization. 

>The Results 

Diamond-Quality Placement 

Four of the five roles were successfully filled with candidates who impressed during the hiring process and have proven their value in practice. When economic conditions initially delayed hiring for the Director of Technology, Engineering, and Manufacturing position, and a new opportunity arose in production leadership, our candidate for the director position successfully moved into this role.

The Sales Manager search identified a strong candidate. However, the company decided to postpone this hire for strategic timing reasons. This search is expected to resume in the coming month.

The client expressed exceptional satisfaction with our executive search process. They particularly valued our attentive listening, thorough understanding of their needs, and professional implementation of their requirements. They appreciated our expertise with assessment tools and our balanced approach, which benefited both the company and candidates. They described our collaboration as both professional and pleasant—a combination they found rare in the industry.

The hired executives have integrated well into the organization and are contributing effectively to company operations. The client specifically appreciated our follow-up process, including feedback meetings that delivered positive insights for both the newly hired executives and the company leadership.