Case Story - The company growths faster than the Organisation
A Nordic industrial company had grown from 300 to 900 employees in less than four years. Two new production sites had been added, sourcing had expanded into Eastern Europe and Asia, and the company was now serving customers in more than 20 countries.
But the operating model had not changed.
Procurement was still managed by the same team that had worked well when the company was much smaller. Supply chain planning remained local. Supplier management was fragmented. Different sites worked in different ways. Key decisions still depended on a few individuals.
The management team increasingly consider the same concerns:
"We have outgrown our structure."
"We need someone who can professionalise processes, suppliers and teams."
"Our current leader has done a strong job, but the business is now bigger and more complex than the role was originally designed for."
The consequences had become visible.
Service levels were unstable. Inventory increased. Suppliers were managed inconsistently. New sites were not integrated properly. Too much management attention was spent solving operational problems instead of supporting growth.
The CEO and COO concluded that the company did not primarily have a process problem. It had a leadership problem.
Before launching a search, the company needed to answer three questions:
- What type of leadership role is actually required now: COO, CSCO, CPO or VP Operations?
- Which capabilities are missing in the current organisation?
- What kind of leader has successfully managed this level of scale and complexity before?
The company engaged Frank Godbersen & Partners to assess the organisation, clarify the future role and define the leadership profile before starting the search.
The result was a clear mandate for a new Chief Supply Chain Officer with responsibility across planning, procurement, logistics and operational integration.
Six months later, the company had a stronger structure, clearer accountability and an operating model built for the next stage of growth.
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