Managing Director — Electronics Assembly Machinery

JOlivier & Partners has been retained to identify a Managing Director for an Italian manufacturer of machines for electronics assembly, a company with deep Italian engineering roots and an increasingly global footprint. Based in Milan and reporting directly to the Business Unit Vice President, the Managing Director will be responsible both for running the business day to day and for steering its strategic development, with the mandate to lead the company into its next chapter of growth.

The Organisation & Context

Our client was founded as an entrepreneurial venture in the 1990s, at the height of the expansion of the Italian machinery industry, and built its reputation on the quality and ingenuity of its engineered equipment. It was recently acquired and integrated into a larger international network, whose owners have since invested significantly in upgrading facilities, equipment and marketing tools, with a clear ambition to broaden the company’s commercial reach and international presence.

This transition creates a genuine leadership opportunity. The company now needs a true business leader — someone able to translate the shareholders’ ambitions into a coherent plan, to raise operational and quality standards to the level expected by international customers, and to earn the trust of a skilled workforce while leading a meaningful cultural and organisational transformation.

Key Responsibilities

• Working alongside the Executive Board, develop, review and implement the strategic business plan, covering financial performance, commercial development and the evolution of the product portfolio, and translate it into clear priorities for the organisation.
• Set the key performance indicators for the business and lead the budgeting process, monitoring results closely and directing operations so that the financial and business objectives agreed with the CEO and investors are consistently met.
• Design and deploy a new efficiency and quality roadmap that brings processes, production and delivery up to the higher standards required by international customers, while ensuring full compliance with Group policies, including HSE, ISO and UL certifications.
• Plan and supervise production activities together with the production supervisors, setting the right priorities, managing CAPEX for both maintenance and future investments, and ensuring rigorous project management from initial design through to installation and commissioning.
• Strengthen the partnership with existing clients, represent the company in key meetings with prospective customers, and explore new business opportunities in complementary segments where the company’s technical know-how can create value.
• Lead the cultural and organisational change process with energy and openness, empowering, coaching and mentoring the existing teams, uncovering hidden talent, attracting new profiles and building a collaborative environment at every level of the company.

Candidate Profile

• An engineering degree in Electronics, Electrical Engineering or Industrial Automation, combined with a proven track record in leadership roles within the machinery or industrial automation industry, whether gained in Sales, Operations or After-sales.
• A solid command of project management across the full cycle, from initial design to installation, together with a strong customer orientation and an understanding of what international clients expect from an equipment supplier.
• A performance-driven mindset and strong analytical skills, balanced by genuine interest in people and the ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• The credibility and personal style to win the confidence of the shop floor and to lead a turnaround in an engaging way, bringing teams along rather than imposing change on them.
• Fluency in English and Italian is required; French will be considered a plus.

The client is open to two profiles: an established business leader ready to take full ownership of the role after a short handover, or a high-potential executive with outstanding technical knowledge of engineered equipment manufacturing, who will be coached and supported as they grow into the position. In both cases, the aim is to appoint the leader who will become the business pillar of the company for the next decade.

Compensation

The anticipated base salary for this position is €130,000–150,000 per year. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to grow with the company’s performance, with the full support and empowerment of the CEO and the investors.

Application

Senior executives interested in exploring this opportunity may submit their profile to JOlivier & Partners. All approaches are handled in strict confidence.