Current positions in the electrical industry

Managing Director | North America I Power Distribution | Remote

Egret Consulting has been retained to identify the next Managing Director of North America for a global manufacturer of highly engineered sensing and monitoring technologies serving the electrical industry.

The company brings more than 80 years of engineering, product development, and global market experience, yet its North American operation is still relatively young. Over the past several years, the team has expanded significantly and established a strong foundation for growth.

Now the focus is becoming much more deliberate.

Power Distribution currently represents approximately half of the North American business. Under the company’s global strategy, that will increase substantially, with a minimum of 70 percent of resources ultimately being directed toward Power Distribution. The next Managing Director will lead that transition.

This is full P&L ownership for the United States and Canada within a lean, flat, and entrepreneurial organization. The Managing Director will be responsible for strategy, commercial growth, financial performance, people, and resource allocation, while remaining active with customers and in the market. Approximately 30 percent travel should be expected.

The company has historically pursued opportunities across Power Distribution, general industrial and other specialized markets. The next phase requires greater focus. Certain business may be transitioned through distribution or channel partners. Pricing and quoting need to become simpler. Internal processes need to become more efficient. Sales and technical resources need to be aligned around the markets where the company sees its greatest opportunity for profitable growth.

An immediate priority will be building the commercial organization around Power Distribution. That includes adding field sales talent with direct industry experience, strengthening technical support for switchgear manufacturers, and determining how inside sales and applications resources should be structured.

This is a technical sale. The company does not compete by being the lowest priced option in the market. Its value proposition is built around engineering, quality, reliability, durability and solving demanding customer applications. The Managing Director must understand how to lead an organization where technical knowledge and the ability to communicate value matter.

Financially, the Managing Director will review and analyze the P&L and balance sheet, lead annual budgeting and operating planning, monitor profitability and work directly with global financial leadership. Local accounting support is already in place. This is about knowing the numbers well enough to make informed decisions about the business, not personally managing every financial transaction.

The role also includes responsibility for hiring, performance management, compensation, and organizational development.

The North American operation has considerable autonomy. The Managing Director will report to global commercial leadership in Europe and serve as the primary voice of the US and Canadian markets within the larger organization. Leadership is accessible, communication is direct and the culture is not meeting heavy or overly corporate.

That voice also matters in product strategy. The North American organization is increasingly influencing product development, certifications and technical requirements for the US and Canadian markets. The Managing Director will communicate what customers need, where the market is moving and where product investment can create additional opportunity.

Longer term, the company is beginning to evaluate the potential for manufacturing in the United States. While this remains fundamentally a sales driven organization today, that possibility makes candidates with broader operational and general management experience particularly interesting.

The ideal candidate may currently be leading a commercial sales organization within Power Distribution, switchgear, electrical equipment, sensors, instrumentation, or another highly engineered technical product category. They may already have general management and P&L responsibility, or they may be a senior commercial leader ready to step into complete ownership of a business.

An operations-oriented executive with strong P&L experience could also be considered if the person has the commercial instincts and customer orientation required to lead a sales focused organization.

Regardless of background, this person must be comfortable in a smaller environment where everyone contributes. The Managing Director needs to move comfortably between strategy and execution, whether that means working with global leadership, meeting with a customer, reviewing financial results, supporting the team, or deciding where the company should invest next.

Experience within Power Distribution is strongly preferred. Direct exposure to switchgear manufacturers, electrical OEMs, utilities, high voltage equipment, sensors, instrumentation, or related engineered electrical products would be particularly relevant.

The position can be based remotely within the United States. The Managing Director will initially be expected to spend approximately one week per month in the US Headquarters along with travel to customers and industry events.

This is an opportunity to inherit a business with an established global foundation, but one that is still early enough in its North American development for the next leader to have a significant impact on what it becomes.