Country Managing Director — Speciality-Materials Portfolio

The mandate

A speciality-materials portfolio has historically managed its US plants through global product lines. That structure supported technical depth but left no single executive accountable for operations that cross products, sites and customers. The board is creating a Country Managing Director role to align legal and customer obligations and build a coherent US business without dismantling useful global expertise.

Approximately 2,250 employees and material partners sit across manufacturing, laboratories, technical service, sales, supply chain and country functions. The Managing Director carries US P&L, people, risk and external-stakeholder accountability and reports to the Group Chief Executive and board. Global product leaders retain portfolio and technology authority; the country leader has explicit power to stop shipment, convene cross-product action and escalate unresolved conflicts.

Quality-system recovery starts with a common definition of significant deviation and customer impact. Sites must not classify similar events differently because local thresholds evolved separately. The Managing Director will require cross-site review of recurring process, test and specification issues and ensure root cause reaches shared systems. Closing actions is insufficient if effectiveness has not been demonstrated in production.

Laboratory reliability is central. Method transfers, reference standards, sample handling, instrument status and analyst qualification determine whether a release result can be trusted. The country leader will sponsor an independent technical assessment and fund urgent correction. Commercial pressure cannot decide when a questionable result is acceptable.

Customer remediation requires one technical truth. Affected customers may demand different reports, but product scope, chronology and corrective evidence must remain consistent. The Managing Director will personally engage where supply continuity, safety or long-term qualification is at risk. Credits and replacement product should support resolution, not purchase silence.

The new country model also needs clear governance with global leaders. Reserved matters, capital, product discontinuation, talent appointments and public or regulatory communication will be documented. Matrix conflict should surface early in a decision forum rather than be resolved through competing instructions to plants.

Country accountability includes emergency and community consequence. Quality events can require coordinated decisions across product withdrawal, occupational exposure, waste handling and local communication even when no formal recall is triggered. The Managing Director will ensure site plans use the same product chronology and that external commitments enter the recovery plan with an owner and verified completion.

This is a planned new appointment, not a disguised removal. Existing site and product executives continue in role while country accountability is established. The board expects a measured transition that improves control and retains specialist talent, followed by disciplined growth once customer confidence returns.

What you will own

• Carry the US portfolio P&L, quality recovery, safety, people and country risk.
• Standardise deviation, escalation, investigation and effectiveness governance across plants.
• Sponsor laboratory method, equipment, data and competence remediation.
• Lead country customer recovery and coordinate any required external notification.
• Define decision rights between country, product, site and functional executives.
• Sequence growth, capital and product changes after quality prerequisites are met.
• Build a US leadership team and succession plan across critical technical roles.
• Maintain credible relationships with employees, communities and relevant authorities.

The first 12 months

In the first 60 days, visit each major site, review significant quality events and test laboratory and escalation consistency. Meet priority customers and establish one country recovery dashboard. Clarify stop-shipment and communication authority immediately and present the board with resource and leadership gaps.

By month six, align quality classifications, remediate critical laboratory controls and close the highest-risk systemic actions with effectiveness evidence. Establish country-product governance and resolve recurring customer issues. Reassess capital and growth commitments against the recovery’s true capacity.

At twelve months, reduce repeat major deviations by 60%, close 90% of critical corrective actions on time and restore customer complaint response within agreed dates above 95%. No released lot should rely on an unresolved critical laboratory control. The US business should return to approved growth and margin trajectory for two quarters without quality-cost deferral or unsupported provision release.

What the board will measure

• One country truth for quality, customer impact and corrective progress.
• Laboratory results supported by methods, equipment, data and competence.
• Matrix decisions resolved through explicit authority.
• Customers receiving consistent evidence and dependable supply plans.
• Growth and capital resuming only after control is demonstrated.
• Stronger country leadership without loss of global technical depth.

The person

You have more than 28 years in speciality chemicals, advanced materials, ingredients or related process industries, including country or divisional P&L leadership in the United States. You have led an enterprise quality recovery and faced customers, directors and authorities when facts were incomplete.

Your prior remit should exceed US$1 billion revenue and 1,700 employees and partners across several plants. Evidence must include a shipment decision, a systemic laboratory or process correction and a matrix conflict you resolved. Functional quality leaders without full business accountability are unlikely to meet the scope.

Compensation and terms

The base range is US$600,000–850,000 plus annual incentive and long-term equity linked to quality recovery, safe growth, customer trust, cash and leadership. This permanent onsite Chicago role reports to the Group Chief Executive and board and requires frequent travel. Appointment timing will align with planned country-governance implementation.

Confidentiality

The portfolio, plants, quality findings, customers and governance design are confidential. Further facts are released only after fit, conflicts and confidentiality are cleared. Applicants must not contact employees, laboratories, customers or authorities to determine the client’s identity.