Interim CEO / Chief Transformation Officer | Private Equity Value Creation & Complex Turnaround Leader
This executive brings more than two decades of experience driving large-scale transformation across both PE-backed and corporate environments. Their leadership style combines analytical rigour, structured delivery and an ability to work collaboratively across complex stakeholder groups, making them highly effective in situations where execution discipline and cultural change are required. Their background includes overseeing multi-site operations, leading international transformation teams and delivering sustained performance improvements across a wide range of industries.
They have deep private equity experience both within PE operations teams and in portfolio company leadership roles. Their work spans operational due diligence, value creation planning, performance improvement, cost optimisation, restructuring, integration leadership and turnaround management. They have partnered with leading private equity sponsors across Europe, delivering impact in businesses ranging from distressed retail chains and industrial manufacturers to pharmaceuticals, transport networks and consumer products. They are adept at moving between board-level strategy and on-the-ground delivery, providing the clarity and momentum required to unlock PE investment theses.
This executive is ideally suited for interim CEO, Chief Transformation Officer, COO or Transformation Director roles within private equity portfolio companies undergoing periods of change, underperformance or operational complexity. Their track record of repeated success across turnaround, integration, restructuring and performance improvement assignments positions them as a highly reliable leader for investors seeking measurable and rapid value creation.
Acting as interim transformation leader for a national plant hire business, delivered immediate operational improvements including asset availability gains, KPI-driven reporting and accelerated sales initiatives following the sudden exit of the CEO.
Led a major transformation initiative for a £2.5bn utilities group, delivering £9m in rapid overhead savings, designing the first phase of a new operating model and coordinating transformation activities across procurement, branding, acquisition integration and finance.
As VP of Transformation for a European manufacturing group, led a cross-functional programme that delivered €25m of EBITDA improvement within a single year, covering pricing, growth, plant closures, efficiency and procurement.
As COO/Chief Transformation Officer for a PE-backed industrial manufacturer, delivered €25m of EBITDA improvement through site closures, organisational redesign, portfolio actions, sales restructuring and operational reporting improvements.
About the Candidate
This executive is a highly accomplished transformation and turnaround leader with extensive experience across private-equity-owned businesses, corporate environments and advisory roles. They have a strong track record of delivering commercial, operational and organisational improvements across sectors including utilities, industrial manufacturing, packaging, transport, ship management, construction services and consumer products. Their breadth of experience spans interim CEO, COO, Chief Transformation Officer and PMO leadership positions, where they consistently deliver measurable EBITDA uplift, cost reduction, operational efficiency and strengthened governance.
They excel in situations where businesses require rapid stabilisation, hands-on operational leadership and a structured approach to value creation. This includes crisis-led turnarounds, post-merger integrations, cost-base resets, new operating model designs, procurement transformation, plant rationalisation, cultural and organisational redesign, establishment of PMOs, and cross-functional transformation delivery. Their ability to secure executive buy-in, build transformation teams and deliver impact under tight timelines makes them a reliable leader for high-pressure environments.