International Case Study of SMW: Food Production Group

In 2018, our SMW-Partners from the Netherlands and Germany worked together in finding an Interim Manager in the South of Germany, near Munich. The firm is one of the major food production groups in the Netherlands, with also factories in Belgium, France, Germany and several other European countries.

This client had acquired a small but renowned German family owned company in 2016. The main goal was to integrate this company in the big organisation, making it a production site instead of a complete company with its own sales etc.

In 2017, our SMW-Partner in the Netherlands had placed a new Operations Manager at the firm, who had the right background and energy to change the company in this way. But, as in many cases, staff resisted the changes, compounded by several of the family members who still worked in the company. The company, established 50 years ago, is in a small village, where everybody knows everybody.

Action

Discussing with the client the options, it was decided that in this case the best way would be to employ an overqualified, experienced Interim Manager. This Interim Manager would get the assignment and full power to change the company, preferably while keeping the people, but radically changing their attitude. This is, as we all know, one of the most difficult assignments an Interim Manager can have. It was also decided that the Interim Manager had to be a person from the region, and also experienced heavy change projects in food production.

Our SMW-Partners succeeded in finding the right candidate within days, who luckily was available and could start at a very short notice. Thus he could work parallel for a few weeks with the Operations Manager, creating a smooth transition and minimal disturbance of the personnel team in the company.

Results

Currently, the Interim Manager is employed in this company, as well the client as he himself are very happy with the progress. We estimate that he will be employed for about 6 months, after which we will again decide with the client which profile the new permanent Operations Manager will have.