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Selected Engagements

Generational Transition & Global Export Leadership Build

Second-Generation Leadership Transition – Global Export Expansion

Industry

Industrial Manufacturing

Revenue

~€500M

Employees

1,000+

Markets

100+ countries

A leading industrial manufacturing company with more than four decades of history was entering a new phase of international expansion.

Founded as a family business, the company had grown into a global exporter with operations across more than 100 countries.

Following a second-generation leadership transition, the company began reshaping its international growth strategy and strengthening its executive leadership structure to support long-term global expansion.

Leadership Challenge

As part of this transformation, the company decided to appoint a senior executive to lead its global export operations.

The role required managing international markets across multiple regions including Russia, North America, and Europe, while overseeing a complex distributor network and export organization.

At the same time, the company aimed to professionalize and scale its export structure, which included a team of 23 professionals operating across five key regions.

The leadership profile required a rare combination of:

  • International market development expertise
  • Operational leadership across export-driven organizations
  • Strong stakeholder and partner management
  • The ability to operate effectively within a dynamic family-owned company undergoing transformation

Our Work

NextUp partnered closely with the company’s leadership to define the scope and expectations of the role.

The process included:

  • Defining the strategic mandate of the position
  • Designing the leadership structure for global export operations
  • Identifying senior executives with strong international export experience
  • Assessing candidates based on both leadership capability and international market exposure

Particular focus was placed on identifying leaders capable of balancing strategic growth with hands-on operational execution.

Outcome

NextUp successfully supported the appointment of a Global Export Director reporting directly to the executive leadership.

The appointed leader now oversees international markets and manages the export organization across five global regions.

The role plays a key part in strengthening the company’s international market presence as it continues its next phase of global growth.

Executive Leadership Build During Supply Chain Transformation

Global Fashion Brand – Manufacturing Expansion

Industry

Global Fashion & Apparel

Operations

International Manufacturing Network

Location

Europe – Turkey Production Hub

Following the global supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, a leading global fashion brand accelerated a strategic shift to bring production closer to its core markets.

As part of this strategy, the company significantly expanded its manufacturing operations in Turkey, strengthening one of its largest global production hubs.

The expansion involved increased production capacity, workforce growth, and the development of a more agile regional supply chain structure supporting global distribution.

Leadership Challenge

The expansion required strengthening the operational leadership structure across manufacturing and supply chain functions.

The organization needed experienced leaders capable of operating within a global corporate environment while managing the operational realities of large-scale industrial production.

Key priorities included:

  • Strengthening production leadership for the expanded manufacturing operations
  • Reinforcing supply chain management capabilities
  • Integrating external leadership talent into an established global organization
  • Supporting a more resilient and responsive regional supply chain model

Our Work

NextUp partnered closely with the local executive leadership to support the hiring of critical operational leaders required for the expansion.

The engagement included identifying and placing senior leadership roles across manufacturing and supply chain functions, including:

  • Production leadership for the newly expanded facility
  • Supply chain leadership roles supporting global operations
  • Additional functional leadership hires strengthening operational execution

Particular focus was placed on executives capable of balancing corporate governance standards with hands-on industrial leadership.

Outcome

The newly appointed leadership team supported the operational scaling of the manufacturing hub and helped strengthen the company’s regional production capabilities.

These leadership appointments contributed to reinforcing the operational backbone of one of the brand’s key global production centers while supporting a broader strategy of building a more resilient supply chain.