Chief Executive Officer (Iowa)

OverviewThis is a confidential search for a Chief Executive Officer to lead a metals manufacturing business with annual revenues of approximately $200m.The business operates across multiple manufacturing sites and serves industrial customers in demanding, high-specification markets. Following continued investment and a focus on value creation, the Board and investors are seeking an experienced CEO with deep operational expertise to drive the next phase of performance improvement, growth, and EBITDA expansion. Due to the sensitivity of the mandate, full details will only be shared under NDA.The OpportunityThis is a hands-on CEO role with a strong operational focus. The incoming leader will be expected to take full ownership of business performance, working closely with the private equity investors and executive team to deliver a step-change in efficiency, profitability, and scalability.You will be responsible for shaping and executing a clear value creation strategy, with a particular emphasis on operational excellence and manufacturing performance.Key ResponsibilitiesFull P&L responsibility for a multi-site metals manufacturing businessDrive operational performance, efficiency, and productivity improvements across all sitesDeliver sustained EBITDA growth through cost optimisation, yield improvement, and process efficiencyLead transformation initiatives across manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial interfacesStrengthen operational discipline, KPIs, and performance management frameworksEnhance throughput, capacity utilisation, and service levels to support revenue growthLead and develop a senior leadership team across operations, commercial, and functional areasPartner closely with private equity stakeholders on strategy, reporting, and value creation planningEmbed a high-performance, continuous improvement culture across the organisationCandidate ProfileThe successful candidate will be an experienced CEO, COO, or senior operations leader with a strong track record in heavy manufacturing environments.You will bring:Proven leadership experience at CEO, COO, or equivalent senior executive levelDeep background in heavy metal manufacturingStrong track record of delivering EBITDA improvement and operational transformationExperience leading multi-site, complex manufacturing operationsDemonstrable success in driving efficiency, productivity, and margin improvementStrong understanding of Lean, CI, and operational excellence methodologiesCommercially astute with a strong grasp of value creation in PE-backed environmentsExperience working with private equity investors (highly desirable)Hands-on leadership style with the ability to operate at both strategic and operational levelsAdditional InformationThis is a confidential mandateFull business details will only be shared following execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)The role is being managed on behalf of a private equity investor groupCompetitive executive package aligned to experience and value creation impact