Buy-in CEO of an ambitious Foundry Group in province Liège
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We are seeking an buy-in CEO to lead the next growth chapter of a growing, multi-site foundry group backed by Companions. This is a hands-on leadership role combining end-to-end P&L ownership with the drive to build operational excellence, harmonize processes, and prepare the group for strategic expansion across Europe.
The Opportunity
A foundry group with multiple production sites, located in the Province of Liège, in Belgium, and in Germany operating for over 80 years. With a strong customer base serving automotive, machine building, defense, and other sectors, the company is now strengthening its organization under the backing of Companions.
Your Role
As CEO, you will take overall responsibility for the group’s performance and leadership. You will set direction, align the management team, and ensure disciplined execution across sites.
Drive operational excellence and process harmonization across the Belgium and Germany footprint, making the organization leaner, more scalable, and more standardized
Ensure reliable delivery to customers by overseeing planning, efficiency, quality, and maintenance through a strong operational cadence
Own the CAPEX and industrial roadmap, professionalizing investment planning and guiding automation and modernization projects
Support post-acquisition integration by establishing robust playbooks and processes that can be rolled out to future add-on acquisitions
Lead the overall business: full P&L ownership, strategy execution, and performance management across all production sites
Your Profile
Engineering degree: Civil, industrial, or commercial engineer, or equivalent Master's degree
6+ years of leadership experience in an industrial/manufacturing environment (e.g., Plant Manager, Operations Manager, General Manager, Business Unit Manager)
Strong background in lean manufacturing, process optimization, and operational discipline; foundry, CNC, or precision metalworking experience is a major plus
Demonstrated ability to lead multi-layer teams, develop managers, and drive continuous improvement, safety, and quality
Fluent in French and English; German and Dutch knowledge is a bonus
Lean or Six Sigma certification is valued but not essential
Willingness to travel frequently between sites in a multi-country setup and maintain a strong on-the-ground leadership presence
What We Offer
A genuine opportunity to shape the future of a multi-site, growing industrial company
Partnership with the Companions team, combining hands-on leadership with strategic guidance and support
Co-investment and equity participation (minority) aligned with value creation and growth
Long-term role with clear visibility to growth and exit potential as the company scales and potentially integrates add-on acquisitions
If interested, or if you know someone who might be, send us your CV and we will get in touch.
Questions? Reach out to the Companions team.