AutomotiveCommercial Vehicle ComponentsGeneral Manager LATAM
Confidential LATAM General Manager Search for an Italian Tier 2 Commercial Vehicle Supplier
Keller Executive Search was engaged to find a General Manager for the Latin American subsidiary of an Italian Tier 2 supplier to the commercial vehicle sector. The role was newly created after the existing management structure had stopped developing the business beyond Brazil. The search ran under strict confidentiality, and candidates were approached without knowing which company had opened it.
The Client
When the general manager of an Italian Tier 2 supplier left, the company split its Brazilian subsidiary between two internal managers. One was in charge of sales, the other of administration and the warehouse operation. It supplies cooling fans and HVAC components to city-bus and truck manufacturers, particularly in the electrification segment. Its Brazilian subsidiary has revenues of some €6.5M annually, while the South American operation as a whole is around €10M. Outside of Brazil, markets were undeveloped, and neighboring countries were nearly untouched. The answer, the board decided, was to have one person in charge of the whole operation.
The Challenge
They were looking for someone who had direct sales experience with fleet bus operators and city transportation offices. The candidates were required to have a history of winning bids at the fleet operator level and to have direct contact with customers. The requirement was narrow: bus or heavy-truck only, with no room for passenger car backgrounds. The new GM would have to be able to communicate in Portuguese day-to-day and would be required to speak occasionally in English for dialogue with the Italian headquarters. The search had to be kept confidential to protect the existing structure and not alert the sitting Sales Director. None of the candidates knew which company they were interviewing for when they arrived.
The Solution
The search was focused on senior people with a background in the bus and heavy-truck business in Latin America. The search prioritized profiles with field-level selling experience, with distributor- and headquarters-side backgrounds set aside. Candidates needed to demonstrate direct fleet operator relationships and P&L management in a subsidiary of a global group. Following a number of rounds with the client’s HR leadership and commercial directors, a shortlist was provided. The final candidate went to Italy to meet with the board and tour the manufacturing plant located at the corporate headquarters. A board interview overseas isn’t common in Latin American searches, and the Italian parent was clearly watching this closely.
The Results
The board conversation in Italy sealed the hire, and a formal offer came not long after. The candidate has accepted, is located in São Paulo, and is within the travel range the role requires. He possesses practical knowledge of the bus and heavy-truck segment with an impressive history of securing tenders from fleet owners. The new GM will have full P&L responsibility and will combine the sales and operations functions that had been split. The appointment was made in exclusive engagement with Keller Executive Search.
The Impact
The split structure meant that no one was clearly responsible for the commercial direction after the previous GM left. Eventually, the business’s commercial and operational sides were brought together again, with one person running the full operation. The incoming GM is the first to hold this position, and the brief extends well beyond Brazil. The plan now covers markets that were largely untouched, and the expectation is for regional growth. Latin America is picking up steam in bus electrification, and the subsidiary now has someone on the ground to crack that market. Winning fleet operator tenders takes years of on-the-ground work, and the incoming GM has done that.
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