President

B. Riley Farber’s executive search practice is partnering with a fast-growing, purpose-driven, family-backed company operating in the Food Services sector to recruit a seasoned President to join the team.

This company has established an excellent reputation and credibility with their existing customers, widely recognized as a key player amongst their competition. Additionally, the sector itself has strong tailwinds of Federal and Provincial strategies directly driving growth within their customer base. All this culminates with the ambitious objective of accomplishing a ~2x growth over the next 3-5 years.

Reporting to the CEO, the President will play a crucial role in ensuring that the company is set up well to scale with growth. With a vision firmly in place, the President will ensure that it translates well into the business and functional strategies and provide leadership and governance to drive execution across all the functions. This includes key functions such as Sales & Marketing, Operations, Innovation/New Product Development, and other shared service functions. In essence, this is a full P&L management role that requires active collaboration between the Board and Senior Leadership Team to achieve the business objectives.

The company attributes its success to a strong, purpose-driven culture, which allows them to balance economic and social profit. Guided by strategic thinking, integrity, and collaboration, the President will excel in operational execution, and in essence, turn the company's vision into reality through meticulous planning and effective management, while ensuring its values are reflected in all aspects.

To be successful in this, you will possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; Advanced degrees (e.g. MBA, Master’s) will be an asset.
• 5+ years’ experience, at a senior executive level, ideally as a P&L holder in Food & Beverage or Food Services sectors.
• 15+ years of progressive experience with a very strong understanding of sales & marketing, operations, innovation/product-development, finance and HR functions.
• Possess a deep understanding of operating in an environment where execution of the vision is paramount.
• Ability to understand, and balance, the well-being of the community with the economic profit and driving value for the shareholders.
• Proficient in building high-performance teams through effective hiring, mentoring, and development strategies.
• Understands business operations intricately, engaging at a hands-on level, and recognized for adding value beyond functional expertise by collaborating closely with management teams on strategic and operational matters.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to ethical conduct.

Desired Personality Traits:

• High IQ-EQ: Possesses a high level of both intellectual and emotional intelligence, effectively understanding both cognitive and emotional aspects of interactions.
• Pragmatically Ambitious: Demonstrates a balanced approach to ambition, setting realistic goals while striving for excellence and continuous improvement.
• Low Ego and Humility: Exhibits humility and a low ego, valuing team success over personal recognition and remaining open to feedback and learning.
• Inclusive Leadership:  A collaborative and inclusive leadership style dedicated to fostering a diverse work environment.
• Collaborative Mindset:  Ability to work cooperatively with colleagues to create a results-oriented, team-focused atmosphere.
• Effective Communication:  Strong communication skills, capable of engaging and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Integrity and Empathy:  Traits of integrity, humility, empathy, and professionalism, with a commitment to ethical practices.
• Tact and Expertise:  A well-developed sense of tact, with adept negotiation, conflict resolution, and people management abilities.
• Curious Nature:  A natural inclination for exploration and continuous learning, driven by a thirst for knowledge.

If you think you’re a good match for this role or would like to make introductions within your network, contact Purab Parikh (PParikh@brileyfin.com) or Marty O’Doherty (MOdoherty@brileyfin.com) for more details.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/purabparikh/