Interim Chief Executive Officer

A leading private equity fund is seeking an experienced Interim CEO/CRO to lead the transformation of an established international premium consumer brand.

The business generates approximately €150 million in revenue and operates across retail, wholesale and ecommerce channels, with a significant international presence and a highly distinctive founder-led identity.

The incoming CEO will lead a focused operational and financial improvement programme, strengthening profitability, cash generation and execution while protecting the brand’s heritage and long-term positioning.

The Mandate

• Improve EBITDA margins from approximately 5% toward 12-15%.
• Address working-capital, inventory and cash-conversion challenges.
• Reduce production and product-development lead times.
• Strengthen forecasting, purchasing and stock discipline.
• Improve retail, wholesale and ecommerce profitability.
• Introduce greater operational accountability and performance visibility.
• Review organisational capability and strengthen execution across the leadership team.
• Balance necessary commercial change with the protection of the brand’s identity and customer proposition.
• Develop a credible plan for sustainable growth and long-term value creation.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an experienced CEO, CRO or senior operating executive with a strong track record of leading transformation within an international premium consumer, branded retail or luxury environment.

Relevant experience will include:

• Leading a turnaround, restructuring or performance-improvement programme.
• Full P&L responsibility within a business of comparable scale and complexity.
• Strong understanding of international retail, wholesale and ecommerce models.
• Deep experience of inventory, sourcing, production, supply chain and working capital.
• Demonstrable margin improvement and cash-generation achievements.
• Experience operating within a private equity-backed environment.
• Strong leadership presence combined with a pragmatic, hands-on approach.

French market experience and fluent French would be highly advantageous.