Turnaround in Intralogistics

Hohe Wolkenkratzer im zentralen Geschäftsviertel von Peking

How a new CEO brought a branch in China back on track to success

When a branch is operating at a loss and hasn’t won any new projects for years, swift and decisive action is required. For us at Steinkellner China Search, the challenge was to find a CEO for an international company in the intralogistics industry who could turn the situation around in China, a task that required our full expertise. This success story demonstrates how, by identifying an experienced leadership personality with an excellent sales background, we not only ended the stagnation but also initiated an impressive positive revenue development.

Our client, an internationally operating company in the intralogistics industry, faced an extremely critical situation in China: The existing team on-site had not been able to acquire any new projects for more than two years. As a result, the company’s Chinese branch was clearly operating at a loss. There was an urgent need for action to not only stabilize the business in this important market but to fundamentally realign it and make it profitable again. The danger of further decline and the loss of market potential was omnipresent.

The assignment for us as Steinkellner China Search was clear and challenging: to identify an industry-experienced General Manager with a strong background in intralogistics. The sought-after leadership personality needed to have a high level of sales management experience and a proven “track record”. The goal was to help our client finally convert the existing market potential in China into concrete revenues and corresponding profits. To master this complex challenge, we employed our proven Steinkellner Method.

Given the urgency that required quick but well-considered decisions, we immediately activated our excellent recruitment network in China. We focused on talents who not only knew the industry but also brought the necessary seniority and crisis experience to successfully manage such a demanding turnaround situation.

Our focused search process and our good network in China enabled us to act quickly and present our client with a hand-picked and perfectly matched leadership personality. The candidate we identified proved to be ideal: He has a strong professional background in the intralogistics industry and brought extensive, long-standing sales experience. His pronounced seniority and the associated experience in dealing with crisis situations offered exactly the stability and strategic foresight required in this delicate phase.

The positive impact of this placement became evident very quickly. Since the appointment of the new CEO for China, our client has repeatedly noted with delight that the candidate is progressing faster than initially expected from the current perspective. This is reflected in an extremely positive development of the sales figures and signals a clear path out of the loss zone.

  • Precise identification of turnaround managers: Our ability to find executives with the necessary experience, seniority, and a strong sales track record who have demonstrably been able to master even difficult company situations.
  • Quick responsiveness through an excellent network: Our deeply anchored network in China, which allows us to quickly and efficiently access a pool of highly qualified candidates even in urgent cases.
  • Focus on sustainable performance: The selection of candidates who not only achieve short-term success but have the potential to strategically realign a branch in the long term and lead it to profitable growth.
  • Understanding of critical company phases: Our experience in supporting companies that are in a restructuring or crisis situation, and the discreet and targeted search for suitable leadership personalities.

Your success story could be the next

Is your branch in China operating at a loss or is business development stagnating despite existing market potential? Do you need an experienced leadership personality with genuine turnaround competence? Let’s discuss how we can use our expertise and dedicated team to find the right personality to bring your China business back on track to success.