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Chief Operating Officer, President

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Our Client 

Our client is a growing North American manufacturer of advanced road marking and protective coating materials serving municipalities, government agencies, infrastructure contractors, and commercial customers across Canada and the United States. The organization is a leading domestic provider of traffic paints, thermoplastics, and specialty coating solutions that support critical infrastructure projects. 

As part of a vertically integrated infrastructure platform, the company is entering an accelerated growth phase with significant investment in manufacturing capacity, U.S. market expansion, and product qualification initiatives. With a strong foundation in place, the organization is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) / President to lead the next stage of growth, operational transformation, and long-term value creation. 

Reporting to the ownership group, the COO / President will have full accountability for the business, including P&L ownership, operational performance, commercial growth, team development, and execution of strategic initiatives. 

Key Responsibilities 

Enterprise Leadership & Business Growth 

  • Lead all aspects of the business, including Operations, Sales, Quality, Finance, and supporting functions. 

  • Own the company’s growth strategy, driving revenue expansion, profitability improvement, and market development. 

  • Develop and execute annual operating plans, strategic priorities, and growth initiatives. 

  • Build and develop a high-performing leadership team while establishing a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement. 

  • Serve as the primary operator of the business, reducing ownership involvement in day-to-day execution. 

Operational & Manufacturing Excellence 

  • Own end-to-end manufacturing operations, including production, supply chain, inventory, quality, safety, and continuous improvement. 

  • Drive improvements in manufacturing efficiency, cost structure, throughput, and on-time delivery. 

  • Optimize working capital, inventory management, and production planning processes. 

  • Implement scalable systems, processes, and operating rhythms to support future growth. 

  • Establish disciplined KPI reporting and performance management across the organization. 

Commercial Leadership & Market Expansion 

  • Partner with the commercial team to accelerate revenue growth across infrastructure, contractor, municipal, and government channels. 

  • Build and strengthen strategic customer relationships with contractors, distributors, and institutional buyers. 

  • Identify new market opportunities and support expansion into the United States. 

  • Drive product adoption, customer retention, and long-term account growth. 

  • Leverage strong business development skills to personally engage with key customers and strategic partners. 

Strategic Growth & Professionalization 

  • Lead initiatives supporting U.S. market entry, including regulatory approvals, product qualifications, and procurement requirements. 

  • Establish an institutional operating standard through improved reporting, processes, systems, and organizational discipline. 

  • Support ownership-level reporting, financial planning, and long-term value creation initiatives. 

  • Build organizational depth and reduce key-person dependency through effective talent development. 

Qualifications 

  • 10+ years of progressive leadership experience within manufacturing, industrial products, coatings, chemicals, building materials, or related sectors. 

  • Proven experience owning a P&L for a business or business unit, ideally within the $15M–$50M revenue range. 

  • Demonstrated success scaling a manufacturing organization, improving profitability, and driving operational transformation. 

  • Strong commercial capabilities with a track record of growing revenue through B2B, institutional, government, or infrastructure-related channels. 

  • Hands-on operator with the ability to move between the plant floor, customer meetings, and executive-level discussions. 

  • Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, margins, EBITDA improvement, and working capital. 

  • Experience operating in a private equity-backed, board-governed, or professionally managed environment is an asset. 

  • Experience with coatings, DOT specifications, government procurement, or infrastructure markets is highly preferred. 

  • Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to thrive in a high-autonomy, growth-oriented environment. 

  • Strong leadership presence, accountability mindset, and ability to build trust across all levels of an organization. 

Why This Opportunity 

This is a unique opportunity to lead an established manufacturing business through a significant growth and transformation phase. The successful candidate will have full ownership of the company’s performance and the autonomy to shape strategy, build a high-performing team, improve operations, and drive expansion into new markets. 

Working closely with ownership, this leader will play a critical role in creating a scalable, profitable organization with the potential to become a recognized North American leader in protective coatings and infrastructure materials. 

REF: Web1514