SEARCH: Managing Director Operations - Nordics

Search overview

The company

Intersnack is one of Europe’s leading savoury snack manufacturers, operating across more than 30 countries with a portfolio of well-known local and international brands. Headquartered in Germany, the company specialises in crisps, nuts, popcorn and baked snacks, combining large-scale manufacturing capabilities with strong regional brand identities.

Within the Nordics, Intersnack has built a strong regional presence through brands including Estrella in Sweden and Maarud in Norway, giving the business a leading position across Scandinavia. The region is strategically important due to its mature retail market, high consumer spending and growing demand for premium and sustainably produced snack products. By combining local market expertise with European scale, Intersnack continues to strengthen its position across the Nordic food and FMCG sector.

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^{The search}

Melium were engaged to appoint a Managing Directo rOperations, a critical leadership role overseeing manufacturing, supply chain, and operational transformation.

The mandate covered multiple production facilities and carried responsibility for operational readiness, continuous improvement,sustainability delivery, and long-term capability building.

The role was triggered by the retirement of a long-standing incumbent, creating both a succession challenge and a strategic transformation opportunity.

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The incoming leader needed to:

• Lead operational and supply chain transformation across the Nordics region for growth

• Redesign organisational structures to improve agility and performance

• Mature implementation of Integrated Work System (IWS) to unlock efficiency gains

• Improve employee engagement and cross-functional collaboration

• Oversee sustainability delivery aligned to SBTi commitments

Candidates required a rare blend of operational depth,transformation leadership, manufacturing credibility, and board-level stakeholder management capability.

The search focused on leaders with proven experience across FMCG, food manufacturing, and complex multi-site operations environments.

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^{‍S-SCAP Tools Deployed}

• Nordic FMCG & Food Manufacturing Talent Mapping
• Operational Transformation Leadership Assessment
• Critical Success Factor Framework (Technical + Cultural)
• Leadership Gravitas & Cross-Cultural Fit Evaluation
• Accountability-Driven Search Execution Framework

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^{Research and Outreach}

1.     Mapped senior operations leaders across food,beverage, and consumer goods manufacturing businesses throughout Northern Europe.

2.     Built targeted talent pools across three categories: experienced candidates, succession-ready candidates, and strategic external benchmarking candidates.

3.     Identified executives with proven track records in lean manufacturing, operational turnaround, continuous improvement systems,and supply chain optimisation.

4.     Prioritised candidates with direct experience leading multi-site manufacturing operations, sustainability transformation, and workforce engagement programmes.

5.     Assessed language capability and regional mobility requirements critical to managing teams across Northern Europe.

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Evaluation Criteria

Assessed candidates against operational scale,transformation delivery, and leadership effectiveness across matrixed manufacturing environments.

Focused on:

1.     Proven leadership of large-scale FMCG or food manufacturing operations,

2.     Demonstrated success implementing continuous improvement frameworks

3.     Strong supply chain capability within agricultural sourcing environments

4.     Ability to lead cultural transformation and increase workforce engagement

5.     Gravitas to operate effectively across regional and group stakeholder structures

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The Process

Phase 1

Partnered closely with group leadership teams to define the strategic mandate, operational transformation priorities, and leadership capabilities required to future-proof the organisation. Developed a compelling market-facing value proposition aligned to operational excellence,sustainability ambitions, and long-term organisational effectiveness.

Phase 2

Executed a targeted international search strategy, engaging senior operations executives with deep multi-site manufacturing and supply chain transformation expertise. Conducted confidential market calibration discussions to benchmark leadership capability, organisational fit, and sectorrelevance.

Phase 3

Led comprehensive technical and behavioural assessmen  tprocesses with shortlisted candidates, evaluating operational leadership depth,change management capability, stakeholder influence, and cultural alignment.Benchmarked each executive against Melium’s proprietary leadership evaluation framework and the client’s future-state requirements.

Phase 4

Facilitated final-stage stakeholder alignment and executive evaluation sessions, focusing on succession readiness, operational transformation leadership, workforce engagement capability, and long-term strategic fit. Supported the client through final decision-making, ensuring strong alignment across both regional and group leadership stakeholders.

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Result

Delivered a highly curated shortlist of Nordic and international operations leaders within an accelerated six-week timeframe,presenting executives with proven track records across manufacturing, supply chain, and operational transformation.

The successful candidate brought substantial experience leading complex multi-site manufacturing operations, driving lean transformation programmes, and improving operational performance across geographically dispersed teams and stakeholder groups.

The appointment has positioned the business to accelerate its next phase of operational evolution, with a clear focus on manufacturing efficiency, organisational capability development, workforce engagement, and sustainability delivery.

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