How Boyden brought experienced FMCG leadership to a PE-backed consumer products business preparing to scale in France.
Our client is an established European consumer products company specializing in home care and household solutions. Operating in a resilient sector that has grown steadily over the past two decades, the company has a portfolio of established French brands and operates across several distribution channels.
Backed by private equity, the company is pursuing accelerated growth in Europe through the expansion of its existing brands and an active buy-and-build strategy, alongside continued investment in its CSR initiatives.
When the General Manager of the company's French home care business moved into the CEO role, the client needed to appoint a successor with full P&L responsibility. The new General Manager would be responsible for driving growth in the mass-market channel, particularly by gaining market share in the laundry and household cleaning categories.
Growth would require investment in brand equity, including marketing, communication, and category management, as well as potential improvements in data tracking and commercial excellence. The challenge was compounded by current economic conditions, with the mass-market channel under profitability pressure.
With the business approaching its next investment cycle and targeting significant growth from 2027 onward, the client needed a leader with experience from a major FMCG organization who could also thrive in a smaller, entrepreneurial company outside Paris and be ready to lead through transformation.
Boyden advised the client to consider a more experienced profile than initially anticipated, given the upcoming investment transition and the scale of the five-year growth plan.
The search focused on executives from leading FMCG organizations who combined strong sales and marketing credentials with broader operational and transformation experience. The successful candidate also brought experience in a B2B2C cooperative environment, where his responsibilities extended beyond sales and marketing to include S&OP, production, and sales transformation.
This combination of large-company FMCG experience and broader operational leadership aligned with the company's need for someone capable of growing both the business and its talent over the next five years.
Boyden successfully appointed an experienced FMCG executive with a track record of leading commercial and operational transformation.
Six months into the role, the new General Manager is leading his team and the changes required to deliver against the company's 2027 objectives. He is also supporting the Board with the vision and strategy for the company's next investment phase.
The new General Manager brings experience from previous transformation environments and has provided steady leadership amid challenging economic conditions.
Boyden's partnership with the company is continuing beyond the appointment. The team is now helping define the leadership talent required to support the company's ambition to double in size over the next five years and prepare for its next investment phase.
