259 – Interim CEO Greenfield Expansion Romania

About Our Client:

Our client is a privately owned European SME delivering specialised engineering and industrial project services across international markets. The company has evolved from a niche design and retrofit provider into a full-scope technical solutions partner, combining engineering, fabrication, and on-site execution for complex industrial assets in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and maritime technology.

With fewer than 100 employees and a strong track record of organic growth, the business is now entering a critical phase — building its own greenfield production and assembly facility in Romania and transitioning from outsourced fabrication to fully integrated operations. To ensure this transformation is structured, profitable, and sustainable, the shareholders are seeking an experienced interim executive with a hands-on approach, practical mindset, and proven ability to deliver results in fast-moving, entrepreneurial environments.

Project Description:

The Interim CEO will lead the organisation through a two- to three-year growth and transformation phase. Reporting directly to the shareholders, this is a highly operational leadership role — suited to a decisive, pragmatic professional used to working with short communication lines and agile decision-making, not a corporate hierarchy.

Key priorities include:

• Leading the greenfield setup, commissioning, and operational ramp-up of a new production and assembly facility in Romania
• Managing the transition from external subcontractors to internal manufacturing capability, ensuring efficiency and quality standards
• Introducing robust governance, performance management, and financial control systems appropriate for a growing SME
• Driving operational excellence, process discipline, and delivery performance across engineering, fabrication, and retrofit projects
• Building a capable management layer and instilling accountability, teamwork, and executional focus throughout the organisation
• Sustaining growth while maintaining entrepreneurial agility and close coordination with the shareholder team

Key Requirements

• Interim executive leadership in SME growth and transformation contexts
• Greenfield establishment and operational ramp-up experience
• Strong governance and performance improvement capability
• Background in retrofit, overhaul, or EPC-style industrial projects
• Hands-on leadership and direct communication style suited to owner-led environments

Interim Manager Required Skills:

This assignment is ideal for an experienced Interim CEO or Transformation Leader with a background in industrial project execution, engineering services, or asset retrofitting. The right candidate will be both strategic and operational, able to build structure while staying close to the work floor and engaging directly with teams and shareholders.

• Former CEO, COO, or Transformation Director from an SME in engineering, manufacturing, or industrial services (approx. €10–50M turnover)
• Proven success in greenfield or brownfield projects, including plant commissioning, decommissioning, and operational ramp-up
• Practical experience leading retrofit or asset upgrade operations with strong technical understanding
• Skilled in implementing governance, reporting, and performance systems in lean, fast-growing organisations
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset with comfort in flat structures and rapid decision-making
• International outlook; suitable for experienced expats open to being based in Romania during key project phases

This confidential interim mandate offers a unique opportunity for a results-driven transformation leader to shape a growing Romanian-based SME through its next stage of evolution, combining greenfield execution, governance implementation, and hands-on performance improvement to build a resilient, scalable business.

Key Requirements:

• Proven interim leadership experience in SME growth or transformation environments

• Hands-on expertise in greenfield setup and operational ramp-up of industrial or engineering facilities

• Strong governance and performance improvement capability with

Type of Assignment:

• Interim

Scope of Interim Assignment:

• Growth Acceleration – Greenfield

Functional Area of the Interim Manager:

• Plant Management

Location:

• Romania

Duration:

• 24-36 months

Start Date:

• January 2026

Why work with us?

CE Interim delivers proven executive interim leaders within 72 hours across borders, cultures, and industries. We specialize in high-impact interim management for private equity firms, family offices, and global corporations facing moments of transition: digital transformation, market entry, operational turnaround, post-merger integration, or crisis.

What sets us apart is not just the speed or depth of our network, it’s how we lead. Every engagement is personally guided by a CE Interim managing partner: former CEOs, CFOs, or COOs who’ve been on your side of the table, steering organizations through high-stakes decisions.

With a global talent pool and operational reach spanning Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, we don’t fill roles, we build trust, lead transitions, and deliver outcomes.

As part of the Valtus Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of Executive Interim Management companies, we ensure seamless international execution through 25+ offices and 80+ senior partners in over 50 countries.

Executive Leadership Breaking Borders. Outcomes Without Compromise.