Our client is seeking a private equity–experienced, hands-on CEO operator to drive the next phase of accelerated growth, margin expansion, and operational scaling.
This is a high-intensity execution role, not a representative or advisory CEO position. The successful candidate will be expected to operate as the primary driver of performance, fully embedded in the German headquarters, leading the business day-to-day with a clear focus on speed, accountability, and execution discipline.
The mandate is straightforward: build a scalable, high-performance biotech tools business that delivers measurable PE-level returns.
About the Business
Our client is a specialized life sciences tools used by pharmaceutical and academic research organizations globally.
The business operates in a technical, high-margin niche, with strong global demand and clear potential for operational scaling, international expansion, and product-driven revenue growth.
Role Overview
The CEO will own full P&L responsibility and act as the central execution engine of the business, accountable for delivering a defined private equity value creation plan.
This includes driving:
- Revenue acceleration through international commercial scaling
- Margin expansion through operational efficiency and pricing discipline
- Product and portfolio optimization
- Organizational performance uplift and execution rigor
The role requires daily on-site leadership in Germany with direct involvement in operational decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
1. Private Equity Value Creation Execution
- Own and execute the PE investment thesis end-to-end
- Deliver measurable improvements in revenue growth, EBITDA expansion, and cash generation
- Implement a structured value creation roadmap with clear quarterly milestones
- Drive KPI discipline and performance transparency across the organization
- Ensure board alignment through rigorous reporting and execution tracking
2. High-Performance Operational Leadership
- Lead the company from the front line in Germany on a daily basis
- Instill operational rigor across R&D, production, quality, supply chain, and commercial teams
- Eliminate inefficiencies and bottlenecks through direct intervention and prioritization
- Build a culture of urgency, accountability, and execution excellence
3. Commercial Acceleration & International Expansion
- Scale revenue across Europe, North America, and Asia through structured commercial execution
- Strengthen and professionalize global sales, distributor, and key account channels
- Identify and capture adjacent market opportunities and new revenue streams
- Improve pricing discipline, segmentation, and commercial effectiveness
4. Margin Expansion & Financial Discipline
- Drive EBITDA improvement through operational leverage and cost optimization
- Introduce and enforce disciplined financial management and forecasting processes
- Improve gross margin through product mix optimization and efficiency gains
- Build a data-driven performance culture tied directly to financial outcomes
5. Organizational Scaling & Leadership Build-Out
- Build a high-performance leadership team capable of executing at PE speed and discipline
- Upgrade organizational structure to support scale and accountability
- Remove underperformance decisively and strengthen execution capability across functions
- Embed a performance-driven culture aligned with investor expectations
6. Investor & Board Interface
- Act as primary operator interface to private equity owners and board
- Translate investment strategy into clear operational execution plans
- Provide transparent, data-led updates on performance, risks, and execution gaps
- Operate in a high-accountability, high-visibility governance environment
Candidate Profile
Must-Have Experience
- Proven CEO experience in a private equity-backed business
- Strong track record of value creation, transformation, scaling, or buy-and-build execution
- Experience operating in life sciences, biotech tools and MedTech
- Demonstrated ability to deliver revenue growth and EBITDA expansion simultaneously
- Strong commercial and operational leadership capability (true operator, not strategy-only)
Why This Role
This is a pure execution CEO mandate in a technically strong, globally relevant biotech tools business with clear upside potential.
It is designed for an operator who thrives in private equity environments where speed, discipline, and measurable value creation are non-negotiable.