Our Approach
We conducted a targeted regional search across manufacturing and technical sales leadership markets, focusing on candidates with proven track records of winning new business within industrial sectors.
The Process
Market mapping of senior sales leaders within specialist manufacturing and engineering businesses
Direct engagement with candidates demonstrating strong new business development capability
Structured screening focused on commercial track record, leadership style, and cultural alignment
Shortlisting candidates capable of combining hands-on sales leadership with strategic commercial development
Search Metrics
38 senior commercial leaders mapped across specialist manufacturing and engineering sectors
16 candidates engaged and screened
6 candidates shortlisted
3 candidates progressed to final interview
The search was completed within 9 weeks, from initial engagement to accepted offer.
The Outcome
The search resulted in the successful appointment of a Group Sales & Marketing Director with extensive experience in driving growth within specialist manufacturing environments.
The successful candidate brought:
A proven history of generating and securing new commercial opportunities
Strong leadership capability to support and develop the wider sales team
A strategic approach to long-term revenue growth and market development
The appointment introduced a dedicated commercial leader to the business for the first time, strengthening the company’s ability to identify and secure new opportunities within its specialist markets.
Client Testimonial
“This was an important appointment for our business as we looked to strengthen our senior leadership team and develop our long-term people strategy. Shillito Human Resources understood the brief and delivered a strong shortlist of candidates with the right balance of operational experience and strategic capability.”
HR Director
Confidential Manufacturing Business
Confidential Manufacturing Business
Appointing a Group Sales & Marketing Director to Drive Commercial Growth
The Challenge
A long-established manufacturing business in South Yorkshire required the appointment of a Group Sales & Marketing Director to strengthen its commercial leadership and accelerate growth.
The company had been operating successfully for over three decades and had built a strong reputation supplying specialist products across the UK. However, the organisation had historically operated without a dedicated Sales Director based at its South Yorkshire headquarters.
As the business entered a new phase of growth, leadership recognised the need to introduce a senior commercial leader capable of driving new revenue streams while strengthening the existing sales team.
Key challenges included:
Identifying a candidate with a strong “hunter” mentality, capable of generating new business opportunities
Finding someone with sector knowledge and credibility within specialist manufacturing markets
Recruiting a leader who could inspire and lead an established sales team while remaining hands-on in business development
Ensuring the successful candidate could deliver long-term commercial impact rather than short-term sales gains
Given the strategic importance of the appointment, the business engaged Shillito Commercial on an exclusive basis to lead the search.