Executive Search Success Story: Building the Leadership Team to Scale a Founder-Led Robotics Integrator Into EV Battery and Warehouse Automation Programs

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a founder-led robotics and automation integrator with the president, project execution, controls engineering, robotics applications, and business development leadership required to move from $90M regional projects into $40M-plus programs for EV battery plants and automated distribution centers, and to scale from $120M to $340M in revenue.

The Challenge

A robotics integrator founded by an engineer had built a reputation for innovative cells and strong execution on projects up to $8M, and was now being invited to bid $40M-plus programs for EV battery module and pack lines and automated distribution centers. The founder recognized the company could not take on programs of that scale without program management discipline, deeper controls and software capability, specialized battery and logistics applications expertise, and enterprise selling, and that he was better suited to technology leadership than to running a $300M business. Executive leadership and the investor identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the scale-up:

• A founder better suited to technology than to running a business three times its current size
• Program management built for $8M projects being asked to execute $40M-plus programs
• Controls and software engineering capacity and standards insufficient for large line programs
• Limited applications expertise in battery manufacturing and warehouse automation
• Sales reliant on the founder with no enterprise account or proposal capability
• Large program risk, including liquidated damages, that could threaten the company if poorly executed

Recognizing that large programs required a professional leadership team working alongside the founder, the founder, board, and investor engaged JRG Partners to recruit a President, Vice President of Project Execution & Program Management, Vice President of Controls & Software Engineering, Vice President of Robotics Applications Engineering, and Vice President of Business Development. The company required an executive search partner with deep integrator expertise and experience managing founder transitions in engineering-led businesses.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Industrial Automation & Robotics Integration Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice serving automation and robotics integrators and automation technology companies, with a clear understanding of program execution risk, controls engineering, applications expertise, and the leadership profiles that scale integrators from projects to programs.

Founder Transition Experience

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting presidents and leadership teams to work alongside founders in engineering-led businesses, structuring roles so founders lead technology while professional operators run execution and growth.

Battery and Logistics Automation Talent Access

Our team has a documented history of recruiting leaders from EV battery automation and warehouse automation companies, bringing specialized applications expertise to integrators entering those markets.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Scale-Up Plan Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the founder, board, and investor to define the founder’s ongoing role, the program pipeline, execution and engineering gaps, and risk tolerance, producing five executive profiles aligned with the scale-up plan.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting presidents, program execution, controls engineering, robotics applications, and business development leaders at automation integrators, robotics OEMs, EV and battery automation suppliers, and warehouse automation companies who had led documented large program deliveries. Over 400 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of partnering with founders, executing $40M-plus automation programs on schedule, building controls and software engineering organizations, delivering battery module and pack or automated distribution center lines, and winning enterprise automation programs through structured proposals. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists completed working sessions with the founder, presented scale-up plans to the board and investor, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified program execution and growth outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 400+ automation integration, robotics, and industrial engineering executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning president, program execution, controls engineering, robotics applications, and business development within seven months.
• Delivered the first two $40M-plus programs on schedule with no liquidated damages.
• Tripled the controls and software engineering team.
• Grew backlog from $70M to $310M.
• Grew revenue from $120M to $340M within three years.