Executive Search Success Story: Rebuilding Operations and Supply Chain Leadership for an Electronics Manufacturing Services Provider Reshoring Production

How JRG Partners executed a confidential, multi-role North American executive search strategy that equipped a mid-market electronics manufacturing services provider with the operations, supply chain, quality, engineering, and commercial leadership required to reshore production from Asia, win aerospace, defense, and medical customers, and recover margins eroded by component shortages.

The Challenge

A family-owned EMS provider had built its business on consumer and industrial electronics manufactured largely in Asia, but tariffs, component shortages, and customer demands for domestic and nearshore supply had changed the market. Margins had fallen below 5% as component costs and expediting consumed profit, customers in aerospace, defense, and medical were demanding certifications the company lacked, and the second-generation owners recognized the leadership team that had built the Asia model could not lead the reshoring. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the business:

• Gross margins below 5% driven by component shortages, expediting, and tariff exposure
• Production concentrated in Asia while customers demanded domestic and nearshore supply
• No AS9100, ITAR, or ISO 13485 capability required by targeted regulated-market customers
• Component supply chain reliant on brokers with limited supplier relationships and visibility
• Limited design, test, and new product introduction engineering to win higher-value programs
• A commercial organization concentrated in consumer and industrial customers facing offshore competition

Recognizing that the reshoring strategy required a new leadership capability, the owners and board engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Operating Officer, VP of Global Supply Chain, VP of Quality & Regulatory Compliance, VP of Engineering & New Product Introduction, and Chief Commercial Officer. The company required an executive search partner with deep electronics manufacturing expertise and access to leaders from regulated-market EMS and OEM companies.

Why They Chose JRG Partners

Semiconductor & Electronics Manufacturing Focus

JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice serving semiconductor and electronics manufacturing companies, including EMS providers, printed circuit board and component manufacturers, and OEM electronics operations, with a clear understanding of reshoring economics, component supply dynamics, and regulated-market requirements.

Reshoring and Footprint Experience

Our firm has extensive experience recruiting operations and supply chain executives who have redesigned global manufacturing footprints and built domestic and nearshore capacity.

Family-Owned Business Experience

Our team works routinely with family-owned manufacturers introducing professional executive leadership, with a clear understanding of ownership dynamics and cultural fit.

Our Executive Search Strategy

Phase 1 — Strategy Alignment

Our consultants partnered directly with the owners, board, and advisors to review margin drivers, footprint plans, certification requirements, supply chain structure, and target customer segments, defining five executive profiles aligned with the reshoring and diversification strategy.

Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping

Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting operations, supply chain, quality, engineering, and commercial executives at EMS providers, OEM electronics manufacturers, and regulated-industry manufacturers who had led documented footprint transformations and regulated-market entries. Over 420 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.

Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement

Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of reshoring or nearshoring production, building direct component supplier relationships, achieving AS9100, ITAR, and ISO 13485 certifications, establishing NPI engineering, and winning aerospace, defense, and medical programs. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.

Phase 4 — Selection Process

Finalists presented transformation plans to the owners and board, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified margin, footprint, certification, and commercial outcomes.

Key Outcomes

• 420+ electronics manufacturing and supply chain executive profiles mapped across North America.
• Successfully placed a synchronized leadership tier spanning operations, supply chain, quality, engineering, and commercial within seven months.
• Reduced material cost by 9% and expediting spend by 70%.
• Achieved AS9100, ITAR, and ISO 13485 within fourteen months.
• Grew regulated-market revenue from 8% to 31% of the total.
• Improved gross margin from below 5% to 12.5% within two years.