Executive Search Success Story: Recruiting a Chief Information Officer to Rescue a Stalled ERP Program and Modernize Technology for a Multi-Site Industrial Manufacturer
How JRG Partners executed a confidential North American executive search that equipped a privately held multi-site industrial manufacturer with a Chief Information Officer and technology leadership required to recover a stalled enterprise resource planning program, stabilize legacy systems, build cybersecurity and data foundations, and turn technology from a cost center into an enabler of operational performance.
Engagement Snapshot
| Client | Confidential — privately held diversified industrial manufacturer with $1.3B in annual revenue and fourteen plants (name withheld at client’s request) |
| Industry | Industrial Manufacturing — Privately Held Company — encompassing ERP program recovery, legacy system modernization, cybersecurity and infrastructure, manufacturing and plant systems, and technology organization build |
| Geography | North America — wide-scale candidate mapping across industrial and manufacturing technology organizations, chief information officers with ERP program experience, and technology leaders from multi-site operating companies |
| Engagement | Confidential retained search — CIO replacement with ERP recovery, technology modernization, and organization build mandate |
| Roles Searched | Chief Information Officer, VP of Enterprise Applications & ERP Program, Director of Infrastructure & Cybersecurity |
| Talent Assessed | 280+ industrial technology executives evaluated across the industry |
| Timeline | CIO placed in 49 days; applications and infrastructure leadership deployed within five months |
The Challenge
A privately held diversified industrial manufacturer had launched a multi-year ERP program to replace a patchwork of legacy systems across fourteen plants, but two years and $40M in, the program was eighteen months behind schedule, the first go-live had disrupted order fulfillment, and the CIO who sponsored it had departed. Legacy systems were unsupported, a ransomware incident at a peer had alarmed the board, and plant leaders had lost confidence in corporate technology. Executive leadership identified several critical vulnerabilities threatening the business:
- A $40M ERP program eighteen months behind schedule with a failed first go-live that disrupted customer fulfillment
- A CIO departure leaving the program and technology organization without leadership
- Unsupported legacy systems across fourteen plants creating operational and security exposure
- Cybersecurity capability inadequate for an industrial company with operational technology on plant floors
- Plant leadership resistant to corporate technology initiatives after the go-live failure
- Ownership and board concern about continued investment without a credible recovery plan
Recognizing that the program and the technology organization required a proven industrial CIO, the CEO and ownership engaged JRG Partners to recruit a Chief Information Officer, supported by a VP of Enterprise Applications & ERP Program and a Director of Infrastructure & Cybersecurity. The company required an executive search partner with deep industrial expertise and access to technology leaders who had recovered troubled ERP programs and modernized technology in multi-site manufacturers.
Why They Chose JRG Partners
CIO and CTO Search Specialization
JRG Partners maintains a dedicated practice for Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer searches across industrial, consumer, healthcare, services, and technology companies, with a proven methodology for evaluating candidates on program delivery, modernization leadership, security and risk management, and business partnership.
Industrial Technology Experience
Our team has extensive experience recruiting technology leaders for multi-site manufacturers, with a clear understanding of ERP program dynamics, plant systems and operational technology, and the change management required to win plant leadership support.
Privately Held Company Expertise
JRG Partners possesses deep experience serving privately held and family-owned industrial companies, evaluating leadership style and cultural fit alongside technical credentials to ensure a durable placement alongside ownership.
Our Executive Search Strategy
Phase 1 — Program & Technology Review
Our consultants partnered directly with the CEO, ownership, CFO, and plant leadership to review the ERP program status, legacy system risk, cybersecurity posture, organizational capability, and the relationship between corporate technology and operations. This review defined a CIO profile combining ERP recovery leadership, industrial modernization, and operational credibility.
Phase 2 — Talent Identification & Mapping
Our research team performed an extensive talent mapping initiative targeting chief information officers and senior technology leaders at industrial and multi-site manufacturing companies who had led documented ERP recoveries and modernizations. Over 280 executives were systematically assessed across these sectors.
Phase 3 — Candidate Engagement
Priority during outreach was given to leaders with a documented history of recovering troubled ERP programs, delivering multi-site go-lives without operational disruption, modernizing legacy infrastructure, building industrial cybersecurity programs, and earning plant leadership trust. Only candidates meeting these strict performance baselines advanced.
Phase 4 — Selection Process
Finalists presented an ERP recovery and technology modernization plan to the CEO, ownership, and plant leadership, completed structured leadership assessments, and underwent reference verification focused on quantified program, modernization, and security outcomes.
Results Delivered
JRG Partners successfully completed the mandate, placing a Chief Information Officer and supporting applications and infrastructure leadership.
- CIO Appointed: A former CIO of a multi-site industrial manufacturer who had recovered two troubled ERP programs joined within 49 days.
- ERP Program Recovered: A re-scoped program with revised governance, phased deployment, and plant-led change management completed all fourteen plant go-lives within twenty months with no customer disruption.
- Legacy Risk Eliminated: Unsupported systems were retired and infrastructure modernized, removing operational and security exposure.
- Cybersecurity Built: An industrial cybersecurity program covering enterprise and operational technology was implemented, with board-level reporting established.
- Operations Partnership Restored: Plant leadership engagement in technology governance rebuilt trust, and plant-level productivity tools were delivered on the new platform.
- Technology Value Demonstrated: Unified data and reporting from the ERP platform supported inventory reduction and margin improvement initiatives led by operations.
Key Outcomes
- 280+ industrial technology executive profiles mapped across North America.
- Placed an ERP-recovery CIO in 49 days.
- Completed fourteen plant go-lives within twenty months with no customer disruption.
- Retired unsupported legacy systems and modernized infrastructure.
- Built an enterprise and operational technology cybersecurity program with board reporting.
- Restored plant leadership confidence in corporate technology.
Planning a Confidential CIO Search for an ERP Program or Technology Modernization?
JRG Partners recruits Chief Information Officers, Chief Technology Officers, and senior technology leadership for privately held, private-equity-backed, and public companies across industrial, consumer, healthcare, services, and technology sectors in North America — discreetly, and with deep sector expertise.
Connect with our CIO and CTO search experts today to discuss your mandate.
Connect With Our CIO & CTO Search Experts