Locker Group
Originally established in Warrington in 1878, the quality of workmanship and spirit of innovation that defined Locker Group then, still holds true today more than ever. Founded as one of the original wire-cloth manufacturers, metal perforators and screening engineers in Warrington, over the last 140 years the business has evolved to be one of the leading names in wire mesh industries.
Commercial Director
To capitalise on some strong commercial performance over recent years, in late 2024 Locker Group decided to retain Sherrington Associates to carry out a targeted search for a new Commercial Director. This would be a new leadership position in the organisation, working closely with the CEO and other senior managers to drive commercial growth across two key areas of the business, namely Locker Architectural (a leading provider of wire products to the construction sector) and Locker Wire Weavers (the largest subsidiary within the group and one of Europe's largest providers of woven wire mesh).
To achieve the group's growth ambitions, the new Commercial Director would need to bring a wealth of experience in relevant sectors, ideally with technical knowledge of woven wire mesh, as well as a rounded understanding of Locker's main customer markets, along with an excellent record of commercial leadership and sales management.
The Search
After investing time with the leadership team to gain a clear understanding of the requirements for this senior position, our team worked with the Chair and CEO to define a clear candidate profile. A recruitment pack was developed and our researchers commenced identification and mapping in Autumn 2024. In order to assemble a long-list of senior-level candidates with relevant industry experience, painstaking desk research was carried out to identify candidates from competitor organisations, whilst our consultants used their extensive network to approach candidates from adjacent sectors where high calibre leftfield matches could be attracted.
After several weeks of thorough research into Locker Group's competitors, during which the client received weekly updates on key targets, a long-list was presented to the client which consisted of ten candidates, each with different strengths in relation to the role. After selecting the strongest at an in-person long-listing meeting with the client, our team progressed to interview a shortlist of eight at our offices in Chester and online. Candidates were asked to complete psychometrics and values assessments and results were scrutinised at interview.
Finally after a robust and thorough selection excercise, we presented the final six candidates for the client to interview.
The Result
After completing their own two-stage selection process, our clients at Locker Group were thrilled to conclude the search with the appointment of Jim Robertson, formerly the National Sales Manager at key competitor Wire Belt Company. Jim joined Locker as the new Commercial Director in December 2024, bringing with him over 30+ year's experience in the sector.
Commenting on the appointment, clients at Locker Group said how pleased they were to be presented with such a strong selection of relevant industry candidates.
