The Leadership Bottleneck: Why Digital Transformation Gets Stuck in the Middle

If you've been in an MES hiring process recently and thought, "We're seeing people, but no one feels right," you're not alone.

The problem usually isn't volume. It's clarity.

Over my 10+ years recruiting senior MES and Smart Manufacturing talent, I've learned this:

A wide funnel doesn't solve a vague search.

Evidence:

I've stepped into dozens of searches where clients had already interviewed 10+ candidates... and still didn't feel confident pulling the trigger.

Why? Because the role wasn't properly scoped for senior, outcome-driven leadership. And the criteria were either:

• Too narrow (tools, not transformation)
• Too broad (no shared definition of success)
• Or misaligned across internal stakeholders

So even when good people showed up... no one moved.

Reframe:

Executive hiring isn't about finding more people. It's about attracting the right people, and giving them a mission worth saying yes to.

That starts with:

• An aligned, outcome-driven role brief
• A process that filters for real-world MES leadership DNA
• A narrative that resonates with top talent already leading major programs elsewhere

That's exactly what I build for clients , because "good enough" in MES leadership will cost you millions in slow adoption and invisible failure.

About Me:

I help CxOs in Smart Manufacturing hire elite VP- and Director-level MES leaders.

With over a decade in executive search and a podcast that gives me direct access to the people driving transformation, I know what it takes to attract , and land , top-tier talent in this space.

Not confident in your current shortlist? Message me "Reset" and I'll tell you , honestly , whether you're looking in the right place or just spinning your wheels.

Frequently Asked Questions