Chief Executive Officer
Quaestus Leadership Innovators, Netherlands

The organization

Axxor is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of paper honeycomb. In 1993 Wieger Wiegersma founded the basis for Axxor, which now has manufacturing facilities across multiple continents and supplies paper honeycomb around the world. Now, 25+ years later, Axxor continues to expand, serving a variety of industries and employing around 140 people. Production takes place in Europe (The Netherlands and Poland) and America (Danville) on state-of-the art production lines developed in-house. Axxor is supplying honeycomb to multiple industries on 5 continents. The focus industries are furniture, packaging amp; displays, automotive and construction. Axxor specializes in integrating innovative, sustainable, and lowest total cost of ownership solutions into their customer's process.

At Axxor, sustainability is part of their mission and is woven into the way of working. By developing and applying innovative solutions and usage of paper honeycomb, Axxor is able to reduce waste, weight and costs in collaboration with their customers. Axxor is also known for their holistic approach to solving customers problems, with that they value their promises of being the best in the market, continuous improvement, business contingency and building long term relationships with their customers, suppliers and (in)direct community. The aim of the company is to excel in Operational Excellence and differentiate strongly on Customer Intimacy.

Axxor has a strong focus on people. They see employees as their greatest asset. By implementing collective learning systems, the company facilitates craftmanship and technological innovation within individuals. They seek to provide a culture that is open, safe and promotes teamwork within and between functions. At Axxor they are the happiest when they are innovating and learning together, and they are highly driven to further develop their craft.

Since 2021 regional venture capital firm Wadinko has taken a minority share in Axxor. There is no exit strategy. Wadinko is an entrepreneurial investment company with a social mission to stimulate healthy regional activity and employment in Overijssel, the Noordoostpolder and Southwest Drenthe.

Responsibilities

• Ultimately responsible for strategy, people and ecology, leading to financial results.
• Formulate and implement an adequate long-term strategy.
• Set priorities and focus the organization on core initiatives that drive growth.
• Work with the leadership team to ensure that the agreed results are achieved.
• Create a learning environment in which people feel safe to speak up and take initiative.
• Initiate and lead change processes to strengthen the internal organization.
• Contribute actively to successful business development.
• Explore and realize expansion to other European countries.
• Build long-term relationships with strategic partners and clients internationally.
• Functioning as a figurehead for the entire organization, both internally and externally.
• Team up with the CEO of the USA in the so-called Steering Committee regarding Marketing, ICT, Technology, and certain Finance topics.
• Collaborate with and report to shareholders Wieger Wiegersma and Wadinko.

Requirements

• Master's degree for example in Business Administration or Technology.
• Broad functional experience with a specialization in marketing and sales.
• Proven ability to leverage a niche proposition.
• Experience in asset heavy continuous production companies.
• Experience leading a mid-sized company, ideally family owned.
• Successful track record in growing topline sales through new product-market combinations.
• Experience with initiating and implementing industrial alliances.
• Proven ability to arrange and develop high performing teams through servant leadership.
• Used to working in an international setting.
• Adequate command of the English and German language.
• Living within an hour of Axxor's head office in Zwolle.
• Willing and able to travel throughout Europe.

Job Rewards and Benefits