CEO at AB Graphic

The Company 

A B Graphic International (ABG) is a family-owned capital equipment precision engineering business that designs, manufactures, and supplies a highly innovative range of print finishing equipment to an international customer base. With over 60 years of experience, ABG has become a global market leader. Over 90% of sales are generated from customers outside of the UK – with North America and mainland Europe its two largest regions by turnover.  

Employing around 460 people, the company has its head office in Bridlington, North Yorkshire, which is also a key manufacturing location, with sister sites in the UK, Spain and Germany.  

The Role 

With their current CEO announcing his intention to retire from his role during the course of 2024, the board asked us to help to appoint a candidate as Designate CEO, to work with the incumbent for a period of up to 12 months, to allow an orderly handover of responsibilities and enable the new appointee to ultimately succeed him as the CEO of the organisation.  

The Search 

Our task was to find a proven MD / CEO who could take over as the steward of the family-owned business, enabling it to grow and prosper whilst respecting the DNA of the people and its culture that had enabled it to succeed for 60 years.  

It was essential that the successful candidate had the potential to be the CEO of ABG for the long-term, providing stability and continuity to the owners, employees, and customers, of ABG.  

With location being a key priority, we had to ensure the CEO was within commuting distance of Bridlington, or could relocate to the area. Through a considered process, which focused on CEO’s and MD’s from capital equipment manufacturing companies, across the UK, the company appointed an ex-Siemens executive, who has now assumed the role of CEO.  

The Client 

‘We appointed Jonathan to lead the search to find my successor, as the future CEO of the business, based on his previous success in helping us appoint a new Operations Director. With our location in East Yorkshire an important factor in the process, and the requirement to find an experienced and successful leader of a capital equipment business, this was always going to be a challenging search. Jonathan and his team had to work hard on our project by going back to the market on several occasions. Whilst I am sure that may have been frustrating at times, their professionalism always won through, and we eventually found the candidate we wanted. I would recommend Jonathan, and Berwick Partners for any similar strategic leadership roles.’ 

CEO 

A B Graphic International