Case Study

Natara Global: Hiring a Global Procurement Director to expand commercial capabilities

Two men in shirts with high vis vests and helmets, standing with a laptop in a factory.

In Summary

Natara Global is a PE-backed leading supplier of natural and synthetic "base aromas", which are the key inputs for the manufacturing of more complex flavours, into the resilient food ingredients end market. Natara Global, formally known as FSI (Flavour Speciality Ingredients), was acquired by Exponent, and now operates from manufacturing facilities in the UK, USA and China with revenues of c.$100 million.

The Situation

Natara Global was seeking to enhance and expand its commercial leadership capability globally, with the scope to add several senior leadership roles. These roles would provide support driving strategic commercial initiatives and overseeing the strategic activities of Natara. Hiring these roles would be crucial in ensuring the company’s growth and success by developing and executing effective commercial strategies, enhancing customer experience, and optimizing marketing efforts to drive revenue/margin and market share.

BIE Executive was engaged to help achieve the company’s vision for growth, by supporting in the hiring of a Global Procurement Director.

The Solution

Due to this being a high-level leadership role the Global Procurement Director would be responsible for overseeing and managing the entirety of Natara’s procurement function. Therefore, the individual needed to be equipped for the role’s requirement for strategic planning, vendor management, cost optimisation, and collaboration with sales, operations and supply chain; to ensure the procurement process supported Natara’s objectives and financial goals.

BIE’s strong network of leaders was utilised to create a diverse shortlist of candidates who matched the requirements of the role. Through the means of research, BIE identified a detailed shortlist of candidates, which was followed up with the hiring manager, Jonathan Whitworth; Chief People Officer at Natara Global, and following a further round of shortlisting, five candidates were identified.

The Outcome

The appointment of this role was crucial for Natara as it focuses on their growth journey. The candidate chosen for the role was Kaus h ik Chauhan. Kaushik has experience operating in both international food and FMCG and private equity ventures, building out maturity within a function as well M&A. This experience was important as Natara needed a Global Procurement Director who knew how to navigate all these elements. Having Kaushik in place has allowed them to quickly address multiple strategic drivers; in particular, making significant contributions to improving product availability and customer service. This in turn has enabled the sales teams to win new work and remain competitive in this highly complex global market.

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Candidate's View

“Gareth and the BIE team were exemplary in their dealing of my employment search. Gareth took time to understand my aspirations and “needs/wants” for my future role and organisation. What stood out especially for me, was BIE’s sense of commitment to one’s success, with the team supporting me with insights, objectives, and facets for the various stages of the interview process at Natara. Often employment searches tend to be transactional and the candidate’s problem, but with Gareth and the BIE team it was as much their concern as my own which is unique and appreciated!”

Kaushik Chauhan, Global Procurement Director at Natara Global

Client's View

“Kaushik brought a wealth of experience to the role and was able to draw on this to very quickly develop a plan to address areas of urgent concern. He has brought rigour and discipline to Natara’s procurement function and activities and has identified multiple opportunities to drive cost out whilst strengthening security and quality of supply, thus freeing up cash to invest elsewhere for growth and improving reliability for Natara’s customers.”

Johnathan Whitworth, Chief People Officer at Natara Global