Country Manager, Germany - for a market leader in container road transport

Are you an experienced, operational road transport & logistics professional with strong leadership skills and a commercial mindset? Would you like to be the spearhead of an ambitious growth strategy securing the company’s position among the best performing in the industry. Are you passionate about managing change for growth using your great talent for creating a positive and inspiring working environment?

If so, we may have the perfect job for you!

The company

Our client, ANCOTRANS, operates in the transport and logistics industry with a focus on container road transport solutions. They also offer solutions in rail, intermodal and to a lesser extend tank and trailer. ANCOTRANS is one of Denmark’s oldest family-owned and family-managed companies. They have around 900 trucks and 2000 chassis in daily rotation throughout Europe with offices in several key cities throughout their core markets in Germany, Benelux, Sweden, and Denmark. They have more than 450 employees and around 600 subcontractors, all of whom keep the wheels turning handling more than 335.000 yearly transports.

Currently, Denmark and Sweden constitute 2/3 of the activities, and Benelux and Germany constitute 1/3. But as ANCOTRANS is already the market leader in Denmark the biggest potential lies outside of Denmark with Germany being an important strategic area.

For ANCOTRANS, Landau Headhunting is searching for a Country Manager, who will be given the full P&L responsibility for the German business entity, including the strategic management and leadership responsibility of 26 FTE’s in Commercial & Planning.

ANCOTRANS’ three German sites are located in Hamburg (headquarter), Cologne and Stuttgart. Currently, they run a total of 130 trucks in Germany, 87 owned by ANCOTRANS and 43 subcontractors, and the number of subcontractors is expected to rise over the coming years. Turnover in 2024 was EUR 26 Mio.

ANCOTRANS’ Fleet department with 4 FTE’s and around 115 truckdrivers is also part of the P&L but is managed separately by the Fleet Manager, who reports to Group COO.

The job

The German market position is an important focus area that ANCOTRANS wishes to strengthen. Therefore, we are looking for a strong strategic, operational and highly commercially oriented profile, who can drive an ambitious growth journey, enter the untapped markets and lead the German subsidiary to the next level, thereby securing the company’s position among the best-performing in the industry. Reporting to ANCOTRANS’ CCO/Vice-CEO in Denmark you will be part of the ANCOTRANS’ extended Management Team together with Executive Management and the other Country Managers.

The role requires an experienced operational road transport professional. You have a targeted approach to enhance revenue and profitability and streamline the business in a market characterized by both opportunities and challenges. The dispatchers are the backbone of the business, and as Country Manager you must have a good understanding of the operations in general. However, your daily task will consist of building and managing the Commercial team, showing the way by generating a positive outlook and an open culture as well as visiting and discussing solutions with clients.

Being a close sparring-partner to your Management Team, you will ensure that the entire organization is managed in a way that continuously secures a strong and well-functioning company. You need to know how to delegate and how to involve the organization, while at the same time having hands on towards customers and new bizz. The role requires that you are able to:

• Fully understand the essence of road transportation operations
• Ensure a communicative, strategic and commercial approach being a proactive forerunner, prepared for a future with increasing competition
• Demonstrate dedicated and close collaboration with your Management Team, providing full support and sparring to all functions
• Implement the needed organizational changes to improve and streamline the business and ensure that the organization at all times is structured in a way that supports the growth and profitability aspiration
• Work with a constantly improved cost base ensuring a continuous growth
• Ensure high engagement amongst employees and constant professional/personal development at all levels
• Ensure a collaborative and efficient feedback culture in the organization and be visible towards internal as well as external stakeholders
• Ensure a continuous improved positioning; protect, promote and enhance the positive brand, image and reputation of the company
• Increase awareness and improved image in the German market based on the core values and competencies of the company
• Meet the financial requirements to accomplish the overall group strategy.

You can expect some travel activity (30-50 days yearly) between the three German sites, for client visits and occasionally to Denmark or other ANCOTRANS sites.

Your professional profile

Your educational background is not key, as long as you have demonstrated that you can operate at a strategic level, and you possess the following professional skills:

• Commercial and operational experience with road transport
• Experience in finding new ways of deliveries, new partnerships and new clients
• Proven business leadership experience with full P&L responsibility, overall responsibility for clients and strategic decisions
• Extensive senior leadership experience including remote management and solid people management skills. Ability to manage teams through your non-authoritarian charisma
• Extensive financial skills including the ability to present the financial information in an exciting, relevant and understandable way
• Experience in turnaround processes and driving growth
• Skilled in analyzing market trends (e.g. more green solutions – going towards 100% Co2 neutral), competitor activities, and industry changes to create strategic advantages
• Capable of transforming customer and market insights into actionable business strategies that promote growth, profitability, and a competitive edge
• German and English proficiency with great knowledge of the German market.

Your personal characteristics

Apart from your professional skills, strong emphasis is put on your personal profile. We are looking for a skilled people manager and visible change leader who can encourage a proactive working culture, however, with a positive spirit and an ability to engage and motivate. Focus is on the following personal traits:

• Strategic and analytical mindset
• Profit-hunter and driven by KPI’s
• Resilient with great communication skills
• A natural curiosity about people, processes and business
• Ability to foster a strong and engaged culture
• Systematic data/process driven approach with a keen eye for details
• A natural understanding and appreciation of the core values of the company
• Commercial mindset with deep insights into customer needs and market dynamics. You understand how to identify and anticipate customers and actively leverage this knowledge to develop tailored transport solutions that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Ability to motivate and challenge the Commercial & Planning team toward growth and continuous improvement
• A corporate mindset with the ability to create synergy and optimize across business units in Germany and other countries within the ANCOTRANS Group.

This is an exciting job in an international company that guarantees you excellent development opportunities and a high level of influence. The work environment is informal, and you are offered good working conditions incorporating flexibility and freedom with responsibility.

Interested?

Please apply as soon as possible via the link below by uploading your CV and application in English. For any questions, feel free to contact Founder/CEO Mette Landau from Landau Headhunting at +45 2190 2188.

Country Manager, Germany - for a market leader in container road transport - LandauHeadhunting.com