General Manager Europe & RoW

General Manager Europe & RoW

About VAT Group

At VAT, we change the world with vacuum solutions. As the world's leading supplier of high-performance vacuum valves, we have been driving innovation for more than 60 years. With over 3,200 employees worldwide, we operate from our headquarters in , Switzerland, with manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania, as well as sales and service hubs around the world. We guided by our passions integrity, teamwork, customer centricity, and innovation - always working together as #oneVAT.

Joining us means becoming part of a passionate, international team where your voice is heard, your ideas matter, and your career growth is supported.

General Manager Europe & RoW

Business Unit: Global & Marketing
Reports to: Senior Vice President Global

We are looking for a commercially driven and strategically minded General Manager to lead our Europe & Rest of World business. This role combines executive customer engagement, multi-country commercial leadership, operational business management, and organizational development in a highly international matrix environment.

The majority of the business is based in Europe, with additional responsibility for selected distributor and channel markets globally. The role plays a key part in driving commercial excellence, operational effectiveness, and future growth initiatives across VAT's business units.

We are seeking a visible and inspiring business leader who combines strategic thinking with a strong execution mindset. The successful candidate builds followership through credibility, presence, and results, while creating an environment where people can grow, perform, and succeed.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead the Europe & RoW commercial organization across multiple countries and business units
• Own regional business performance, including revenue growth, forecasting, budgeting, and operational business reviews
• Drive profitable growth across Semiconductor, Advanced Industrial Vacuum (ADV), and Global Service business areas
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with strategic customers and partners
• Act as an executive escalation point and trusted customer interface for key accounts
• Translate global business unit strategies into effective regional go-to-market execution plans
• Drive pipeline quality, field activity, customer engagement, and commercial KPI discipline across the organization
• Strengthen market coverage models, territory segmentation, and customer prioritization strategies
• Partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders across , Service, Operations, IT, Operations, and Business Units
• Identify opportunities to improve business efficiency, digitalization, and operational effectiveness
• Support the development of new commercial and service business models to accelerate growth
• Develop and strengthen leadership capabilities and succession pipelines within the regional organization
• a collaborative, pragmatic, and high-performance culture within an international matrix environment
• Lead through influence, alignment, and accountability rather than hierarchy alone
• Stay close to customers and teams across the region through regular field engagement and international collaboration
• Act as a highly visible leader, engaging directly with customers and teams to create alignment, momentum, and business impact

Your Profile

• 10+ years of leadership experience within semiconductor, vacuum technology, or comparable high-tech industrial environments
• Proven experience leading regional commercial organizations with multi-country responsibility
• Strong understanding of the semiconductor and/or vacuum technology ecosystem in Europe
• Experience managing strategic OEM or key account customer relationships at executive level
• Demonstrated ownership of regional business performance, including forecasting, financial reviews, and operational management
• Strong commercial leadership capability combined with strategic business thinking
• Experience working successfully within global matrix organizations
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence across functions and stakeholders
• Strong coaching and talent development mindset
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on mentality with the ability to drive execution pragmatically
• Comfortable balancing strategic topics with operational business management
• Experience driving commercial excellence, process improvements, or business transformation initiatives
• Technically credible with the ability to engage confidently in customer and engineering discussions
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across cultures and organizational levels
• Recognized as a charismatic and authentic leader who builds trust and naturally connects with people across organizational levels and cultures
• Fast thinker with the ability to quickly assess complex situations, make sound decisions, and translate strategy into action
• Highly execution-oriented, combining pace, pragmatism, and accountability to consistently deliver results
• Passionate about developing people and building high-performing teams, with a proven track record of coaching future leaders
• Resilient and adaptable, thriving in dynamic environments and leading effectively through change
• Fluent in English

Additional Information

• International travel required (~30%)
• Main business focus: Europe, with selected distributor/channel markets globally