Managing Director in Chesterfield

Managing Director

Orangebox

South Wales / London Showroom / Field-based

Nigel Wright are partnering with Orangebox to appoint a Managing Director for one of the UK’s most distinctive workplace furniture brands.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a respected, design-led business with a strong heritage, talented people, loyal dealer relationships and the backing of a global workplace furnishings group.

Orangebox is entering an important new chapter. Following a period of market change, leadership transition and strategic refocus, the business now has clear priorities around profitable growth, dealer development, operational excellence, customer experience and long-term sustainable growth.

The Opportunity

This is not a role about maintaining the status quo.

The foundations are in place, the strategy is clearer, and there is genuine appetite across the business for visible, commercially focused and people-centred leadership.

The Managing Director will have the opportunity to shape the next phase of Orangebox, strengthening its position in the UK market whilst developing selected EMEA growth opportunities.

The successful candidate will inherit a business with a strong identity, recognised products, committed people and significant untapped potential. The opportunity is to unlock that potential through stronger commercial performance, improved customer and dealer experience, operational simplification and a culture of accountability and empowerment.

The Business

Founded in South Wales, Orangebox has built its reputation by challenging conventional thinking about the workplace.

The business designs, manufactures and delivers innovative workplace furniture solutions, including collaborative environments, acoustic pods, workplace seating and modular systems. Through a strong dealer-led route to market, Orangebox works with dealers, designers, architects, specifiers and end clients across the UK and internationally.

The business combines design excellence, manufacturing expertise and customer focus with a culture that remains entrepreneurial, collaborative and people-centred.

Today, Orangebox is part of a global workplace furnishings group, creating exciting opportunities to leverage wider capabilities, scale and international reach while retaining the distinctive identity that has made the brand successful.

The Role

Reporting to the Steelcase President EMEA, the Managing Director will hold full accountability for strategy, commercial performance, operations, people, governance and financial results.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing the leadership team to deliver sustainable profitable growth.
• Driving revenue, margin and profitability improvements across the business.
• Strengthening the dealer-led route-to-market strategy across the UK and selected EMEA markets.
• Building strong relationships with key dealer partners dealers, customers, designers, architects and key industry stakeholders.
• Improving commercial disciplines around pricing, forecasting, sales effectiveness and market performance.
• Supporting operational improvement and business resilience across manufacturing, supply chain, customer service and delivery.
• Preserving and enhancing the positive culture that already exists with greater emphasis on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Acting as the key link between Orangebox and the wider group, ensuring the business benefits from broader capabilities while preserving its unique culture and identity.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for an authentic, commercially minded leader who combines strategic thinking with operational pragmatism.

You are likely to bring:

• Full P&L leadership experience within a business of relevant scale and complexity.
• A proven track record of delivering profitable growth and business transformation.
• Experience leading multi-functional teams across commercial, operational and people disciplines.
• Strong understanding of pricing, margin, product mix and value creation.
• Experience operating through dealer, distributor or partner-led sales channels.
• The ability to balance entrepreneurial thinking with commercial discipline and governance.
• Experience working within larger group or matrix environments.
• The credibility to build relationships with board-level stakeholders, customers, dealers and employees alike.
• A visible, collaborative and people-centred leadership style.

Experience within contract furniture is not essential. We are equally interested in leaders from design-led, premium product manufacturing, interiors, architectural products, building products or other specification-led B2B environments.

Why This Role Stands Out

This is a genuine opportunity to shape the future of a respected UK brand.

Orangebox combines strong design credentials, manufacturing capability, talented people and an enviable market reputation. The business has already begun its transformation journey and now requires a leader capable of accelerating momentum, improving performance and unlocking further growth.

For the right individual, this role offers the opportunity to:

• Lead a recognised and respected design-led brand.
• Shape long-term strategy and direction.
• Build a high-performing culture.
• Drive meaningful commercial and operational improvement.
• Develop UK and international growth opportunities.
• Combine the agility of a specialist business with the backing of a major global group.

This is an opportunity for a commercially ambitious leader to leave a lasting impact on a business with significant potential and a compelling future.