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Supply · US · Embedded · Q3 2025

COO succession plus full supply-chain leadership build at a $1.2B distributor

4
Senior hires
11w
Cycle
100%
12-mo stick

They didn't just replace our COO — they rebuilt the whole layer underneath, as one coordinated team instead of four separate searches.

The challenge

A $1.2B distributor needed to replace a retiring COO while simultaneously rebuilding the supply-chain leadership layer beneath the role — VP Supply, Head of Distribution and Director of S&OP — rather than filling one seat and leaving the rest of the org to absorb the gap.

The four roles were interdependent enough that hiring them sequentially risked each new leader inheriting a still-forming team beneath them.

What we did

Rivago embedded a partner and research analyst on-site for the engagement, running all four searches in parallel against a leadership structure agreed with the CEO upfront rather than four independent briefs. The incoming COO, once identified, was looped into the remaining three searches before their own start date.

Relocation was handled end-to-end for two of the four finalists, coordinated directly with the client's HR team to keep start dates aligned across the new leadership group.

They didn't just replace our COO — they rebuilt the whole layer underneath, as one coordinated team instead of four separate searches.

CEO, $1.2B distributor

The outcome

All four roles were filled within an 11-week cycle, with the full leadership group starting within weeks of each other. All four hires remain in place past the twelve-month mark.

At a glance
Client typeNational distributor
IndustrySupply chain & operations
EngagementEmbedded, coordinated leadership build
Team size delivered4 senior hires in 11 weeks

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