Head of Operations
Flamingo International is one of the world’s leading growers, processors, and suppliers of fresh cut flowers, house plants, garden plants, and premium fresh produce. With over 22,000 employees globally, the business farms more than 1,300 hectares across Kenya and Ethiopia, and partners with over 900 growers in 19 countries to supply the UK and EU with exceptional-quality products.
Brief
Our mandate was to identify a forward-thinking, innovative Head of Operations to take full responsibility for:
Leading and optimising the vegetable operations
Overseeing production planning, workflow, and operational efficiency
Continuously improving systems, processes, and equipment performance
Driving operational excellence across fresh produce supply chain functions
A key part of the brief was to deliver a shortlist made up of:
Candidates with direct fresh produce or horticulture experience
Transferable talent from FMCG manufacturing, food production, agriculture, or wider supply chain operations
Senior operational leaders with a track record of improvement, innovation, and people development
The perfect candidate needed to combine technical operations expertise, strong leadership, and a values-driven mindset aligned with Flamingo’s culture.
Our Recruitment Approach
Our Business Director, Giuseppe Leo, led the search. Following a comprehensive briefing with Flamingo's leadership, we defined:
The ideal candidate profile
Key operational competencies
Transferable industry backgrounds
The interview structure
Clear timescales and milestones
Targeted Search & Market Mapping
We immediately activated our extensive fresh produce and food manufacturing network, built through long-standing industry relationships. Many of these individuals are passive candidates, but due to our understanding of their long-term career ambitions, we could engage the right talent with confidence.
We complemented this with:
Detailed market mapping across fresh produce, food production, FMCG, and agriculture
Targeted headhunting across relevant operations leadership roles
Screening for technical capability, leadership style, cultural alignment, and sector knowledge
Outcome
Flamingo successfully appointed their new Head of Operations, who has quickly settled into the role and is already adding value after just four weeks. Feedback from both the candidate and the client has been extremely positive.
This project reinforces Alexander Steele’s approach: quality over quantity, long-term partnerships, and a genuine focus on people, relationships, and sector expertise. When these elements combine, successful outcomes follow naturally.