Interim General Manager - Food & Beverage Logistics at xNorth - Executive Interim Management

Interim General Manager – Food & Beverage Logistics

Location: Montreal 

Duration: 12 months 

About the Company

Our client is a specialized logistics services provider operating mission-critical supply chain and distribution contracts for major food and beverage organizations. The company is currently experiencing operational disruption, performance challenges, and structural gaps requiring immediate leadership reinforcement.

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Interim General Manager with a proven track record in stabilizing operations, restructuring processes, and leading turnaround environments in logistics or food & beverage supply chains.

Mandate

To take control of day-to-day operations, bring stability, structure, and accountability, secure client confidence, and drive operational and contractual improvements during a period of crisis and transformation.

Key Responsibilities:

Operational Stabilization & Leadership

• Assume full P&L and operational responsibility for the organization.
• Instill discipline, structure, governance, and prioritization across the business.
• Assess current performance, risks, and systemic failures; act swiftly to mitigate them.
• Strengthen daily execution, KPI visibility, and decision-making cadence.
• Build trust with teams and create a culture of accountability.

Client & Contract Management

• Re-establish confidence with key client accounts across the food & beverage sector.
• Ensure operational commitments are met and contractual service levels recovered.
• Review existing contracts, obligations, risks, and profitability.
• Implement proactive client communication practices and escalation protocols.

Operational Excellence & Business Structuring

• Map and redesign logistics processes, service flows, reporting lines, and controls.
• Implement rigorous planning, scheduling, and performance monitoring mechanisms.
• Drive efficiency, reduce waste, and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
• Secure compliance with food safety standards, traceability, regulatory policies, and quality frameworks.

People & Team Leadership

• Assess leadership capability and organization design; clarify roles and accountability.
• Mobilize and motivate employees through turbulent conditions.
• Develop successors and strengthen middle-management capabilities.

Turnaround & Change Leadership

• Define near-term priorities, stabilization milestones, and recovery roadmap.
• Deliver operational quick wins in the first 60–90 days.
• Prepare the business for long-term performance improvement and scalable operations.

Profile & Qualifications

• 15+ years in logistics, warehousing, supply chain management, or transportation.
• Strong background managing food & beverage sector clients or temperature-controlled operations.
• Proven leadership in turnaround or restructuring situations as GM or Director of Operations.
• Experience in contract accountability, customer escalation, and service reliability.
• Decisive, assertive, and action-oriented.
• Capable of stepping into chaos, bringing clarity, and executing rapidly.
• Strong stakeholder communicator and crisis stabilizer.
• Relentless focus on operational discipline and measurable results.
• P&L management, budgeting, and cost improvement.
• Warehouse & distribution operations (preferably refrigerated/food logistics).
• Quality, compliance, food safety, and risk management.