The Client:

Creapaper is an innovative German sustainable materials company that has developed an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood-pulp paper. Their core innovation produces high-quality paper manufactured from grass pulp, significantly reducing water consumption, energy use, and carbon emissions in the packaging and paper manufacturing sectors.

The Challenge:

Managing a high-stakes CEO transition away from a founder-led setup presented delicate cultural and operational hurdles. The founder was relinquishing operational control of a business they had built from the ground up, requiring immense diplomacy and governance alignment. Additionally, because the ideal candidate profile came from a traditional paper and packaging background rather than pure tech, navigating candidate expectations required a delicate balance of industry expertise and change management.

The Solution:

Gillespie Manners worked hand-in-hand with the board throughout the market mapping and selection process. We targeted commercial leaders with proven experience in scaling manufacturing and packaging enterprises and driving revenue growth in adjacent industrial markets, ensuring candidates possessed the emotional intelligence required to step into a founder-legacy environment.

The Outcome:

The incoming CEO successfully bridged the gap between the founder’s foundational vision and future market scale. By establishing professional governance while respecting the company’s entrepreneurial roots, the new leader unlocked fresh operational efficiencies and commercial partnerships across Europe.