Background
Volution is a UK-headquartered, FTSE-listed manufacturing group and a leading supplier of ventilation products across the UK, Continental Europe and Australasia. The business has grown rapidly through a combination of organic growth and acquisition , reaching c.£420m (2025) in revenue. Operating across multiple regions and manufacturing sites, Volution manages a highly decentralised technology estate supporting high-volume production environments.
As the business continues to develop and grow, leadership recognised that technology could play a far more strategic role in driving operational efficiency, innovation and resilience across the group.
The challenge
Volution identified the need for an expanded Group IT Director role to take end-to-end ownership of technology and define a group-wide IT strategy. While the business had strong regional IT leaders in the UK and Australia, there was no single role responsible for aligning technology direction, driving innovation, or challenging and developing regional teams.
The increasing prominence of AI and robotic process automation in manufacturing created a clear opportunity to unlock additional value through technology, while the rising threat of cyber risk highlighted the need for consistent, group-wide security policies. Volution required a leader who could influence stakeholders across regions, balance standardisation with local needs, and bring deep manufacturing sector experience to drive automation, efficiency and cost reduction across factories and the wider supply chain.
Solution
La Fosse Executive led a targeted search focused on CIOs and IT Directors from UK-based manufacturing and FMCG organisations with revenues between £300m–£1bn, as well as regional CIOs from larger global manufacturers with sizeable UK operations. The search prioritised leaders from low-margin, high-volume manufacturing environments most comparable to Volution’s operating model.
Our approach combined speed with full market coverage, ensuring access to the strongest technology leaders across the UK. Shortlisted candidates were identified from London, Manchester, Leeds and Sussex. Regular update calls were held with Volution’s CFO and Group HR Director to maintain alignment, with final-stage interviews conducted face-to-face with the CEO and CFO at La Fosse’s Victoria offices. Rapid debriefs enabled swift progression to offer for the preferred candidate.
Result
Volution appointed Jamie Linford, a highly experienced IT Director with more than 15 years in the manufacturing sector. Jamie brings deep expertise in AI implementation, robotic process automation and technology-led innovation, alongside a strong track record of delivering cybersecurity uplift across decentralised environments.
His appointment provides Volution with clear group-wide technology ownership for the first time, positioning the organisation to drive innovation, reduce cyber exposure, and improve operational efficiency across its global manufacturing footprint.
The search was completed in just 57 days from briefing to offer acceptance, demonstrating that thorough market coverage and pace can be achieved simultaneously.
“It was clear that a specialist technology executive search firm was required, rather than a generalist provider. La Fosse Executive stood out versus other firms considered, demonstrating significantly greater depth of understanding and clarity on the critical aspects of the brief. The search was handled thoughtfully and with pace. Some firms equate ‘quality’ with long timelines, heavy process and unnecessary presentations. The priority here was to move quickly but thoroughly, and La Fosse delivered on that. This is amongst the best executive searches I have ever run.”
Andy O’Brien, Chief Financial Officer, Volution
Date: January 2026
