Rochem International: Appointing a Chief Operations Officer in New York
Overview
Rochem International is a global distributor of pharmaceutical, nutritional and speciality ingredients, headquartered in Hauppauge, New York.
Following a period of continued growth, the business created a new Chief Operations Officer position to strengthen its leadership team and help ensure its systems, infrastructure and operations were set up for the future.
This was not a replacement hire. It was a newly created board-level appointment covering warehousing, supply chain, procurement, quality, regulatory, customer service, IT, finance and HR.
Having already worked with Paragon Talent on several senior appointments across the United States and Europe, Rochem brought the project directly to our team. The successful appointment became the sixth senior hire we had completed for the business within approximately 12 months.
The Challenge
Rochem needed an experienced, hands-on operational leader who could work closely with the President and wider leadership team while taking responsibility for a broad range of business functions.
One of the COO’s first priorities would be to assess the company’s IT infrastructure and ERP systems, then put the right foundations in place to support its continued growth.
The ideal candidate needed experience within B2B ingredients, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals or a similarly complex and regulated market. They also needed to understand either manufacturing or distribution and bring credible experience across systems, supply chain, quality and compliance.
Location made the search more difficult. This was an on-site position based at Rochem’s Hauppauge headquarters five days a week. The right person therefore needed to live within a realistic commuting distance or be genuinely willing to relocate to Long Island.
The search initially considered both VP Operations and COO-level candidates. However, early interviews showed that professionals looking to step up from Director to VP did not yet have the breadth of experience Rochem required. The brief quickly became clearer: this needed to be a proven COO.
The Search
Paragon Talent carried out a detailed market mapping exercise across relevant businesses in New York and the wider United States.
The search covered:
- Pharmaceutical and API distributors
- Food and speciality ingredient distributors
- Flavour and fragrance businesses
- Nutraceutical and supplement companies
- Ingredient manufacturers
- Other regulated or operationally complex businesses across Long Island
We began by mapping relevant distributors, looking at both their current leadership teams and senior people who had previously worked within those businesses. We then expanded the search into manufacturers and adjacent markets.
Geography was considered throughout. We searched by commuting radius around Hauppauge, mapped relevant companies across Long Island and also considered candidates elsewhere in the US where relocation appeared realistic.
The campaign generated more than 400 applications. Alongside these, we identified a further 127 professionals through our own research and directly approached approximately 50–60 people.
Our existing knowledge of Rochem also helped. Through our previous work together, we understood how the business operated, how the leadership team was structured, and the type of person likely to work well within it.
The Shortlist
7 candidates were presented to Rochem across the project. 6 were people we had identified and headhunted directly.
6 candidates progressed to a first-stage interview, with 3 reaching final face-to-face meetings.
The first candidates were presented within 2 weeks, and the search came close to concluding within 3. However, following the final interview, it became clear that the first potential appointment was not quite right.
Rather than force the process, we returned to the market with a more precise understanding of the level Rochem needed.
The Appointment
James Madden brought more than 30 years of experience across botanical ingredients, supplements and pharmaceutical-adjacent manufacturing.
His background included several years as Chief Operating Officer of Bio-Botanica in Hauppauge, where he had worked within a complex operation.
Jim offered experience across ERP systems, supply chain, quality and compliance, IT, operational improvement and senior leadership. He also knew the local market and could meet the requirement to be based at Rochem’s headquarters five days a week.
Importantly, Jim was not someone who would have been reached through a conventional LinkedIn approach. His profile had just 4 connections and offered no practical way to approach him through the platform. We identified him through wider market research and contacted him directly.
He completed 3 interviews within 2 weeks, followed by a final informal on-site meeting with the wider team. Jim accepted the position in mid-August, less than 3 months after the search began, and joined Rochem as Chief Operations Officer on the 8th September.
“I found both James and Jamie extremely professional and resourceful. My interaction with them was for an executive operations position. They guided the hiring team and candidate expertly through the process and provided support where appropriate. I would not hesitate to use them in the future.”
James Madden, Chief Operations Officer, Rochem International
The Result
Rochem appointed an experienced COO with the operational background, local knowledge and breadth of leadership experience the role required.
The search delivered:
- More than 400 applications reviewed
- 127 additional professionals identified through direct research
- Approximately 50–60 people approached directly
- 7 candidates presented, 6 of whom were headhunted
- 3 final face-to-face meetings
- A successful appointment in less than 3 months
- A local candidate with more than 30 years of relevant operational experience
Early feedback from the hiring manager has been very positive, and Rochem believes the original brief has been met.
Jim’s appointment strengthened the company’s leadership structure and gave Rochem an experienced operational leader to help develop the systems and infrastructure needed for its next stage of growth.
It also became the sixth senior appointment completed by Paragon Talent for Rochem within approximately 12 months.
Why It Mattered
The right person for a senior leadership role will not always be visible on LinkedIn or actively applying for a new position.
Despite attracting more than 400 applications, the person ultimately appointed was found through direct research. Jim’s limited online presence meant he could easily have been missed by a search reliant on applicants, familiar names or standard LinkedIn filters.
This search required a broader view of the market: understanding which companies were relevant, researching people beyond their online profiles and approaching them directly.
The existing relationship mattered too. Having already supported Rochem with several senior appointments, we were not starting from scratch. We understood the business, its structure and the people involved. That allowed us to interpret feedback quickly, refine the brief and return to the market with greater precision when the first potential appointment did not progress.
FAQs
How long did the COO search take?
The search began at the end of May, and Jim accepted the position in mid-August, less than 3 months later. He started as COO at the beginning of September.
Why was this Chief Operations Officer search particularly challenging?
Rochem required a proven operational leader from a relevant B2B, regulated or ingredients-led environment. The person also needed to work on site in Hauppauge five days a week, making location and commuting distance central to the search.
How was the successful candidate found?
Jim was identified through targeted market research and approached directly. He was not actively applying for the role and had very limited visibility on LinkedIn, with only 4 connections.
How many candidates were considered?
The campaign attracted more than 400 applications, while a further 127 professionals were identified through direct research. Approximately 50–60 people were approached, seven candidates were presented and three progressed to final face-to-face meetings.
Does Paragon Talent recruit senior operations leaders in the United States?
Yes. Paragon Talent supports Chief Operations Officer, VP Operations, Operations Director, Supply Chain and other senior operational appointments across the flavour, fragrance, food ingredient, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient markets in the US, UK and Europe.
If you are hiring a senior operations or leadership professional within the ingredients sector, contact Paragon Talent for a confidential conversation.