Central European executive search firm Bubenik Partners has assisted the owners of PFNonwovens Holding s.r.o. (“PFN”) in the recruitment of Mr. Cedric Ballay as the new Group Chief Executive Officer. The leadership change is the result of a long-planned succession at the helm of the Prague-headquartered PFN Group, the global hygiene nonwovens textile producer owned by the R2G family office. Mr. Ballay brings a wealth of industry experience to the role, having served in senior leadership capacities in Berry Global Group and General Electric.

The Prague-based Bubenik Partners team systematically identified and evaluated dozens of initial prospects from a range of relevant industries across the globe, before narrowing the field to a handful of shortlisted candidates who interviewed with PFN’s owners.

“What we particularly appreciated was a thorough, systematic approach of the Bubenik Partners team. Their dedication and attention to detail, in the end, made all the difference,” said Mr. Michal Smrek, Chief Executive Officer at R2G, which represents PFN’s owners.

“We highly valued the rigorous preparatory phase. That allowed us to efficiently arrive at a strong, well-researched shortlist. After verifying the best cultural fit, we were able to quickly pick the most suitable candidate. And it all went very smoothly, with the search completed within three months,” said Mr. Smrek.

Mr. Ballay will assume the CEO position from September 1, 2020. He will take over from Mr. Allen Bodford, who has led the PFN Group since its June 2018 acquisition of the nonwovens business belonging to the US-based First Quality Enterprises.

“Transparent ownership by accomplished entrepreneurs, great industry reputation, and world-class technological prowess of PFN Group made for an attractive career proposition to lure a global management talent,” said Jan Bubeník, founder and Managing Partner of Bubenik Partners.

“We are proud to have supported yet another Czech-based, globally-operating company in the recruitment of a top executive. It would not be possible without the trust and very effective cooperation of the R2G management and owners during the entire search process,” said Mr. Bubeník.

Mr. Cedric Ballay joins PFN from Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE:BERY) where he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Health, Hygiene & Specialties Division in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEIA) regions. Before Berry, Mr. Ballay spent 16 years with General Electric. He is a board member of the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA).