Country Manager – India (Residential Ventilation, fresh-air, ERV/HRV, energy recovery and indoor air quality solutions)

Country Manager – India (Residential Ventilation, fresh-air, ERV/HRV, energy recovery and indoor air quality solutions)
Location: Delhi – NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore
Zehnder Group | Represented in India by T&A Consulting
About Zehnder Group
Zehnder Group is a Swiss headquartered provider of world-leading solutions for a comfortable, energy-efficient and healthy indoor climate. The products and services of the Group include heating, cooling, indoor ventilation and air cleaning. The Group develops and manufactures its products at its own factories in Europe, China, and North America.
As part of its international growth strategy, Zehnder is now entering the Indian market and is looking to appoint Country Manager – India.
More about Zehnder Group on www.zehndergroup.com
Zehnder has partnered with T&A Consulting to support its India market entry and leadership hiring.
About T&A Consulting
T&A Consulting is a global advisory firm, with extensive experience of working with government, economic development agencies, businesses and academic institutions across Europe, Asia, and the Americas towards their expansion in the international markets.
Role Overview
We are looking for a Country Manager – India who will be responsible for building Zehnder’s business in India from the ground up.
This is not a conventional sales role. It is a market-entry, business development and category-building role for a senior commercial professional who can create demand for premium indoor climate solutions in India.
The role requires someone who can position Zehnder as a premium ventilation, fresh-air and indoor air quality brand in India, build specification-led demand, develop a strong project pipeline, create the right partner ecosystem, and secure early reference projects.
The ideal candidate should be comfortable operating in a lean, entrepreneurial setup where brand awareness, channels, installer capability and market acceptance need to be built from scratch.
Key Responsibilities
1. India Market Entry & Business Build-Up
Establish Zehnder’s presence in India.
Develop and execute a practical go-to-market plan for India.
Identify priority customer segments, geographies and project types.
Build Zehnder’s visibility among architects, consultants, developers, contractors and premium project decision-makers.
Generate qualified project pipeline and secure early reference projects.
Provide regular market intelligence, competitor insights and customer feedback to Zehnder’s global leadership team.
2. Ventilation, Fresh-Air & Indoor Climate Business Development
Lead market development for Zehnder’s balanced energy recovery ventilation systems (ERV/ HRV, fresh air) with focus on the residential market.
Build demand around the need for healthy indoor air, controlled ventilation, humidity management, energy efficiency and premium indoor comfort.
Educate the market on the difference between air purification, air-conditioning and engineered balanced energy recovery ventilation systems.
Position Zehnder as a premium, technically superior and performance-led indoor climate solution provider.
3. Premium / Luxury Project Sales
Identify and develop opportunities in premium and luxury building projects.
Target relevant segments such as luxury residential developments, branded residences, HNI villas, premium apartments, wellness spaces, high-end hospitality, international schools, healthcare and select green building projects.
Build relationships with premium developers, architects, interior designers, consultants, villa owners, project owners and HNI-focused ecosystem partners.
Sell on value, performance, comfort, health, acoustics, energy efficiency and lifecycle benefit, not on price alone.
4. Specification & Project Sales
Drive specification-led selling by engaging architects, MEP consultants, HVAC consultants, green building consultants, PMCs, developers and contractors.
Influence projects at the design and specification stage, before tendering and commercial negotiation.
Develop technical presentations, concept notes and project-specific value propositions.
Support the creation of BOQ inputs, specification language, product comparisons, technical submittals and project proposals.
Ensure that Zehnder is positioned as a system solution, not merely a product or equipment supplier.
5. Partner Ecosystem Development
Identify, evaluate and develop suitable channel partners, system partners, installers, integrators and commissioning partners.
Build a limited but high-quality partner network capable of selling, installing and servicing premium ventilation systems.
Train partners on Zehnder’s product value proposition, installation standards, commissioning discipline and customer experience expectations.
Ensure that partners have the capability to support premium projects and maintain Zehnder’s brand standards.
Develop a partner model that protects pricing, service quality, installation quality and long-term customer satisfaction.
6. Technical Selling & Customer Education
Explain Zehnder’s solutions convincingly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Communicate the benefits of balanced ventilation, fresh-air supply, energy recovery, humidity control, filtration, low-noise operation and indoor air quality.
Conduct presentations, seminars, consultant meetings, architect discussions, CPD-style sessions and industry engagements.
Build awareness among the market that premium indoor climate is about air quality, comfort, health and performance - not only cooling.
7. Brand Representation & Executive Presence
Act as the face of Zehnder in India.
Represent the company in senior client meetings, industry forums, trade events, consultant interactions and partner discussions.
Build credibility with Indian stakeholders while maintaining alignment with Zehnder’s European quality, brand and business standards.
Communicate clearly with Zehnder’s global leadership team on India market realities, opportunities, challenges and progress.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Experience
10–18 years of experience in HVAC, ventilation, building technology, indoor air quality, air filtration, fresh-air systems, ERV/HRV, heat recovery, energy recovery, related technical building solutions.
Experience in premium or specification-led project sales is strongly preferred.
Prior exposure to international companies, European brands, premium technical products or MNC environments will be an advantage.
Experience in building a new business vertical, product category, region, partner network or market from an early stage will be highly valued.
Product / Sector Exposure
The ideal candidate should have exposure to one or more of the following:
Balanced energy recovery ventilation systems (ERV/ HRV, fresh air)
Residential ventilation systems
Heat recovery / energy recovery
Indoor air quality solutions
Air filtration / clean-air solutions
Premium HVAC systems
Green building / energy-efficient building solutions
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for a commercially strong, self-driven professional with a builder mindset. The right candidate will be someone who has the maturity of working with international companies, but also the agility, ownership, and entrepreneurial drive required to build a business in a new market.
Key Competencies
▪ Strong business development and pipeline creation capability
▪ Ability to build markets, channels, and partnerships from the ground up
▪ Commercially sharp and opportunity-driven
▪ Strong network in HVAC / ventilation / building technology ecosystem
▪ Good understanding of specification-led and project-led sales
▪ Ability to work independently with limited local infrastructure
▪ High ownership, initiative, and accountability
▪ Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
▪ Comfortable working with international leadership teams
▪ Strategic thinking with hands-on execution capability
Why This Role Is Exciting
▪ Opportunity to lead the India market entry for a respected European brand
▪ First commercial leadership role for Zehnder in India
▪ High ownership and visibility with global leadership
▪ Opportunity to shape market strategy, channel structure, and early business growth
▪ Ideal role for a professional who enjoys building, not just managing.

Work arrangement
No