Like many others, I stumbled into the supply chain field - the position I'd hoped to take on in finance was cut. So, I ended up in the only place with an opening: Material Planning at the Ford Motor Company site in Cologne, Germany.

I fell in love with the supply chain there and then. About 20,000 people worked at the Ford Cologne complex, with another 30,000+ suppliers delivering products and services. It operated like a giant, intricate clockwork.

Over time, my respective teams and I got pretty good at maintaining and improving ‘clocks’ like this - so good that after twenty years with Ford in Germany, the USA & UK, companies like ABB, Infineon, in the recent past, PepsiCo, and Credit Suisse (now UBS) hired me to transform their global supply chain or procurement organizations, driving significant bottom-line impact.

I've held positions such as Corporate Transformation Leader, Global Head of Operations and Quality, Head of Supply Chain, CPO, Board Member in China, the USA, and Switzerland, and Managing Director - in five very different industries.

Academically, I obtained a BA in Cologne, Germany, and an MBA from Michigan State University, USA. Since 2022 I have been pursuing a doctorate at UBIS University in Geneva, Switzerland, researching the impact of supply chain re-design on GHG emission reduction.

On the family front, I have been happily married to my wonderful wife for more than 30 years. Engaging in dinner conversations with my now-grown sons has played a pivotal role in driving me towards my focus on finding solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in supply chains.

Via helmig advisory AG, located in the canton Zürich in Switzerland, I now advise, teach, write, learn & speak about topics I am passionate about.

For more details about what’s going on right now - see my Linkedin or X page.