Benedikt Machens - Experienced Interim Procurement Manager

Recommended expert

Siegburg, Germany

Experience

Sep 2025 - Present

5 months

Civil-Military Cooperation (ZMZ) Operations Plan Germany

Deutsche Bundeswehr

Jan 2024 - Jul 2025

1 year 7 months

Lucerne, Switzerland

Director Business Excellence Corporate Procurement

Swiss Steel

Leading and managing all cost saving projects of the procurement organization
Selecting a provider to implement a procurement platform (COUPA)
Project management during the COUPA rollout
Leading supplier risk management, sustainability topics and audits
Implementing sustainability KPIs in the procurement organization
Introducing EcoVadis in procurement

Feb 2023 - Present

3 years

Interim Management

Benedikt Wilhelm Machens Interim Management & Einkauf-Consulting GmbH & Co. KG

Feb 2023 - Nov 2023

10 months

Operational Buyer

VDM Metals, Acerinox Group

Operational buyer of strategic materials and metals for the VDM plants
Price and volume negotiations
Supply-demand planning
Contract management
Coordination with plants and all internal business units at VDM
Sourcing and onboarding of new buyers
Introduction of supplier financing
Strategy development

Jan 2019 - Jan 2023

4 years 1 month

London, United Kingdom

Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer

Vesuvius plc

Operational and strategic responsibility for global procurement with a book value of over USD 1.2 billion
Building and leading a global procurement organization of 80 people
Developing and implementing vision and strategy
Achieving clearly defined cost-saving potentials and driving cultural change
Building strategic relationships with suppliers and customers at all levels
Member of the leadership team with a direct reporting line to the executive board

Apr 2016 - Dec 2018

2 years 9 months

Germany

Procurement Director

Novelis

Operational and strategic responsibility for procurement, hedging, trading, closed loop, and supply chain activities with a book value of USD 0.8 million
Global consolidation of procurement to achieve synergies and savings potential
Member of the European Supply Chain Leadership Team, involved in group-wide topics

Sep 2012 - Dec 2015

3 years 4 months

Singapore

General Manager

BHP Billiton Marketing Asia Pte

Operational and strategic responsibility for global sales and procurement of strategic raw materials, sourcing, trading, logistics, and supply chain management with a book value of over USD 4.5 billion
Member of the Executive Leadership Team for aluminium, manganese, and nickel
Close collaboration with the President and CFO in Perth
Developing and positioning the business in an international environment
Setting up a new procurement and sales organization in Singapore, relocating from The Hague

Jun 2006 - Aug 2012

6 years 3 months

The Hague, Netherlands

General Manager

BHP Billiton International Metals BV

Responsible for global procurement of strategic raw materials, logistics, and supply chain management for aluminium production in Australia, South Africa, and Brazil
Leadership responsibility for an international team of 8 employees
Managed the closure of the office in The Hague and relocation to Singapore

Jul 2003 - Mar 2006

2 years 9 months

Oslo, Norway

Director Procurement

Norsk Hydro ASA

Member of the global leadership team for the aluminium division
Responsible for global procurement and logistics of strategic raw materials
Leadership responsibility for 6 employees with annual expenditures of USD 0.8 million
Actively integrated the VAW business into the local Norsk Hydro organization

Oct 1999 - Jun 2003

3 years 9 months

Bonn, Germany

Procurement Manager

VAW aluminum AG (E.ON Group)

Member of the leadership team of BU Primary Metals, responsible for company-wide procurement and logistics of strategic raw materials worldwide
Actively shaped the integration of VAW aluminum into the Norsk Hydro organization

Oct 1997 - Oct 1999

2 years 1 month

Hong Kong

Senior Merchandise Manager

Gemex Trading Limited (Metro AG)

Managed four product lines
Responsible for a team of 24 employees

Summary

More than 25 years of international professional experience in various industries and companies, especially in procurement, sourcing, sales, cost savings, global leadership roles, commercial contracting, trading, supply chain management, sustainability, implementation of commercial digitization and automation, strategy development, process management and global organizational transformation
Over 15 years living and working internationally, including in the USA, Hong Kong, Norway, the Netherlands and Singapore
Strategic advisor to the overall business to better manage daily value chains and put more focus on the complex day-to-day operations; to better understand and manage market forces from Asia/China, digitization and automation, sustainability goals, geopolitical events and complex market crises
Supporting the internal supply chain organization through up-to-date market analysis and providing facts to ensure supply security, risk management and business continuity
Building a close global network with customers and suppliers to guarantee business success
Developing and implementing global procurement strategies at all levels of the company; strong strategic understanding of Asia, where I lived and worked for over 7 years
Optimizing and standardizing company-wide work processes, always in close cooperation with global production sites; strong commitment to SOX regulations, risk management and compliance with all legal requirements
Proven leadership skills during major organizational changes and transformations; closure of the BHP Billiton office in The Hague (350 employees) and relocation to Singapore with subsequent establishment of a new procurement organization in Asia; closure of the Vesuvius office in Pittsburgh, USA (120 employees) and relocation to Mexico; renewal of the procurement organization at Vesuvius in China; active management during the integration of VAW aluminium into the Norsk Hydro organization
Introducing digitization and automation in the value chain; implementing automated end-to-end processes, including digital sourcing platforms, e-auctions and online shops for procurement
Implementing processes and systems to achieve company-wide sustainability goals; introducing supplier assessments in cooperation with EcoVadis, sourcing recycled raw materials and materials, and negotiating and implementing closed-loop contracts (material circularity)
Building close collaborations and relationships with global production sites and shareholders; working closely with technicians worldwide to introduce new technical specifications and qualities for cost reasons
Executive member for many years in commercial committees and global leadership teams, always with direct reporting to the executive board and supervisory board
Strong focus and experience in analyzing and successfully improving cost-saving potentials and working capital
Global experience in negotiating complex contracts and prices in a multicultural environment
Worldwide experience in managing organizational and cultural change and successfully implementing large transformations