Jean-Claude Blumenau - VP of Regional Operations

Q: Where is Jean-Claude based?

Jean-Claude is based in Saarlouis, Germany .

Q: What languages does Jean-Claude speak?

Jean-Claude speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Jean-Claude have?

Jean-Claude has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Jean-Claude has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 9 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 7 months . Note that Jean-Claude may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Jean-Claude's latest experience?

Jean-Claude's most recent position is VP of Regional Operations at The Vita Group .

Q: What companies has Jean-Claude worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Jean-Claude has worked for The Vita Group , Blumenau Consulting , DP World , Willi Elbe Group , and BENSELER Group .

Q: Which industries is Jean-Claude most experienced in?

Jean-Claude is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing , Automotive , and Transportation and Logistics .

Q: Which business areas is Jean-Claude most experienced in?

Jean-Claude is most experienced in business areas like Operations , Production/Manufacturing , and Supply Chain Management . Jean-Claude also has some experience in Product Development , Project Management , and Strategy and Planning .

Q: Which industries has Jean-Claude worked in recently?

Jean-Claude has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing , Automotive , and Transportation and Logistics .

Q: Which business areas has Jean-Claude worked in recently?

Jean-Claude has recently worked in business areas like Operations , Production/Manufacturing , and Supply Chain Management .

Recommended expert

Saarlouis, Germany

Experience

May 2024 - Sep 2025

1 year 5 months

Middleton, United Kingdom

VP of Regional Operations

The Vita Group

7 sites in 3 countries (FR, NL, IT) (€180m sales, 450 FTE)
Pure restructuring task (cost out, WC reduction, etc.)
Footprint consolidation (2024: 1 site closed in FR, 2025: closing 1 site in NL)
Reporting into the group COO

Sep 2023 - Present

2 years 6 months

Interim Manager and Consultant

Blumenau Consulting

Independent interim manager and management consultant with focus on special situations like restructuring, production transfers, plant closures, launch and task force management, etc.

Sep 2023 - Nov 2023

3 months

Osnabrück, Germany

Interim Site Manager

DP World

Temporary filling of a vacancy
Responsible for all intra logistics in the Volkswagen Osnabrück site
Stabilisation of processes and increase in vehicle production by more than 30% thanks to improved material supply to the assembly line

May 2022 - Aug 2023

1 year 4 months

On-site

Chief Operating Officer

Willi Elbe Group

Responsible for a global production network of 8 production sites representing €200m sales and 1000 FTE
Reduction of overhead / structure costs by reducing number of sites from 8 to 5, closure of Grabs site (CH) and Tamm site (DE) and relocation of production to the Kuklen site (BG), fix cost sharing in Valle de Santiago site (MX) based on Maquila agreement production for another Aequita portfolio company
Improvement of value streams to reduce inventories and shorten lead times, implementation of global capacity planning for strategic footprint decisions, 20+ internal relocation or outsourcing projects completed to improve value stream and reduce costs
Implementation of massive cost saving programs, savings of €8m in production identified by deep and detailed analysis of all processes and wastes as well as global multiplication
Building global acting teams in SCM and manufacturing engineering for local to global support

Jan 2018 - Apr 2022

4 years 4 months

Germany

On-site

Director of Operations

BENSELER Group

Responsible for 6 production sites in Germany representing €160m sales and 850 FTE
Reorganized two unprofitable profit centers: optimized material flow, planning, staffing, and improved contribution margin by 8% in 9 months
Led the full turnaround of Bogen site (€25M sales): new leadership team, lean processes, achieved EBITDA >10%
Initiated and rolled out a group-wide Lean Production System: created training programs, lighthouse projects in all plants, €100K+ savings per site within 6 months
Restructured Markgröningen site (€28M sales): interim plant lead, stopped financial losses, reached positive cash flow within 6 months
Awarded: shortlisted for the “Besser Lackieren” award

Sep 2014 - Dec 2017

3 years 4 months

On-site

BU Manager JIS-Operations

Eberspächer Exhaust Technology

Responsible for external European JIS plants (5 production sites in 5 countries representing a 3-digit million Euro sales and 230 FTE) at the operational and strategic level in terms of efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction and optimal use of resources
Led the strategic transformation of European JIS operations: standardizing structures and optimizing value chain efficiency through Lean initiatives, KPI-driven management, and internal change processes; successfully established a new plant in Slovakia to expand operational capacity and flexibility
Restructured the EU pipe bending footprint: relocating a full production unit (300 products, 13 lines, 120 employees) across four countries; built a new manufacturing segment in Romania from the ground up – ensuring seamless continuity and improved cost structure
Demonstrated strategic foresight, operational excellence, cross-border execution, and the ability to lead major transformations under complex conditions

Jan 2012 - Aug 2014

2 years 8 months

Germany

Manager Manufacturing Engineering

Tenneco Clean Air Europe

Responsible for all manufacturing engineering activities in Tenneco's Edenkoben plant, managing 35 FTE in manufacturing engineering and 30 FTE in the tool shop
Managed CAPEX of high two-digit million Euros per year
Industrialized commercial vehicle systems (CVS) exhaust after treatment systems in DE (no production so far in EU): won internal competition against LLC plants in Eastern Europe due to a clever manufacturing concept; Caterpillar Perkins: TIER 4 final (off-road) - €35m CAPEX; Scania: EU6 (on-road) - €20m CAPEX

Jan 2006 - Dec 2011

6 years

Manager Industrial Engineering

Schaeffler AG

Planning, industrialization and ramp-up of complex chassis modules: ball screw drives; mechatronic active roll control
Practice leader SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die): development of methods and tools for SMED as part of the lean production system; execution of 20+ workshops in EU; set-up time reduction of over 50%; reduction of minimum lot size and WIP, increase of flexibility

Oct 2002 - Sep 2005

3 years

Bosch Postgraduate

Robert Bosch GmbH

PhD thesis on scaling of lean production systems.

Industries Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time. Longer bars indicate deeper hands-on experience, while shorter ones reflect targeted or project-based work.

Experienced in Manufacturing (23 years) and Automotive (16.5 years).

Manufacturing

Automotive

Business Areas Experience

The graph below provides a cumulative view of the freelancer's experience across multiple business areas, calculated from completed and active engagements. It highlights the areas where the freelancer has most frequently contributed to planning, execution, and delivery of business outcomes.

Experienced in Operations (20.5 years), Production (19.5 years), Supply Chain Management (9 years), Project Management (2.5 years), Product Development (2.5 years), and Strategy (1.5 years).

Operations

Production

Supply Chain Management

Project Management

Product Development

Strategy

Summary

Dr. Jean-Claude Blumenau is a seasoned operations executive and interim manager with over 20 years of leadership experience in the automotive supply industry. He has a proven track record of delivering impactful results in complex industrial environments, especially during critical business phases such as restructuring, turnaround, production relocation, and post-merger integration.

Having held COO and VP roles across multinational manufacturing networks, Jean-Claude has successfully led operations across Europe and globally, overseeing sites with up to €200 million in revenue and up to 1000 employees. His hallmark is operational excellence achieved through lean transformations, cost reduction, and organizational realignment. Notable accomplishments include improving production by over 30% at DP World Osnabrück, leading plant closures and footprint consolidations across Europe, and achieving nearly €8M in production cost out at Willi Elbe Group through process optimization.

His leadership style is pragmatic and results-oriented, combining deep technical knowledge with strategic foresight and hands-on execution. Jean-Claude is recognized for building high-performing teams, implementing sustainable change, and delivering measurable improvements in profitability and efficiency.

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Elementary

Education

Oct 2002 - Jun 2006

Saarland University

Dr.-Ing., Engineering · Engineering · Saarbrücken, Germany

Oct 1997 - Sep 2002

Saarland University

Dipl.-Ing. · Engineering · Saarbrücken, Germany

Profile

Created

July 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Jean-Claude based?

Jean-Claude is based in Saarlouis, Germany.

What languages does Jean-Claude speak?

Jean-Claude speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Jean-Claude have?

Jean-Claude has at least 23 years of experience. During this time, Jean-Claude has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 9 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 3 years and 7 months. Note that Jean-Claude may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Jean-Claude be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Jean-Claude would be well-suited for roles such as: VP of Regional Operations, Interim Manager and Consultant, Interim Site Manager.

What is Jean-Claude's latest experience?

Jean-Claude's most recent position is VP of Regional Operations at The Vita Group.

What companies has Jean-Claude worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Jean-Claude has worked for The Vita Group, Blumenau Consulting, DP World, Willi Elbe Group, and BENSELER Group.

Which industries is Jean-Claude most experienced in?

Jean-Claude is most experienced in industries like Manufacturing, Automotive, and Transportation and Logistics.

Which business areas is Jean-Claude most experienced in?

Jean-Claude is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Production/Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Management. Jean-Claude also has some experience in Product Development, Project Management, and Strategy and Planning.

Which industries has Jean-Claude worked in recently?

Jean-Claude has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing, Automotive, and Transportation and Logistics.

Which business areas has Jean-Claude worked in recently?

Jean-Claude has recently worked in business areas like Operations, Production/Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Management.

What is Jean-Claude's education?

Jean-Claude holds a Doctorate in Engineering from Saarland University and a Bachelor in Engineering from Saarland University.

What is the availability of Jean-Claude?

Jean-Claude is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Jean-Claude?

Jean-Claude's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.