Jens Strüwing - Independent Consultant and Interim Manager

Q: Where is Jens based?

Jens is based in Waiblingen, Germany .

Q: What languages does Jens speak?

Jens speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Jens have?

Jens has at least 31 years of experience. During this time, Jens has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 7 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 4 years and 6 months . Note that Jens may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Jens's latest experience?

Jens's most recent position is Independent Consultant and Interim Manager at Independent Consultant and Interim Manager .

Q: What companies has Jens worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Jens has worked for Independent Consultant and Interim Manager and Interroll Group .

Q: Which industries is Jens most experienced in?

Jens is most experienced in industries like Automotive , Manufacturing , and Transportation and Logistics . Jens also has some experience in Aerospace and Defense , Retail , and Food and Beverage .

Q: Which business areas is Jens most experienced in?

Jens is most experienced in business areas like Operations , Project Management , and Product Development . Jens also has some experience in Production/Manufacturing , Logistics , and Supply Chain Management .

Q: Which industries has Jens worked in recently?

Jens has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing , Transportation and Logistics , and Aerospace and Defense .

Q: Which business areas has Jens worked in recently?

Jens has recently worked in business areas like Operations , Product Development , and Production/Manufacturing .

Recommended expert

Waiblingen, Germany

Experience

Nov 2023 - Present

2 years 4 months

Independent Consultant and Interim Manager

Restructuring / Transformation / Cost Saving Projects / Lean Management
Strategy projects, Mergers and Acquisitions, scaling and start-ups
Industries: Automotive (OEMs and suppliers), mechanical and plant engineering, aerospace, trade and aftermarket service

Completed projects:

Technical Due Diligence for an M&A service provider in the purchase of a mechanical and plant engineering company
Building the Americas business for a material handling equipment manufacturer
Scaling a mechanical engineering company by transforming it from a component supplier to a system manufacturer
CRO at Valmiera Glass, Latvia on behalf of the owner (PE from the UK)

Current project:

Sale of a Dutch group of companies operating in mechanical engineering

Nov 2018 - Oct 2023

5 years

Sant'Antonino, Switzerland

Executive Vice President Products and Technology

Interroll Group

As COO, responsible for 16 plants of the group (Europe, Americas and APAC)
As CTO, responsible for product and process development of the group
As Head of Service, responsible for the service division with 60 million CHF revenue
As Head of Shared Services, responsible for the central functions of controlling, purchasing, HR and facility management for the entire group
Responsible for approx. 2,100 employees worldwide / approx. 650 million CHF revenue

Improvements achieved:

Digitalization at product, process and production level
Development of the Interroll production system (digital lean management approach)
Acquisition of various companies (Austria and India)
Closure of entities in France and Canada
Establishment of a legal entity "Innovation GmbH" for research, development, IP and management of the product development process
Carve-out of the service organization and establishment of a new business unit
Operating profit improvement of 24% / sales improvement of >20%

Jan 2012 - Oct 2018

6 years 10 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Director Aftermarket

Mahle Aftermarket GmbH

Responsible for 14 production and logistics sites of the group
Responsible for operational and logistics functions, sales and product management, HR and business development
Implementation of a global Kaizen culture as a basis for lean management
Responsible for approx. 1,400 employees worldwide / 900 million euros revenue
Led the North America aftermarket restructuring project (18 months in Michigan, USA – concurrently with the Director Aftermarket role)

Improvements achieved:

Establishment of a global production and distribution network
Restructuring of the North America aftermarket (+22% sales, +58% profit)

Aug 2003 - Dec 2011

8 years 5 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Director Global SCM and Operations

Mahle GmbH

Headed the global supply chain management function of the group
Led "Production Footprint" – optimization of production processes and establishment of a global production network for the "Engine Hard-Parts" business unit
Led global spare parts management
Developed and implemented a global product development process
Responsible for approx. 250 employees worldwide

Improvements achieved:

Established a global production network for the "Engine Hard-Parts" BU
Closure of entities in France, Germany and the Americas
Standardization and process optimization of the production network
Centralization of spare parts management for all business units worldwide
Developed a product development process as a guiding process for the group to manage new product projects

Apr 2002 - Jul 2003

1 year 4 months

San Antonio, United States

Vice President Supply Chain Management and Operations

Fairchild Dornier

Led strategic group procurement
Led the global supply chain management function
Led manufacturing and assembly of the 328/728 production
Led business development and operations process development
Responsible for approx. 1,350 employees worldwide

Improvements achieved:

Negotiated all engineering services as well as functional groups for the new DO728 aircraft
Implemented a production system based on a Six Sigma Lean Management approach for production in Oberpfaffenhofen and San Antonio
Realigned production plants and optimized paced manufacturing
Centralization of spare parts management in customer service

Apr 2001 - Mar 2002

1 year

Sindelfingen, Germany

Project Lead, Maybach Factory

Mercedes Benz AG

Project management of the 'Maybach Factory', including full responsibility for costs, schedules, and processes for the body shop, paint shop, assembly, and vehicle delivery
Set up a project management organization for all powertrain production sites of the group
Responsible for about 85 employees at the Sindelfingen site

May 1998 - Mar 2001

2 years 11 months

Berlin, Germany

Head of Logistics and Factory Planning

Mercedes Benz AG

Led the logistics process planning team for all powertrain production sites of the group
Led the factory planning team for all powertrain production sites of the group
Integrated both teams into the 'Logistics-Oriented Factory Planning' function
Established a consulting function and successfully acquired external projects
Responsible for about 40 employees at the Untertürkheim, Berlin, and Hamburg sites

Jun 1995 - Apr 1998

2 years 11 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Logistics Process Planning Specialist

Mercedes Benz AG

Led various logistics projects at the group's powertrain production sites (including the new V-engine production plant in Bad Cannstatt)
Project assignment in Brazil for 18 months (logistics concept for the new vehicle plant in Juiz de Fora)

Sep 1994 - May 1995

9 months

Stuttgart, Germany

Project Manager, Management Consulting

Hohn und Partner

Worked full-time alongside studies as a project manager for automotive and food projects with international clients

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 Automotive (25 years), Manufacturing (7.5 years), Transportation (5 years), Aerospace and Defense (3.5 years), Retail (2.5 years), and Food and Beverage (0.5 years).

Automotive

Manufacturing

Transportation

Aerospace and Defense

Retail

Food and Beverage

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 (21 years), Project Management (13.5 years), Product Development (13.5 years), Production (12.5 years), Logistics (12.5 years), and Supply Chain Management (12.5 years).

Operations

Project Management

Product Development

Production

Logistics

Supply Chain Management

Summary

With over 20 years of leadership experience in the automotive industry, aerospace, trade, as well as mechanical and plant engineering, solid business and production expertise, and strong strategic thinking, I can quickly get to work on a company's challenges. I place special emphasis on a value-driven corporate culture, fostering innovation, and operational excellence.

My extensive experience in building resilient structures and proven track record in business transformation and scaling also help me make a significant contribution to a company's future development and sustainable success.

Skills

Management: General Management (Coo, Cto, Head Of Operations, Strategic Procurement, Business Development)
Management: Change Management (Restructuring And Transformation)
Functions: Business Development / Consulting / Process Development
Functions: Product Development Incl. Product Lifecycle Management
Functions: Production (Manufacturing And Assembly) Incl. Lean Management
Functions: Logistics (Operational Logistics, Planning And Control)
Functions: Supply Chain Management (Operational And Strategic Procurement)
Functions: Service / Aftermarket
General Management
Product Development
Research & Development
Production
Supply Chain
Procurement
Business Development
Aftermarket / Service
Change Management

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Advanced

Education

Oct 1989 - Jan 1995

University of Karlsruhe

Production Engineering · Karlsruhe, Germany

German School of Paris

High school diploma (Abitur) · Paris, France

Profile

Created

November 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Jens based?

Jens is based in Waiblingen, Germany.

What languages does Jens speak?

Jens speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), French (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Jens have?

Jens has at least 31 years of experience. During this time, Jens has worked in at least 9 different roles and for 7 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 4 years and 6 months. Note that Jens may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Jens be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Jens would be well-suited for roles such as: Independent Consultant and Interim Manager, Executive Vice President Products and Technology, Director Aftermarket.

What is Jens's latest experience?

Jens's most recent position is Independent Consultant and Interim Manager at Independent Consultant and Interim Manager.

What companies has Jens worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Jens has worked for Independent Consultant and Interim Manager and Interroll Group.

Which industries is Jens most experienced in?

Jens is most experienced in industries like Automotive, Manufacturing, and Transportation and Logistics. Jens also has some experience in Aerospace and Defense, Retail, and Food and Beverage.

Which business areas is Jens most experienced in?

Jens is most experienced in business areas like Operations, Project Management, and Product Development. Jens also has some experience in Production/Manufacturing, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management.

Which industries has Jens worked in recently?

Jens has recently worked in industries like Manufacturing, Transportation and Logistics, and Aerospace and Defense.

Which business areas has Jens worked in recently?

Jens has recently worked in business areas like Operations, Product Development, and Production/Manufacturing.

What is Jens's education?

Jens attended University of Karlsruhe for Production Engineering.

What is the availability of Jens?

Jens is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Jens?

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