Recommended expert

Senol Bircan

COO – Europe

Senol Bircan
Cologne, Germany

Experience

Jan 2024 - Dec 2025
2 years
Germany

COO – Europe

ABC Technologies

  • Full P&L leadership for multi-site European operations with 600+ employees.
  • Delivered operational turnaround in Germany, restoring profitability and competitiveness.
  • Optimized European manufacturing footprint and strengthened governance to support M&A readiness.
Jan 2022 - Dec 2024
3 years

Head of Sales – Europe

Yazaki EDS Ltd.

  • Owned €400M OEM portfolio with full revenue and margin accountability.
  • Improved profitability through strategic pricing, cost structure realignment, and portfolio optimization.
  • Secured long-term business sustainability with Ford Europe and Ford Otosan.
Jan 2021 - Dec 2022
2 years
Germany

Director of Operations Europe

Farasis Energy

  • Led greenfield launch of lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility (400+ employees).
  • Achieved >85% local content, meeting EU quality, regulatory, and sustainability standards.
  • Established scalable operational and quality systems for future expansion.
Jan 2019 - Dec 2021
3 years
Germany

Plant General Manager & Global Operations Excellence Lead

Nordex AG

  • Led turnaround of German and Mexican plants with 2,600 employees.
  • Improved productivity, safety, and supply chain stability through lean operating models.
  • standardized global performance management and operational excellence systems.
Jan 2015 - Dec 2019
5 years
Turki, India

SVP EMEA & Plant General Manager

TPI Composites

  • Launched and scaled two greenfield plants, growing workforce from 400 to 5,200.
  • Delivered $72M EBITDA improvement, transforming loss-making operations into global benchmarks.
  • Positioned EMEA and India operations as reference sites within the global network.
Jan 2013 - Dec 2015
3 years
Russian Federation

Plant General Manager

Magna Seating

  • Led 4,300-employee multi-country operations serving major OEMs.
  • Improved labor relations, delivery performance, and plant profitability.
Jan 2012 - Dec 2013
2 years

General Manager

Segula Technologies

  • Managed 400 engineers across automotive, rail, defense, and energy sectors.
  • Expanded revenues through new OEM partnerships (Ford, BMW, VW, Nissan, JLR, RSA).
Jan 2011 - Dec 2012
2 years
Germany

Vice President Global Purchasing & Logistics

Grohe AG

  • Led €700M global sourcing and logistics organization.
  • Delivered significant cost reductions via supplier consolidation and design-to-cost initiatives.
Jan 1998 - Dec 2011
14 years

General Manager BU / Head of Operations / Director PM & Engineering

Lear Corporation

  • Managed $1.7B OEM portfolio and led global product and program launches.
  • Consolidated 10 plants into 5, doubling operating income.
  • Delivered $80M engineering cost optimization and ensured continuity during Chapter 11 restructuring.
Jan 1991 - Dec 1998
8 years
United States

Program Manager & General Manager

United Technologies Automotive

  • Established new operations in Turkey and Sweden.
  • Delivered global programs and sequencing centers, improving OEM delivery performance.

Summary

COO / Managing Director with 34 years of international leadership experience across automotive, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Proven track record in enterprise-wide P&L ownership, strategic repositioning, and leading complex organizations through growth, turnaround, and transformation phases.

Recognized for translating board-level strategy into operational excellence, driving sustainable EBITDA growth, and building resilient leadership teams across multicultural environments. Extensive experience working directly with boards, shareholders, private equity stakeholders, OEMs, and unions.

Trusted executive leader for organizations requiring operational stabilization, scale-up, or strategic realignment, with strong capabilities in M&A readiness, post-merger integration, and SAP-driven enterprise transformation.

Skills

  • Coo / Managing Director Leadership & Enterprise Governance
  • Full P&l Accountability & Capital Allocation
  • Corporate Strategy, Business Transformation & Turnaround
  • Global Manufacturing & Operating Model Design
  • Board, Shareholder & Private Equity Interface
  • M&a Readiness, Joint Ventures & Post-merger Integration
  • Commercial Strategy & Oem Portfolio Ownership
  • Labor Relations, Workforce Transformation & Union Negotiations
  • Enterprise Systems Leadership (Sap / Erp)
  • Sustainability, Esg & Long-term Value Creation

Languages

German
Native
Turkish
Native
English
Advanced

Education

Technical University of Cologne (TH Köln)

Diplom-Ingenieur · Electrical, Electronics & Automation Engineering · Cologne, Germany

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