Thomas Kervin - Cost Reduction Initiative Consultant

Q: Where is Thomas based?

Thomas is based in Cologne, Germany .

Q: What languages does Thomas speak?

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

Q: How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 1 year of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 3 different roles and for 3 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 months . Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Cost Reduction Initiative Consultant at Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG .

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

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG , Aixtron SE , and Winkelmann Automotive GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Automotive and Manufacturing .

Q: Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Procurement and Purchasing , Operations , and Project Management . Thomas also has some experience in Supply Chain Management .

Q: What is Thomas's education?

Thomas holds a Master in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Mechanical Engineering from Technical University of Darmstadt .

Q: What is the availability of Thomas?

Thomas is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

Recommended expert

Cologne, Germany

Experience

Jun 2023 - Jul 2023

2 months

Rehau, Germany

Cost Reduction Initiative Consultant

Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG

Design of a standardized procedure for planning and conducting cost reduction workshops with suppliers of plastic components and pilot implementation at the supplier’s production site
Planning of cost optimization workshops
Defining project goals, selecting and ordering the suppliers to be examined, as well as the focus parts
Establishing the method for cost analysis and the cost calculation schema, and creating own cost calculations for the focus parts
Agreeing on the agenda and team composition
Approaching and preparing suppliers
Conducting cost optimization workshops at the supplier
Aligning goals, approach, scheduling and follow-up of the workshop
Inspecting the internal material flow and production of the focus parts
Critical analysis of the supplier’s product cost calculations in detailed comparison with self-calculated costs and agreeing on corresponding measures
Identifying additional savings potentials based on process inefficiencies and technical optimization options
Documenting all cost reduction potentials (8 - 15%) and corresponding measures with timing and responsibilities in an action list for further processing or realization of savings

Jan 2023 - Mar 2023

3 months

Herzogenrath, Germany

Team Leader, Category Management – Mechanical Components

Aixtron SE

Leading a team (8 members), managing escalations, initiating process optimizations, and developing proposals for reorganization and task definitions for order management, project procurement and strategic procurement (Category Management)
Introducing weekly one-on-ones with individual employees to record and manage their tasks and set priorities
Providing targeted support to employees in critical situations by leading internal and external escalation measures
Holding regular team meetings to identify process inefficiencies and coordinate appropriate measures
Initiating and implementing measures to improve and optimize internal procurement and cross-functional processes
Presenting a comprehensive process for structured, cross-disciplinary handling of escalation cases
Developing an organizational separation of order management and category management for a specific product group
Advising on the use of temporary and permanent staff
Assisting in defining responsibilities for project procurement and strategic procurement (Category Management)
Proposing a comprehensive task demarcation ('RASIC') between order management/operational procurement and strategic procurement

Jul 2022 - Oct 2022

4 months

Ahlen, Germany

Advisor to the Head of Procurement

Winkelmann Automotive GmbH

Coaching the purchasing manager and leading the project to organize the newly established global strategic procurement function for the Automotive business unit following decentralization
Teaching various leadership principles using concrete problem scenarios
Initiating proactive integration and collaboration of employees at sites in Germany, Poland and Mexico
Implementing a regular meeting structure across the entire procurement department and documenting and tracking actions using standardized action lists
Identifying process inefficiencies through targeted employee surveys, and prioritizing and implementing measures for process optimization and effort reduction
Identifying and initiating the short-term use of temporary workers based on a workload analysis
Defining the business-unit-specific area of responsibility in relation to the remaining central procurement using a 'RACI matrix'
Identifying required roles and updating or redefining job descriptions
Determining the number and location of required strategic buyers by assigning direct product groups to plants and conducting a workload analysis
Managing recruiting activities at all locations

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 (0.5 years).

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 (0.5 years), Procurement (0.5 years), and Project Management (0.5 years).

Operations

Procurement

Project Management

Summary

25 years of experience in global strategic purchasing and project procurement in large corporations and medium-sized companies across various technology sectors, including 13 years in the automotive supply industry and over 12 years of leadership responsibility for up to 30 international employees

Skills

Sap (Mm)
Ms Office
Lotus Notes
Purchasing Leadership
Employee Management
Project Management
Supplier Management
Value Analysis With Suppliers
Negotiation Techniques And Strategies
Contract Law (National And International)

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

French

Elementary

Education

Oct 1984 - May 1992

Technical University of Darmstadt

Diploma in Industrial Engineering · Industrial Engineering with a focus on Mechanical Engineering · Darmstadt, Germany

Aug 1969 - May 1982

Schools in Bad Vilbel / Hesse

General university entrance qualification · Bad Vilbel, Germany

Profile

Created

April 2024

Last Update

April 2025

Need a freelancer? Find your match in seconds.

Try FRATCH GPT

Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Thomas based?

Thomas is based in Cologne, Germany.

What languages does Thomas speak?

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

How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 1 year of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 3 different roles and for 3 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 months. Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Thomas be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Thomas would be well-suited for roles such as: Cost Reduction Initiative Consultant, Team Leader, Category Management – Mechanical Components, Advisor to the Head of Procurement.

What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Cost Reduction Initiative Consultant at Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG.

What companies has Thomas worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG, Aixtron SE, and Winkelmann Automotive GmbH.

Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Automotive and Manufacturing.

Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Procurement and Purchasing, Operations, and Project Management. Thomas also has some experience in Supply Chain Management.

What is Thomas's education?

Thomas holds a Master in Industrial Engineering with a focus on Mechanical Engineering from Technical University of Darmstadt.

What is the availability of Thomas?

Thomas is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Thomas?

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