Thorben Wehrmann - Senior Lead Buyer IT + Telco ad interim

Q: Where is Thorben based?

Thorben is based in Düsseldorf, Germany .

Q: What languages does Thorben speak?

Thorben speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Hungarian (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Thorben have?

Thorben has at least 2 years of experience. During this time, Thorben has worked in at least 3 different roles and for 3 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 7 months . Note that Thorben may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Thorben's latest experience?

Thorben's most recent position is Senior Lead Buyer IT + Telco ad interim at Unnamed Client (Automotive, Energy, Solar and Charging Solutions) .

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

In recent years, Thorben has worked for Unnamed Client (Automotive, Energy, Solar and Charging Solutions) , Unnamed Client (Global Automotive Supplier) , Top-10 University, NRW, and Germany .

Q: Which industries is Thorben most experienced in?

Thorben is most experienced in industries like Education , Automotive , and Energy .

Q: Which business areas is Thorben most experienced in?

Thorben is most experienced in business areas like Project Management , Operations , and Procurement and Purchasing .

Q: What is Thorben's education?

Thorben attended University of Applied Sciences for Business, Berlin for Finance and Investment .

Q: Does Thorben have any certificates?

Thorben has 2 certificates . These include: Yellow Belt, Lean Management , Certified Commercial Assistant and IHK .

Recommended expert

Düsseldorf, Germany

Experience

Jul 2024 - Nov 2024

5 months

Senior Lead Buyer IT + Telco ad interim

Unnamed Client (Automotive, Energy, Solar and Charging Solutions)

Managed a worldwide IT procurement volume of approx. €200 M across ~160 IT and Telco themes with budgets from €300 K to €7.5 M
Procured hardware, software and licenses for HQ and ~25 plants globally (e.g., Hungary, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Morocco, Mexico)
Provided disciplinary leadership for 2 direct reports
Negotiated major contracts with US and UK software and telco providers, achieving average savings of ~9 %
Utilized SAP Ariba for procurement processes
Optimized procure-to-pay processes including invoice dispute resolution and contract management
Collaborated closely with license management, governance and legal teams
Supported post-merger integration of a charging solutions unit

Mar 2023 - Aug 2023

6 months

External subproject lead (stream lead) in indirect procurement

Unnamed Client (Global Automotive Supplier)

Handled procurement volume over €2 B across 150+ factories and multiple business units
Led sourcing for logistics, facility management, cleaning, security, IT, marketing, forklifts, hand tools, technical suppliers, spare parts and MRO
Developed, managed and implemented a results improvement program
Served as part-project lead, PMO and stakeholder manager
Conducted process optimization initiatives

Feb 2022 - Feb 2023

1 year 1 month

External project manager for commercial process optimization

Top-10 University, NRW, Germany

Managed project control, KPI definition and stakeholder management
Led and coordinated 5 sub-projects across multiple university departments (procurement, legal, tax, finance, asset accounting, construction, facility management, HVAC, document management)
Modeled as-is and to-be processes using BPMN

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 (1 year), Education (1 year), and Energy (0.5 years).

Automotive

Education

Energy

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 Project Management (1.5 years), Procurement (1 year), and Operations (1 year).

Project Management

Procurement

Operations

Skills

Strategic And Operational Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Commercial Contract Management, And Negotiation Leadership
E-procurement, Procure-to-pay (P2p), It Implementations
Procurement-side Leadership Of Major It And It Sourcing Projects, Including Software, Professional/managed Services, And In-/outsourcing Initiatives
Management And Optimization Of License-based Procurement Processes
Development Of International Procurement Strategies For Responsible Categories: Hardware, Software, Licenses, Services, And Consulting
Eliminating Maverick Buying By Early Involvement Of It Procurement In Selection, Sourcing, And Budgeting Processes
Organizational Consulting, Process Optimization, Carve-out And Outsourcing, Multi-project Management
Digitization Of Processes – Cross-departmental, In Procurement Or In The Supply Chain
Business Transformation, Change Management, And Cost Reduction
Further Development Of The Supplier Base Through Procurement Strategies And Active Supplier Management (Supplier, Risk, And Contract Management)
Kpi Reports, Kpi Dashboards, Measures And Escalation Controlling
Presentations, Trainings, Potential And Maturity Analyses
Negotiation Leadership With Experience From Approximately 1,100 Negotiations And 26 Commodity Categories
Project Management And Leadership Of Large Projects
Interim Departmental Responsibility
Use Of It In Procurement, E-procurement, Scrm, Digitization In Procurement
Digitization And Activity Analysis, Identification Of Digitization Potentials
Digitization Maturity – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Risks
Collaboration In The Development Of Target Operating Models (Tom)
Analysis Of End-user License Agreements (Eula)
Preparation Of It-related Tenders (Rfx, Rfp, Rfi, Sow)
Analyses Of Digitization Opportunities In Procurement, Supply Chain, Risk Management, And Other Business Areas
Evaluation Of New Technological Potentials, E.g., Rpa, E-invoicing, E-procurement, Dms
Creation Of Training Materials And Skill Matrices (It, Digitization, Processes, Procurement)
Procurement Of It, Hardware, Software, Licenses
Procurement Of Logistics, Facility Management, And Marketing Services
Procurement Of Consultants, Consulting, It Services, And Professional Services
Implementation Of New P2p Software

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Hungarian

Elementary

Education

Oct 2003 - Feb 2006

University of Applied Sciences for Business, Berlin

Diploma in Business Administration (FH), Finance and Investment · Finance and Investment · Berlin, Germany · 1.7

Aug 2003 - Feb 2004

International Business School

Finance and Investments · Budapest, Hungary

Oct 2001 - Aug 2003

University of Applied Sciences for Business, Berlin

Undergraduate Studies · Berlin, Germany

...and 3 more

Certifications & licenses

Yellow Belt, Lean Management

Certified Commercial Assistant, IHK

Profile

Created

November 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Thorben based?

Thorben is based in Düsseldorf, Germany.

What languages does Thorben speak?

Thorben speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Hungarian (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Thorben have?

Thorben has at least 2 years of experience. During this time, Thorben has worked in at least 3 different roles and for 3 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 7 months. Note that Thorben may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Thorben be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Thorben would be well-suited for roles such as: Senior Lead Buyer IT + Telco ad interim, External subproject lead (stream lead) in indirect procurement, External project manager for commercial process optimization.

What is Thorben's latest experience?

Thorben's most recent position is Senior Lead Buyer IT + Telco ad interim at Unnamed Client (Automotive, Energy, Solar and Charging Solutions).

What companies has Thorben worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Thorben has worked for Unnamed Client (Automotive, Energy, Solar and Charging Solutions), Unnamed Client (Global Automotive Supplier), Top-10 University, NRW, and Germany.

Which industries is Thorben most experienced in?

Thorben is most experienced in industries like Education, Automotive, and Energy.

Which business areas is Thorben most experienced in?

Thorben is most experienced in business areas like Project Management, Operations, and Procurement and Purchasing.

What is Thorben's education?

Thorben attended University of Applied Sciences for Business, Berlin for Finance and Investment.

Does Thorben have any certificates?

Thorben has 2 certificates. These include: Yellow Belt, Lean Management, Certified Commercial Assistant and IHK.

What is the availability of Thorben?

Thorben is immediately available for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Thorben?

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