Wolfgang Farkas
Interim CEO
Experience
Interim CEO France & EVP Operations Germany
Kelvion
Developed plan for German factories, introduced standard work and process optimization
Improved on-time in-full (OTIF) performance from 60% to 98%
Increased EBIT by 4%
Analyzed status quo and developed future strategy with group management and PE investor
Prepared French social plan, budget and timing
Negotiated with unions and managed local & national politicians to obtain plan approval three months after announcement
Ensured no strike actions and executed priority customer production orders during shutdown in record time with perfect quality
Communicated successfully with customers, suppliers, stakeholders and government officials
Executed production transfers to other sites and/or profitable sale to third parties
Established new sales & service organization in France
Sold existing French site within three months at 20% above market price and moved remaining business to a new location
Interim CEO, TAM-Groupe
DYWIDAG Systems International (DSI)
- Merged four companies, closed and transferred part of production abroad and aligned ERP within six months
- Created and implemented a culture driven by objectives and accountability
- Reduced headcount by 20%, improved treasury by 30% and reduced inventory by 25%
- Constructed a growth strategy including a key investment in additional production with 60% public funding
- Developed export market in French-speaking Africa, resulting in strategic partnerships and doubled sales
- Rightsized product offering from over 8,000 to 6,000 SKUs and implemented a WMS-managed central warehouse
- Coached the leadership team including changing three out of five management team members
Interim CEO, JELD-WEN Switzerland AG
JELD-WEN, Inc.
- Led business review to identify compliance issues and executed a €6 m restructuring project
- Developed business strategy for Central Europe and launched a new product line, increasing sales by 18%
- Decreased inventory by 20% and renegotiated favourable supplier terms
- Reduced costs by implementing stringent controls, generating an additional €1.5 m EBIT
General Manager BU & Market Head, South West Europe & Africa; Director M&A EMEA; Member of Board of Directors, Smiths Detection
Smiths Detection
- Led due diligence and integration of the €710 m Morpho Detection acquisition (sites worldwide, €320 m sales, 950 employees), achieving a 25% headcount reduction and site closures in France, Italy & Germany
- Established lean processes and project management using a ‘war room’ approach, reducing project execution time by 47% and inventory by 55% while increasing OTIF from 45% to 94%
- Developed additional sales with UN, NATO and EU, leading to a 30% year-on-year revenue increase
- Defined future strategy for new products, low-cost offerings and aftermarket, achieving a 33% cost reduction
- Targeted total quality across the business to reduce cost of poor quality by 50%
Division Director Global Operations Strategy & Program Director; Chief M&A Leader; Business Unit Finance Director; Member of
Collins Aerospace
Increased profitability through cost-down and productivity improvement initiatives, realizing €36 m annual savings
Established standard work for new program introduction, improving customer response times by 40% and reducing costs by €16 m
Increased savings for non-product purchases by 30% through new policies
Secured €26 m funding from EU governments and commission for long-term investments
Drove due diligence and global integration of the €500 m Microtecnica acquisition (three Italy sites & one UK, €250 m sales, 700 employees), finalizing due diligence in 30 days and exceeding budgeted annual EBIT targets by over 30% within seven months
Increased customer satisfaction and OTIF from 63% to 96%
Reduced overheads by 3% through divisional organization streamlining
Improved operating income within four years from a €54 m loss (on €350 m sales) to a 6% profit
Reduced receivables overdue by over 30% while business grew 10% year-on-year
Eliminated audit findings from 17 to 0
Reduced finance headcount by 35% while improving on-time delivery from 26% to 96%
International Finance Director
Honeywell CTG
- Analyzed, created and implemented a business strategy to achieve 15% growth and 8% EBIT (from 0%)
- Merged business unit with another division and closed a French factory within budget and ahead of schedule
Group CEO & CFO, President US operations; Group CFO
DaTARIUS Technologies GmbH
- Generated and executed a restructuring plan, achieving 10% EBIT in the second year
- Established strategic product development and go-to-market strategy
- Built a greenfield sales and aftermarket organization in the USA within six months
- Led due diligence, acquisition negotiations and integration of two main US competitors in a €20 m deal
CFO and Liquidator
STEINER INDUSTRIES AG
- Identified misleading auditor reports and corporate fraud
- Acted as point of contact for criminal investigators and executed business liquidation
VP / Finance Director CIS; Financial Controller Eastern Europe; Assistant Business Unit Finance Director
Schneider Electric SA
- Served as VP / Finance Director CIS in Moscow, Russia, from 1996 to 1999
- Served as Financial Controller Eastern Europe in Grenoble, France, from 1993 to 1996
- Served as Assistant Business Unit Finance Director in Vienna, Austria, from 1991 to 1992
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 Aerospace and Defense (12.5 years), Manufacturing (9.5 years), Energy (8 years), Construction (3.5 years), and Information Technology (2.5 years).
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 Finance (23 years), Strategy (22 years), Operations (14.5 years), Project Management (13.5 years), Accounting (8 years), and Supply Chain Management (3.5 years).
Summary
EXECUTIVE PROFILE Chief Executive Officer with 30 years of experience across industrial and services sectors, with strong expertise in financial leadership, strategy, business development, restructuring, and M&A integration in private equity–backed and public company environments. Proven leader of complex enterprise-wide transformation programs, including production site transfers, and industrial footprint rationalization. Track record of leading SMEs and listed groups through turnarounds and performance improvement programs. Recognized for driving sustainable growth, operational excellence, and long-term shareholder value in demanding situations. ________________________________________
CORE EXPERTISE
- Strategic Program & Portfolio Management
- Business Transformation & Restructuring
- M&A Due Diligence and Post-Merger Integration
- Site Closures, Footprint Optimization & Production Transfers
- Cross-Functional Leadership (R&D, Operations, Sales, Finance)
- Stakeholder, Change & Industrial Relations Management
- Operational Excellence (Lean, TPS, TQM)
- Financial Performance Improvement (EBIT, Cash, Inventory)
Languages
Education
California State University, East Bay
Executive MBA · Hayward, United States
IMADEC
European MBA, Law · Vienna, Austria
University for Finance and Economy – Moscow
B.A. · Management · Moscow, Russian Federation
Profile
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