Erwin Van Uytvanck
10 Veldstraat • 9250 Waasmunster Belgium
+32 474 426 964 •
CEO • Managing Director • General Manager • OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Accomplished, innovative, and results-driven Senior General Management professional with 18 years of frontline experience successfully turning around poorly performing divisions within the manufacturing industry, devising and implementing insightful regional and global business strategies, and increasing sales through product innovation. Track record training, developing and leading high performance management teams to outperform operational targets. Leverages exceptional analytical skills to orchestrate effective operational restructuring initiatives, identify market opportunities, and implement significant cost-cutting programmes.
Core Competencies
Business Development • Strategic Planning • Market Analysis • Change Management
Process Enhancements • Negotiations • Client Relationships • Sales • Marketing • Budgeting
Downsizing • Forecasting • Team Training & Motivation • Recruitment • Cost Reduction
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Roland Curtains Inc., Arlington, Texas, USA • 2010-Present
With turnover of $6M and 20 employees, the company produces and sells side-curtains with sign writing for semi-trailers and upper structures to convert flat-bed trailers into curtain side trailers.
President/Chairman/Owner
Support Vice-President including strategy development, analysis of financial statements, client relationship building, and interfacing with bankers.
· Orchestrated management buyout of company.
· Engineered cost saving measures including replacement of former ERP system at 25% of original cost.
· Delivered additional sales of $1.5M by negotiating favourable deals with sub-contractors in Central and Eastern Europe allowing the company to better compete with local competitors in Latin-America.
· Set-up partnership in Mexico resulting in additional sales and increased rentability.
· Delivered sales growth of 70% from 2010-2012.
BARRY-CALLEBAUT NV, Wieze, Belgium• 2011-2013
Barry-Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa, chocolate and confectioning products with approximately 7500 employees operating in about 40 production facilities worldwide and a turnover of 4 billion Euro.
Interim Operations Director Poland
Oversaw the daily activities of over 60 employees with oversight for production, engineering, maintenance and quality. Conducted feasibility studies on potential investments and executed the investment program. Held P&L, budgeting and purchasing oversight. Directed the Poland team with a focus on maximising production efficiency and quality. Implemented process enhancements and production innovations.
· Restructured and increased the level of Quality Procedures resulting in a successful pass of an unprecedented severe KRAFT audit due to a serious food contamination incident
· Developed and started-up several investment projects like a 7 million EUR investment project in a new chocolate line.
· Co-engineered the master plan for the Lodz plant with focus on doubling the current capacity.
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Interim Operations & Continuous Improvement Support Manager Europe
Supported 9 European production facilities with a focus on maximising production efficiency, enhancing processes, optimising raw material consumption and increasing quality.
· Rolled out quality circle programs in all European subsidiaries
· Implemented OEE measurement techniques
· Analysed and reorganised maintenance/engineering departments
· Steered introduction of continuous improvement actions and lean plan
· Participated in an acquisition project as senior advisor operations
· Implemented a custom built standard management tool for operations and supply chain in all European subsidiaries
Consultant Quality Circle Program
Rolled-out a Quality Circle Program in some European subsidiaries of the Barry-Callebaut group.
· Implemented different Quality Circle Programs in UK, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Sweden.
Interim Operations Director UK
Directed the UK team to work actively on all budget targets and devised a detailed plan per KPI to improve the current performance. Improved the maintenance efficiency and implemented an energy saving plan. Enhanced the collaboration between sales, supply chain and operations. Tasked with the restructuring of two Barry-Callebaut production facilities in the UK.
· Engineered successful downsizing of the production plant in Chester by eliminating the weekend shifts
· Started to change the Banbury organisation into a quality/volume driven culture instead of a pure volume driven production unit by introducing quality circles and brown paper exercises
· Developed a major investment plan for the Banbury plan to secure its future and facilitated the future closedown of the Chester plant
· Revised the maintenance department by setting-up accurate preventive maintenance programs and a general overhaul program
· Changed the management structure of the Banbury plant
ANDLINGER & COMPANY CVBA, Brussels, Belgium • 2011
Is a private investment and management firm with offices in the United States and Europe.
Consultant
Supported during the due diligence process of a company to be acquired.
Bonar Xirion NV, Ostend, Belgium • 2010-2011
Produces chemical yarns for artificial grass and for the carpet industry.
Interim General Manager
Oversaw all daily activities of the company with a mandate to close down the facility.
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Bonar Yarns Ltd, Dundee, UK • 2010
Extrudes and sells chemical yarns (polypropylene and polyethylene) for the artificial grass industry as well as for the carpet industry with over 125 employees and a turnover of ₤21M.
Interim Manufacturing Manager
Directed production, engineering and warehouse operations with a focus on maximising production efficiency and quality. Continued process of downsizing production department by
30%. Steered introduction of cleaning programmes, maintenance programmes, calibration processes and a general overhaul programme.
· Reduced waste level from 14% to 10%.
· Boosted man hour output by 25% in the extrusion division.
Roland International BV, Tegelen, Netherlands • 2003-2010
Produces and sells side-curtains, tilts, and roofs for semi-trailers with a turnover of €48M and over 650 employees. A part of Sioen Industries NV, a public company on Euronext Brussels.
Managing Director
Tasked with restructuring and achieving profitability for poorly performing organisation. Guided overall direction of more than 650 employees. Played key role in defining and developing global market and operating strategies. Assembled highly effective management group to provide optimum service to pan-European and global customers. Spearheaded development of strong working relationships with customers, key suppliers, and business partners. Designed capital investment strategies to improve competitive position and ensure achievement of financial and operational targets. Performed stringent compliance oversight of all accounting, safety, quality, and environmental requirements.
· Delivered 56% sales growth from 2003-2008.
· Engineered successful turnaround within 2 years transforming a 50% loss on turnover into 10% earnings before tax.
· Initiated significant operational savings by transferring production in the Netherlands and Germany to the company’s production facility in Poland.
· Orchestrated necessary reduction of global entities within the group from 23 to 6.
· Elected to Board of Directors of holding company Sioen Industries NV.
· Implemented new ERP system throughout the Sioen Industries Group.
· Identified acquisition opportunities and orchestrated successful integration of acquisitions in Europe and the USA.
· Achieved savings by transitioning white-collar staff in Poland from Dutch and German expatriates to young Polish staff with university degrees and fluency in English and German.
· Elevated gross margin from 21% to 43% by conducting strong negotiations with key suppliers and virtually halting the theft of raw materials from factories.
· Avoided high import taxes by utilising Ukraine plant as a subcontractor to the Polish plant.
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Domo NV, Ghent, Belgium • 2000-2002
Family owned company active in chemicals, yarn extrusion, carpet, and cushion vinyl flooring.
Business Unit Manager
Directed all production and sales activities related to the cushion vinyl floor covering division with a turnover of €60M and a staff of 140. Oversaw coordination of all departments including sales, marketing, operations, design & development, and the laboratory. Conducted feasibility studies on potential investments. Held P&L, budgeting and purchasing oversight. Devised business targets and performance strategies for the Business Unit. Monitored and facilitated optimum manpower usage. Ensured compliance with all quality, safety and environment regulations.
· Appointed to steering committee, reporting directly to the CEO/Owner of the company.
· Slashed costs by 12% through insightful downsizing, negotiating favourable prices with PVC suppliers, significantly reducing wastage, and increasing hourly production output.
· Negotiated license agreement with an American competitor allowing Domo to exclusively produce and sell a new generation of cushion vinyl flooring in the European market.
· Spearheaded purchase of embossing technology enabling production and launch of a quality imitation of natural tiles leading to greater profit margins.
· Tied up exclusivity for use of Microban in products resulting in optimum child safety through avoidance of dangerous bacteria on the cushion vinyl floor.
· Implemented ABC product planning and a rolling forecast to free working capital.
Ossfloor BV, Oss, Netherlands • 1999-2000
Specialises in the production and sales of printed broadloom carpets.
Plant Manager
Oversaw daily activities of over 100 employees with oversight for production, planning, engineering, and warehouse activities. Supervised all production departments including tufting, air jet, printing and dyeing, coating, internal transport and reception of goods, and end control. Leveraged advanced technical skills to provide significant support to the development team with product diversification initiatives.
· Delivered measurable quality improvement through implementation of successful waste reduction methods.
· Hand-selected for the management team.
Desso NV, Dendermonde, Belgium • 1997-1999
Produces and sells tufted and woven broadloom carpets, carpet tiles, and artificial grass.
Production Manager
Directed over 50 employees and supervised all production activities within the Coating Division. Ensured stringent safety and environment measures, optimum quality standards, meeting of delivery terms, and implementation of effective cost controls. Conducted training of personnel. Implemented process enhancements and production innovations.
· Managed successful transition of the division from poorest performing team to best in class in less than 2 years by increasing personnel involvement, introducing training programmes, replacing ineffective foremen, and changing suppliers.
Additional experience includes Quality Control Manager with Jean Allen NV, Belgium, 1993-1997
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EDUCATION
Master of Industrial Engineering
College Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
Master of Business Administration: Executive MBA
Antwerp Management School, Antwerp, Belgium
CERTIFICATIONS
Quality Systems Manager, CKZ, Courtrai, Belgium
Product Development and Product Management in the Textile Industry, College Ghent, Belgium
Certificates for Advanced German & Advanced French
Certificate for Russian Basics
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
SZS (Association of Ship Supply Traders, Sail Manufacturers and Ship Riggers)
LANGUAGE FLUENCY
Dutch (native), English, German, French, Russian (basic)
COMPUTER SKILLS
Microsoft Office, Outlook, Adobe, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, SAP
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