Ugur Guner

As Tooling & Equipment Global Purchasing Director, I led the global purchasing strategy for tooling and equipment across Europe, America, and Asia, overseeing supplier management, cost optimization, and procurement transformation. Focused on financial efficiency, I introduced the "Asset as a Service" model for CAPEX and tooling investments, optimizing cash flow and supplier collaboration. Implemented digitalization initiatives to enhance forecasting accuracy, procurement efficiency, and business resilience. Led purchasing activities for Industry 4.0 transformation, integrating smart manufacturing and process optimization in model plant in Spain and deployment of best practices to strategic suppliers. Developed supplier evaluation frameworks, ensuring cost-effective, high-quality solutions while mitigating supplier risk. Strengthened supplier relationship management, negotiating value engineering initiatives to enhance total value optimization across the automotive supply chain. Spearheaded business process reengineering, streamlining cross-functional governance between engineering, operations, and innovation teams. Focused on strategic sourcing, leveraging agile methodologies to drive cost-saving initiatives and improve end-to-end supply chain efficiency. Ensured compliance with ISO standards and international procurement regulations, reinforcing long-term business growth through supplier development and continuous improvement. Played a key role in operational strategy, supporting global business transformation through lean production, cost-cutting measures, joint innovation development with suppliers, production technology selection, M&A and nearshoring/offshoring initiatives aiming carbon footprint reduction and optimizing cost of ownership. Led procurement restructuring, securing competitive supplier partnerships to drive business performance improvement and financial optimization.

As Purchasing Director – Acoustics Soft Trim Division, I led the purchasing strategy and supplier management across eight manufacturing plants in Europe, driving cost optimization, procurement transformation, and operational excellence. Focused on business resilience, I established an agile procurement model, enhancing supplier collaboration, strategic sourcing, and risk mitigation. Drove continuous business performance improvement, increasing purchasing contribution and improving the division’s P&L through cost-saving initiatives, supplier bundling, and value engineering. Led business transformation efforts, introducing the “Eliminate Loss Initiative” to enhance supply chain efficiency and production optimization. Strengthened cross-functional governance, working closely with programs, engineering, operations, and finance teams to align procurement strategy with business growth objectives. Managed supplier risk mitigation strategies to ensure supply chain continuity, particularly during COVID-19 disruptions and Brexit-related challenges. Led procurement restructuring, implementing lean manufacturing principles and strategic sourcing frameworks to enhance operational strategy and financial efficiency. Directed global purchasing transformation initiatives, deploying Total Value Optimization strategies to accelerate cost-saving measures and supplier performance improvements. Focused on business turnaround, optimizing procurement processes, supplier development, and contract negotiations to reinforce long-term competitive advantage. Played a critical role in automotive supply chain optimization, ensuring compliance with international standards, ISO regulations, and smart manufacturing principles. Led strategic procurement planning, leveraging digitalization and Industry 4.0 methodologies to enhance forecasting accuracy and supplier resilience.

As Senior Program Manager, I led the technical, financial, and operational strategy for the first premium Alfa Romeo vehicle, overseeing global cross-functional teams and ensuring on-time, cost-efficient program delivery. Managed budgeting, P&L, engineering, procurement, logistics, and manufacturing operations and led flawless launch across five plants in four countries simultaneously, with reduced OEM program timing by 40%. Directed the first Human Machine Interface (HMI) project, leading a crisis resolution task force to stabilize production processes. Led customer relations and commercials during crisis. Redefined the production system from scratch, ensuring flawless program execution and securing supplier alignment for just-in-time manufacturing. Oversaw end-to-end supply chain, optimizing cost structures, quality control, and supplier risk management. Played a pivotal role in business transformation, integrating Industry 4.0 principles and digitalization initiatives to improve process automation, self adjustment and enhanced stability via big data analysis and smart manufacturing capabilities. Managed supplier development, joint engineering activities, contract negotiations, and value engineering, ensuring total value optimization across the automotive supply chain. Focused on business resilience, implementing agile methodologies to enhance cross-functional collaboration between engineering, operations, and finance teams. Strengthened supplier relationship management, securing cost-effective, high-quality solutions while mitigating operational risks. Led a cross-functional program team of 150+ engineers, ensuring quality assurance, production optimization, and flawless product launch execution. Drove continuous improvement initiatives, reinforcing lean manufacturing, cost-cutting measures, and operational excellence to enhance business performance and market competitiveness.

As a Program Manager – Ford Transit Courier, I led the technical, financial, and operational execution of the €60M+ cockpit, instrument panel, and door panel program, overseeing cross-functional teams across three countries. Managed sales, product development, industrialization, procurement, quality assurance, and logistics, ensuring on-time, cost-efficient vehicle launch while optimizing P&L performance. Directed the establishment of a greenfield Just-in-Time (JIT) assembly plant in Turkey, securing flawless manufacturing execution and reinforcing supplier relationship management. Optimized supply chain efficiency, ensuring seamless coordination between engineering, production, and procurement teams to enhance business resilience. Implemented cost-saving initiatives, reducing gross costs by 20% through procurement process improvements, supplier bundling, and value engineering. Strengthened supplier evaluation frameworks, negotiating supplier contracts and total value optimization strategies to enhance financial efficiency and cost control. Focused on strategic sourcing and operational excellence, optimizing production flow, lean manufacturing processes, and end-to-end supply chain management. Managed cross-functional teams, ensuring compliance with ISO standards, OEM requirements, and international manufacturing regulations. Played a key role in business transformation, securing additional €4.3M in tooling and engineering sales while enhancing financials and cost control. Drove continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring zero-defect manufacturing and quality assurance while maintaining supplier risk mitigation strategies. Led the best-in-class product launch, exceeding industry benchmarks for cost efficiency, production agility, and time-to-market acceleration.

As Sales & Platform Director – Turkey, I led business development, sales strategy, and engineering platform expansion, driving the organic growth of Faurecia Interior Business Group from €27M to €130M annum, securing market leadership in Turkey. Spearheaded strategic planning, key account management, and operational restructuring, ensuring 100% market penetration and enhanced financial performance. Established a sales and engineering platform, reinforcing strategic positioning against low-cost competitors while securing government incentives exceeding €500K. Developed and executed market development strategies, aligning with OEM demands, and competitor SWOT analysis to maximize business growth and performance. Managed cross-functional teams, overseeing sales, engineering, and program support functions to ensure seamless customer collaboration and agile responsiveness. Strengthened engineering management and cross-functional collaboration, reinforcing Faurecia’s competitive positioning in the automotive components sector. Implemented business transformation initiatives, localizing high-cost imported components through strategic partnerships and technology transfer, driving cost efficiency and operational excellence. Spearheaded the localization of IP components and air vents, facilitating joint ventures with European suppliers, ensuring cost optimization and supplier resilience. Played a key role in corporate restructuring, leading organizational transformation initiatives to align Faurecia’s identity with future organic growth objectives. Drove continuous improvement, reinforcing lean manufacturing, strategic sourcing, and P&L optimization to enhance business resilience and market competitiveness. Led cross-functional initiatives to maximize revenue growth, profitability, and operational strategy, ensuring long-term sustainability in a highly competitive automotive market.

As Senior Sales Manager – Turkey, I led business development, key account management, and sales strategy, driving revenue growth and expanding Faurecia’s market presence with Renault, Toyota, and Ford. Focused on customer relationship management, pricing strategy, and business resilience, ensuring long-term profitability and market competitiveness. Developed and deployed strategic pricing mechanisms to protect profit margins against high inflation and foreign exchange volatility, optimizing contract negotiations with all customers. Introduced these mechanisms to purchasing team for supplier agreements. Spearheaded sales organization restructuring, establishing a dedicated Key Account Management team, enhancing customer engagement and revenue optimization. Developed strategic planning initiatives, aligning OEM partnerships with market trends to maximize business growth strategies. Strengthened cross-functional collaboration with engineering, procurement, and finance teams, ensuring seamless execution of sales and business development objectives. Played a key role in market expansion, conducting feasibility studies to establish an engineering platform in Turkey’s Technopark, securing government incentives and tax exemptions. Focused on international business development, improving Faurecia’s competitive positioning against local and global competitors. Led sales transformation initiatives, reinforcing operational strategy, revenue forecasting, and profitability improvement. Contributed to supply chain efficiency, contract negotiations, and strategic sourcing frameworks, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term customer partnerships. Drove continuous improvement in sales performance, implementing business reengineering strategies to enhance profitability, pricing structures, and financial efficiency.

Led business development and commercial relations with OEMs (Volvo, Volvo Penta, Deutz, Renault) across Europe and Turkey. Managed design changes and adaptations on products and processes for customer applications. Jointly managing with French team transfer feasibility to Turkey of labor intensive products & processes, aiming to improve overall margin generation for the company. Once feasibility approved, leaded and coordinated commercial and opertional aspects of these transfers from France -from labor training, line transfers, lay-out of implementation, custom clearance, new sales prices- including “make or buy” decisions. Improved P&L performance by doubling the company’s revenue within 3 years with high labour intensive product transfers from France to Turkey. Led the development of fully automated new production process for the starter product line to Poland. Transformed high labour-intensive process to fully automated process, subsequently closing the Turkish plant and transferred it to Poland.

In charge of starter production unit, oversaw 183 employees and 6 engineers, activities including methods, quality, logistics, production planning, preventive maintenance, targeting continuous improvement, yield optimization, cost reduction, zero quality incident and zero breakdowns. Increased productivity by 15% and decreased stock by 6% resulting 210m² production area saving within 9 months by complete production flow optimisation. Installed TRS survey on critical processes between Jan-Jun 2001, additional 20% productivity increase achieved.

Led all quality improvement activities, customer satisfaction measurement and survey activities. Responsible to reduce non-quality cost (0 km returns & warranty cost). Managed customer quality incidents, lead COMEX meetings at customers plant. Executed and followed-up internal process audits. Lead process improvement workshops with R&D and manufacturing teams in FRANCE for improving quality. Initiated the installation of human free defect elimination systems POKA-YOKE to stop defects at production stage and installed PDCA approach. Quality complaints reduced from triple digit to single digit PPM over the course of one year.