Not always visible products, but visible success

We keep the logistics machine well-oiled

Adabtability and flexibility are key

I work for Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions as a Category Supply Chain Manager. We keep the logistics machine well-oiled. I have contributed to more than 20 new product launches over the last three years in the Laundry Care Category in EMEA and the Americas. Each product launch is different and for me it is really inspiring when a close-knit team brings a product to market.

You never know what event is going to disrupt supply chains. So, I have to keep my eyes open and my ear to the ground for potential warning signs. In my career, I have been like a versatile SUV because I have had to proactively steer through many landscapes - environmental risks, geopolitical uncertainties, health crises and conflict situations - to maintain supply to my categories over the last three years. Adaptability and flexibility are key but actually developing a robust risk management strategy is vital, too.

What's the best thing about Freudenberg?

Actually, that your efforts do not go unnoticed, so a rapid shift through the promotional gears is possible. How did that manifest with me? Well, I was promoted to a Supply Chain Management position, leading our plant Supply Chain team, after just three years. It felt like all my hard work and commitment had truly paid off. I also successfully navigated a big crisis related to a sudden supply disruption with our Ukrainian supplier, it was a global challenge, so finding a solution was important and beside that keeping a close connection also from an human point of view.

All those challenges managed with resilience, focus and structured solutions turned out to be step stones for my personal and professional development, as I was promoted to an international corporate role as a result.

I am curious and seek self-improvement. So, thanks to regular performance reviews and constructive feedback evaluations, I am able to identify the areas I need to work on. I then pinpoint the specific training I require to do this at our Academy. I have done courses like 5 Choices, Project Management training, plus Communication modules. I am currently participating in an international leadership training program. So, there are still many more miles to travel within the Freudenberg world for me. 

Supply to meet demand

High-end performance  

After I had been recruited by Freudenberg Home & Cleaning Solutions China, I had to disband the entire SCM team in Suzhou and rebuild everything from scratch in Shanghai, while I still had to secure goods deliveries to customers in a way that is stable and sustained. 

As a Supply Chain Manager, my role is to make things happen. You could compare me to a high-end German car - engineered for precision, built for reliability and designed to deliver exceptional performance under any condition. Like that car, I combine efficiency and adaptability with a focus on quality, ensuring that every process runs smoothly and every challenge is met with confidence.  

Adaptability is key  

Mainly, we have to keep things moving. And be adaptable in order to do it. In my time I have had to do a team re-sizing to fit the economic situation, support an SAP go-live with appropriate management on inventory and deliveries to customers, deal with trade tensions to avoid significant impact on material cost, secure deliveries in the COVID period, mitigate the negative impact of the challenges of international logistics, and secure deliveries to customers with promised lead time, as well as find alternative solutions for the recent tariff conflicts; to protect both the raw material prices and profit.  

Profitability matters not only to the business but also to employees because it creates growth, stability and opportunities for everyone. As I look to the future, I am eager to a broader management scope and embrace new challenges. Whatever my role in the future, the aim will always be to boost business and serve our customers. 

We are in the Local Business of Doing Global Business

Elevate your career by seizing opportunities

For me, self-motivation is the key. For that, you have to love what you are and what you do, and work with total passion. Working on corporate projects has made me aware of just how big Freudenberg Group is, and how far it really reaches. I have come to admire Freudenberg’s working model that encompasses a myriad of business types that employ so many people in so many countries. 
When you work on corporate projects you have to learn to create enthusiasm for what you are offering because people will be participating on top of doing their regular work. I am happy to do this because I feel I am like a taxi that takes my colleagues to fulfilling experiences beyond what they normally do, where they learn and interact with like-minded.
 

From that first project on, I felt like I can really fit in 

At this point I am Country Manager Corporate Indirect Procurement and Logistics for Freudenberg Business Services in Mexico. This is one of the most enriching experiences of my career, after starting as a Purchasing Assistant in ChemTrend and Freudenberg Business Services at the same time – this really changed my perspective. I remember my first ever assignment at Freudenberg Business Services was to build a contact address book of all the Freudenberg entities in Mexico. I started calling numbers from the website and some contacts did not even know their company was part of the Freudenberg Group. Now, I would say, I had a small part in transforming fragmented Indirect Purchasing functions into a same-page entity delivering sustainable financial cost savings to Freudenberg Business Units.

From that first project on, I felt like I can really fit in. I worked on a Corporate Indirect Purchasing project which gave me the opportunity to be in touch with many intra-business contacts that I still work with today. This has given me additional knowledge that I am still using today. 

Freudenberg thrives on new business opportunities. If I have one bit of advice for anyone coming here it would be: Always try to take the business to the next level by capitalizing on opportunities, do that and you will reach the next level too!

Solutions come with the Appliance of science

Pivot to progress

As a chemist with a deep passion for chemistry and chemical regulations, I am rooted in science. This passion shaped my early career in Chemical Regulatory Compliance, where I spent a decade immersed in global legislation.

My wow moment came when I was given the opportunity to pivot into Strategic Procurement, a completely new field for me. It wasn’t just a change in job title but a shift into a new mindset. A new domain. I had moved from a regulation-heavy environment into a fast-paced, commercially strategic role. It required supplier engagement, cost analysis and cross-border collaboration - all while trying to build credibility in an unfamiliar function. I’ll admit, the early months were tough, but they pushed me to grow in unexpected ways. 
 

Identifying inefficiency, implementing improvement  

A milestone I’m especially proud of was leading a Lean Admin Green Belt project aimed at improving our time recording system for billing. I applied Lean Admin tools to identify inefficiencies and implement practical improvements. What made it especially rewarding was seeing how the changes not only enhanced the system but also brought more clarity and efficiency to my own daily work. The billing solution is still in use today, something I take quiet pride in. 

Another highlight was serving as the Lead Internal Auditor for ISO implementation at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Malaysia. Plus, I also mentored two new internal auditors, which was incredibly rewarding. It helped strengthen our Audit team and ensured continuity in our practices. Each of these experiences has helped me grow. Not just in skills, but in confidence and perspective.  

I often describe my journey as like upgrading from a standard car to a hybrid SUV: More efficient, reliable, and equipped with a GPS that updates every time I learn something new or take on a fresh challenge. No matter the road ahead, I know I’m moving in the right direction.