Jesper Aarestrup

Leading and developing a strategic sourcing team focused on global supplier strategy, vendor performance, and execution of commercial procurement initiatives. Responsible for substantial annual budget volumes and driving commercial growth. Key Responsibilities & Results: • Strategic Leadership: Bridging the gap between internal cross-functional stakeholders and international partners to ensure supply chain alignment with overall business goals. • Commercial Optimization: Restructuring international tender processes and supplier negotiations to deliver significant cost reductions and improve margin performance. • Working Capital Management: Successfully renegotiating payment terms with key suppliers to significantly optimize cash flow and financial flexibility. • Driving supply chain agility by relocating manufacturing and establishing alternative production hubs to protect margins against tariff fluctuations

Responsible for commercial negotiations, price structures, and complex contract agreements with international suppliers, with a strong focus on margin performance and quality. Key Responsibilities & Results: • Contract Optimization: Negotiating strategic buffer stock agreements with key suppliers to secure supply chain continuity without capital binding or financial risk. • Procurement Execution: Leading structured tender processes to identify cost savings and executing negotiations with alternative international vendors. • Process Improvement: Introducing structured forecasting and planning workflows to eliminate critical backorders and streamline operations.

Driven by end-to-end project management from early supplier selection to final product launch, focusing on establishing commercial frameworks and strong price structures. Key Responsibilities & Results: • Supply Chain Resilience: Successfully relocated major procurement activities from Asia to Europe, significantly increasing supply chain security and reducing lead times. • Category Development: Identified new business opportunities and trends, leading to the introduction of a new product line that delivered substantial annual profit contributions. • Partner Evaluation: Audited and evaluated international partners based on commercial performance, product quality, delivery reliability, and long-term strategic fit.

Overall responsible for category strategy, commercial performance, and international brand scaling across multiple product categories. Focused on long-term sourcing strategies, margin optimization, and building robust global supplier networks. Key Responsibilities & Results: • Brand Scaling & Development: Built and scaled an international product brand from concept to a strong market position with a comprehensive portfolio of several thousand SKUs. • Commercial Excellence: Delivered strong commercial results, significantly driving international revenue and high-margin profit contributions. • Global Networking: Established and managed an extensive global manufacturer and supplier network across Asia and Europe, ensuring strong contractual terms. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Built close cooperation across sourcing, sales, and marketing to ensure we all pulled in the same direction close to the business.

Overall responsible for category strategies, commercial performance, and international brand development across multiple product categories. Managed full product lifecycles from early sourcing to international market launch and expansion. Key Responsibilities & Results: • Brand Building & Scaling: Successfully developed and scaled several private label brands from early concepts to strong international market positions with substantial annual revenues. • Long-Term Partnerships: Developed and implemented strategic procurement initiatives across Asia, the US, and Europe with a clear focus on supplier performance and sustainable, long-term partnerships. • Commercial Negotiations: Led complex international supplier negotiations regarding price structures, delivery terms, and commercial frameworks to secure strong profit margins. • Product Lifecycle Management: Managed the entire product lifecycle, establishing structured portfolio optimization and pricing strategies aligned with commercial business goals.