Manish Gupta

As the leader of global Supply Chain operations for a tropical vegetable seed company with $200M in sales and a presence in over 80 countries, I oversee a team of highly motivated leaders across all Supply Chain verticals. My responsibilities include ensuring the seamless execution of S&OP, Demand and Supply Planning, and Customer-Facing Supply Chain. I have established robust logistics and processing capabilities, including creating a European hub to streamline operations. By leveraging data analytics, I enhance decision-making efficiency and implement advanced ERP and planning tools. My focus is on developing and executing Supply Chain strategies that bolster business growth and drive cost efficiencies throughout the end-to-end value chain, while implementing rigorous Compliance and Contingency Planning to mitigate risks. Key achievements include conceptualizing and implementing Integrated Business Planning solution driving better forecasting accuracy and reduction in obsolescence and establishing a logistics hub in the Netherlands, achieving almost 50% reduction in lead times to Latin America and African countries. I have enhanced customer service levels by over 20% from 2021 to 2024 through strategic improvements in Supply Chain processes. Additionally, I pioneered the establishment of the Supply Chain Function, including organizational structuring and roadmap development for future scalability. By championing a service mindset, I accelerated the Order-to-Cash process and significantly reduced Logistics Lead Times. My passion for Supply Chain excellence drives me to continuously seek innovative solutions that enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

I championed Procurement Excellence initiatives across South Asia, focusing on procurement automation, digitization, and process simplification to establish a strategic roadmap. This included expediting the e-invoicing process, enhancing operational efficiency, and achieving cost savings. I advanced responsible sourcing and sustainability efforts and fostered robust business partnerships to align objectives among Business Units, Market Procurement Teams, and Above Market procurement teams. By implementing supplier interaction technologies and compliance measures, I streamlined procurement operations. Key achievements include achieving 100% compliance in SEDEX Supplier Audits, ensuring adherence to ethical and responsible sourcing standards. I led sourcing standardization, reducing complexity within the Foods Business Unit and driving procurement efficiency. Additionally, I streamlined supplier interactions through the introduction of web-based portals, enhancing communication and process transparency.

I managed demand and supply planning for a leading multinational with $75M in sales, ensuring strategic alignment with corporate objectives and market dynamics. By leveraging demand signals from diverse channels, trade partners, and customers, I enhanced decision-making processes. I headed the S&OP process, establishing operational plans and KPIs to drive business performance, optimized sourcing decisions for cost-efficient supplies, and built a strong Demand Planning and Inter-Market Supply team. Additionally, I conducted portfolio optimization to reduce complexity within the Korean market. Key achievements include implementing Statistical Forecasting in SAP APO, significantly improving forecast accuracy by approximately 20%. I achieved over 90% customer service levels, maintaining performance during challenging periods such as COVID and Brexit. I reduced aging stock levels and minimized bad goods through enhanced planning and communication strategies. I successfully managed the on-time launch of Starbucks Coffee Capsules and beans, contributing to product diversification. Additionally, I led the operational planning for the launch of Dolce Gusto in Korea, ensuring seamless market integration.

I managed regional demand and supply planning for the Foods and Confectionery businesses across over 100 countries, focusing on enhancing downstream supply chain efficiency and product freshness. I established and maintained long-term sourcing strategies, ensuring alignment with Zone Supply Chain objectives. My role included spearheading initiatives for inventory reduction, optimizing ocean transport lead times, and reducing detention/demurrage costs. I supported market-level demand and supply planning best practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the organization. Key achievements include improving On-Shelf Availability for Foods and Confectionery businesses by eliminating bottlenecks and reducing inventory wait times, which enhanced On-Shelf Freshness for chocolate products by approximately 45 days. I conceptualized a "Full Supply" Risk Management system, now adopted across various African, Asian, and Oceania markets, and developed a sourcing network for the Culinary and Confectionery businesses, improving regional supply chain stability. Additionally, I initiated and led a portfolio complexity review, optimizing manufacturing frequency and increasing operational flexibility.

I directed supply chain operations for a leading multinational company in North India, managing a network of 12 Distribution Centers. I optimized the Order to Cash process by establishing a streamlined Order Management Centre and spearheaded the strategic expansion of warehousing operations to align with business growth objectives. My initiatives focused on quality, safety, and sustainability across secondary distribution and warehousing sectors. I oversaw demand planning, customer service, logistics, and warehousing, with a strong emphasis on safety protocols and enhanced cold chain logistics to ensure product integrity and regulatory compliance in secondary distribution networks. Key achievements include expanding warehousing operations, achieving 100% cold chain management, and reducing costs with a dedicated fleet. I established the Order Management Centre, improving customer response times and reducing operational expenses. I enhanced sales forecast accuracy from mid-60% to above 80% between 2012 and 2014, ensuring better inventory control and customer satisfaction. Additionally, I developed and managed complex supply networks, optimizing asset and resource utilization to inform capital expenditure decisions.