Manuel Rodrigues

Currently leading a local Team of 12 in Saudi Arabia (KSA) across Riyadh and Jeddah, overseeing the strategic procurement and supply chain management of global food product portfolios to support large-scale operations within the Kingdom. My role expands beyond the European Union to include sourcing across Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom & Ireland, and Latin America, ensuring diversified, resilient, and cost-efficient supply channels aligned with the Kingdom’s high-volume consumption projects. Responsibilities include: • Managing and developing a multicultural team of procurement and supply chain professionals across KSA. • Overseeing end-to-end international sourcing, purchasing, and logistics across multiple regions (EU, Eastern Europe, UK & Ireland, and Latin America). • Strategic oversight of 7 product families, driving supplier portfolio development and cost optimization. • Ensuring operational excellence, compliance, and risk mitigation within KSA market frameworks. • Leading high-level negotiations with international suppliers and strengthening long-term strategic partnerships. • Reporting directly to stakeholders on performance, KPI’s, supply risk management, and strategic sourcing initiatives. Focused on scalability, resilience, and sustainable supplier ecosystems, I contribute to securing diversified and future-ready food supply chains for vital projects across the Kingdom.

● Engaged as International Procurement & Supply Chain Consultant to negotiate, secure and optimize European food sourcing for high-volume projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ● Lead a local (Riyadh & Jeddah) multicultural Team of 5, managing supplier performance, procurement flows, and delivery timelines. ● Negotiate supplier agreements with large European producers, improving cost efficiency and delivery reliability. ● Optimize end-to-end supply chain processes, reducing lead times by 15% while ensuring full KSA regulatory compliance. ● Ensure consistent supply to mission-critical projects, strengthening long-term strategic supplier relationships.

● Designed and executed the global export strategy for one of Portugal’s leading frozen food brands. ● Opened 5+ new international markets across Europe, increasing export sales by 28% in key accounts. ● Negotiated distribution agreements with major retail and foodservice players, expanding international presence. ● Implemented tailored marketing initiatives, increasing brand awareness by 40% in new markets.

● Expanded commercial presence across 15+ countries, delivering double-digit annual sales growth. ● Developed strategic B2B and B2C partnerships, significantly expanding regional distribution channels. ● Led go-to-market strategies aligned with local market dynamics, profitability targets, and brand positioning.

● Defined and executed regional commercial strategy across multiple continents. ● Secured multi-year retail partnerships with international key accounts. ● Introduced data-driven marketing initiatives, increasing brand recognition and market share.

● Expanded global sales footprint through high-value international partnerships. ● Developed pricing and channel strategies that improved profitability and market competitiveness.

● Expanded export sales across Western Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. ● Led complex distributor negotiations, securing contracts worth €5M+ annually.

● Led international expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and South America. ● Executed targeted market-entry strategies to strengthen global brand positioning.

● Drove double-digit annual growth across 30+ countries in EMEA. ● Negotiated and secured multi-million-USD contracts with Ministries of Education, achieving 75%+ market penetration in targeted regions. ● Led multinational, cross-functional Teams, increasing market adoption by 40%+ in key segments. ● Executed high-impact go-to-market strategies, consistently exceeding revenue targets by 15–20% YoY.