Ricardo Villaverde

Responsible for Direct Materials, Indirect Procurement, Supplier Quality and Sustainable Procurement activities, leading a team of Category Managers, Procurement Analysts and Supplier Quality professionals supporting Donaldson’s manufacturing and distribution operations in Brazil. Key Achievements • Consistently exceeded annual cost reduction targets, delivering procurement savings ranging from 3.3% to 5.0% through strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, localization initiatives, and productivity improvements. • Increased average supplier payment terms from 47 to 67 days, improving working capital and cash flow performance. • Developed and qualified local suppliers across plastics, rubber, metal forming, castings, chemicals, packaging and fastening systems, strengthening supply chain resilience and supplier competitiveness. • Implemented supplier performance management processes, supplier development programs, audits and corrective action plans to improve supplier quality and operational performance. • Established local procurement governance for indirect materials and services, supporting compliance, transparency and spend management optimization. • Negotiated strategic contracts for logistics, transportation, fleet management, catering and facility services, delivering a 17% reduction in indirect procurement spend. • Led the deployment of Donaldson’s Sustainable Procurement Program in Brazil, implementing dozens of sustainability initiatives and engaging suppliers in environmental certification, EcoVadis and CDP assessment programs. • Led large-scale procurement transformation initiatives, including ERP implementation, process standardization, and procurement digitalization programs, driving alignment across Operations, Finance, Engineering, IT, and Executive Leadership teams.

Responsible for Technical Services, Capital Equipment and Strategic Service Contracts across Brazil, leading a team of seven procurement professionals focused on cost optimization, supplier performance, governance and stakeholder satisfaction. Key Achievements • Consistently exceeded annual procurement savings and working capital goals, delivering strong commercial results while maintaining service quality, supplier performance, and business continuity. • Led ESG initiatives with strategic suppliers, reducing diesel consumption and CO₂ emissions while promoting diversity, equity and inclusion programs aimed at increasing female participation in operational and technical roles. • Established supplier engagement programs and ESG workshops to promote sustainability culture, foster innovation and build a pipeline of environmental and social improvement initiatives. • Led Integrity Due Diligence (IDD) assessments and approval processes, mitigating supplier-related risks and strengthening procurement governance across ethics, compliance, financial and sustainability dimensions. • Standardized supplier payment terms across key categories, improving cash flow management and commercial alignment with strategic suppliers. • Fostered a high-performance culture through mentoring programs, team development initiatives, recognition programs and employee engagement activities.

Responsible for all Technical Services and Equipment purchase for the 29 plants located in Brazil. Huge negotiations on material handling contracts, with significant returns on savings and cost avoidance. Studies, negotiations and contract implementation for equipment and spare parts purchases. Leadership and team development of the buyers who works focused on the TS&E category.

Key Achievements • Achieved rapid career progression through four leadership positions within five years, culminating in responsibility for site procurement and supplier quality management in Brazil. • Led procurement teams ranging from 6 to 8 professionals across Brazil, Europe and the Americas, supporting direct materials, indirect procurement, project purchasing, serial production and supplier quality activities. • Delivered multi-million savings and cost avoidance initiatives through strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, localization programs and procurement process improvements. • Managed international purchasing activities for the Locking Solutions Business Unit, leading buyers across Europe and the Americas and implementing localization strategies to optimize supply chain costs and responsiveness. • Increased supplier payment terms from 30 to 60 days across South America, improving working capital performance. • Developed supplier quality management processes, improving response times, supplier performance and operational efficiency. • Established and standardized procurement KPIs and governance processes to strengthen purchasing performance management and decision making.

Responsible for series purchasing of Business Unit Locking Solutions, leading a team of six buyers, distributed on sites located in the Americas and Europe. Focusing on cost reductions for series index, component localization (purchasing closer to each site) and cost avoidance on suppliers price increase claim negotiations.

Responsible for the purchasing department in Brazil (Projects, Serial life, MRO and Quality Supplier Management), leading a team of eight employees focused on cost reduction through negotiations and new suppliers development to meet the Budget of saving from the site (2% of decrease on purchasing cost). New flow implemented on the process of supplier’s fast response for quality issues, achieving more adequate responses and significant improvement on timing. Tool shop supplier´s development in the southern region of the country, nine suppliers visited and audited, four suppliers approved and developed, considering cost saving on 100% of tools launched in these suppliers, comparing to the target and also to the suppliers already developed. Cost avoidance of 11.7% on MRO negotiations (around 2.2 MBRL / year), including equipment, services and non-productive materials in Brazilian site.

Responsible for the purchasing department in Brazil (Projects, series and MRO). Development and implementation of a new standard for the management and follow up on the purchasing index of local department. Responsible for the direct materials purchasing index of 3.04% (saving of 1.4 MBRL / year), considering 1 MBRL of negotiation and 187 kBRL of resourcing. For the nine projects in progress during 2016, saving of 1.65% (3.5 MBRL / year of projects lifetime purchasing amount). Cost avoidance of 4.8% (438 KBRL / year) in indirect material purchasing and saving of 288 KBRL / year considering the negotiation of two local service contracts.

Development and control of the supplier’s portfolio for South America divisions. Construction and maintenance of steel purchasing strategy, stamping steel and service contracts, responsible for re-sourcing, technical productivity, negotiation, market effect and currency. Stamping steel nationalization plan development, mapping and sourcing 60% of imported content. 2015 Negotiation index with local and overseas suppliers = 2.1% YTD (1.4 MBRL). Analysis and negotiation regarding suppliers price increase claims (2015 cost avoidance = 1.1 MBRL). Suppliers risk management control, monitoring the financial health and developing backup plans.

Mapping the local and overseas market of stamping suppliers to simplify the study of re-sourcing implementations, exchange rate analysis for components localization and also to study market share between two or more suppliers. Intermediate processes elimination, adding those processes to the current main supplier, obtaining transportations Savings and decreasing current prices after Last Call. Price adjustment analysis, supporting the Segment Leader, analyzing the increase waves on raw material and new business opportunities. New supplier development for KTL painting and powder coating, with the possibility of cost savings from the optimization of the production process.

Suppliers selection and development for air conditioning system components, Renault X52 project. Dealing with Brazilian, Asian and European suppliers. Make or buy analysis, payback and introduction of double sourcing for key components. Management of components approval processes from suppliers to obtain PPAP. Purchasing, importing and developing plastic injection tooling, suppliers located mainly in Asia and Europe. Front End Module and air conditioning systems components cost analysis and quotations to be offered for the leading carmakers (Ford, Honda, GM, VW, Renault, Nissan and JAC Motors), cost breakdowns comparison to challenge the costs of stamped, injected and shaped components in general.

Process, quality and manufacturing equipment planning, operating in the transfer of assembly lines from other group units (Germany). Effective participation in a Lean Line Design project for new products adequacy and physical space optimization. Productivity and Overall Equipment Effectiveness index management. 85% of reduction on Production Process Failure index in nine months, through improvements in workstations and adjustments in manufacturing process. 35% of production volume increased in window lifter motor line in three months, working in machines takt time. Supplier development and partnership for the replacement and adjustment of devices and machines. Layout creation and modification for the production lines better accommodation. Management of annual allocation investment, purchasing orders placement, supplier negotiation and regular visits.

Assembly of car cooling systems and packaging of car cooling system components.

Operating different kind of machines to cut the cables and add the electrical terminals for the wire harnesses.

Throughout the MBA in ESG, I deepened my knowledge in corporate sustainability, governance, and social responsibility, exploring topics such as the SDGs, compliance and anti-corruption, diversity and inclusion, environmental and waste management, circular economy, reverse logistics, and energy transition. I also developed expertise in carbon management, socio-environmental impact assessment, sustainable corporate finance, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability communication. In addition to the regulatory foundations in environmental law and due diligence, the program emphasized practical approaches to innovation, digital transformation, and both national and international business cases. This journey strengthened my ability to align business strategy with positive impact, integrating purpose, competitiveness, and shared value creation.