Ali Umit Sengezer

As head of strategic planning and Circular Economy, I am conducting a long-term business planning strategy to futureproof the company towards the electrification of the automotive industry. I’ve built a dedicated team of 10, and together, we’ve achieved billions in profit by executing improvements and dedicating change using corporate strategies including Circular Economy (Redesign, Remanufacture, Retain, Repurpose, Recycle). I established the mid-term strategy ‘’Going Beyond for 2030’’ and delivered millions in G&A reductions across multiple functions. Some of my responsibilities include analyzing industry trends, regulatory developments, and new business opportunities. I also govern the internal company target setting.

I established an open, productive working environment for 55 staff members in this role by promoting best practices for sharing, mentoring, and empowerment. I authorized mid and long-term strategies with the CEO and vice president to align with the company vision, dynamic market conditions, supplier base consolidation, and global sourcing. Some achievements include realizing and saving multimillions in cost improvement and budgeting by securing relationships, aligning directions, and setting mid-and long-term business strategies. I am proud of the 15 promotions I enabled in the team while also coaching eight team members through mentoring and mapping strengths and development areas. I was recognised as one of the key talent within the company and planned rotation to the business strategy division.

As a senior manager, I conceptualized and executed Kaizen for all systems the purchasing group uses daily to ensure compliance, accuracy, and efficiency across CSR, supply chain mapping, and risk management. I was responsible for leading the annual planning for member development, performing internal and external audits, and making necessary reflections for sustainable operations. I needed to collaborate with suppliers and cross-functional teams to identify cost-reduction opportunities to save multimillions in mass production and secure millions in project cost improvements. I managed two direct and 12 indirect reports, and we avoided 10+ production line-stop risks.

As the senior manager for unit and logistics purchasing, I was responsible for ensuring supply continuity, coordinating supplier base strategy, and minimizing exchange rate risk. Furthermore, I forged relationships with other divisional executives and enhanced the performance of 15 team members through training, process improvements, and empowerment. I also directed the efficient transport routes from Japan to Europe by utilizing the logistics partner network and considering different stopovers and multi-modality. My achievements include ✧ Generated a multi-million-dollar decline in the yearly commodity turnover. ✧ Championed a 10% reduction in the production cost of manual transmission systems. ✧ Cultivated 4% savings through a 20% boost in parts localization for engine and transmission parts and initiating new modalities in parts logistics.

In this role, I managed parts procurement, cost improvements, and team development while leading a team of 10. I also delivered centralized purchasing of plastic raw materials and implemented rationalization and consolidation strategies. I successfully managed risks to prevent production halts and established the standardization of raw materials and process costs. Some high-value achievements include ✧ Generating a 3% cost savings from a seat set supplier. ✧ Rationalizing the supply chain by terminating four suppliers and completing two plant closures while keeping the production line running (tens of millions of euros). I received well-deserved appreciation from the supplier’s top management and Toyota executives for smooth and professional business termination during the Lehmann Brothers crisis.

During this role, I guided the procurement of functional trim and major interior components and enhanced relationships with mega suppliers to improve product power by bringing innovative ideas to market and enhancing competitiveness by 10% from one project to the next. I achieved a 2% cost reduction from a mega supplier, becoming the first senior buyer in the Turkey office. I also secured a 99.5/100 rank among 30 selected high-potential employees worldwide, finishing the Japan buyer training at the top of the class.

This role required my expertise in guiding the procurement of plastic, trim, and rubber components. I managed relationships with 30 suppliers and sourced 300 parts for Corolla Sedan and Verso models. Achievements include garnering a 20% localization target for cost reduction versus Japan by bringing low-cost suppliers from Turkey and generating a 2% annual cost reduction through detailed supply chain analysis and benchmarking other region cost breakdowns.