Niels E. Hower

Plant based Protein Division

Best texturized products

Doctor Chococo: A patented global Innovation: The combination of cocoa and formula-milk with vitamin D. "The first chocolate that puts the D in delicious." The combination of a tasty chocolate treat with additional health benefits. A macro- and micro nutrient flavanol-rich cacoa-dairy-formula supplemented with vitamins in chocolate bars, chocolate milk drinks and in any other cacoa dairy products. Lifestyle products rich in macro- and micro-nutrients can help to reduce nutritional gaps in children, adolescents, younger and older adults and in people with an increased metabolic demand (athletes, pregnant women). Products from Doctor Chococo support wellbeing by creating an additional health benefit.

-Building a global procurement organisation (TOM) for >bn€ spend as part of the group wide transformation Vision 2026, -Saving initiatives through process and price improvements, e.g.: Outsourcing Facility Services, 4PL Logistic, Lab services, central energy procurement with PPAs with a savings target of >150m€ -Digitization through SaaS providers to enhance transactional transparency

- 350 Mio. € sales with 1.200 employees, No. 2 in Germany’s dental wholesale, subsidiaries in Poland, Austria and Denmark. - Responsible for operations field services/customer care center consumable sales, technical services, product management/procurement, supply chain (GLS Logistik GmbH & Co. Dental Handel KG), Managing Director for E-Commerce companies, business development. - Execution of the transformation program TOPAZ to get back profitability of core business: technical services, project & services and consumable sales, including all organisational, structural changes HQ and outlets.

- Leading and building up from scratch a global sourcing organization for non-trade, trade and cross boarder capabilities, to centrally manage assortments with branded and private label goods based on decentralized transactional data. - Strategic adjustment of the „direct-to-patient“ business model through functional assortments per treatments to better care for patients through more profitable (+30%) private label products. - Generated quick wins by tendering global logistic and IT services, overachieving project target by 100%. - Tendered approx. 70% of the total own brand spend and achieved approx. 15% savings, while optimizing assortments for further sales potential. - Negotiated first global supplier agreement with one of the top 5 suppliers, achieving an additional 1.6% on top global bonus. - Management team of 4 direct reports: MD Medeco B.V. – Head of Global Category Management, MD DSN Trade B.V., Head of Global Non Trade, Finance Director Sourcing.

- Leading the central purchasing division non food for the categories: garden/camping, seasonal, DIY/bicycle/car acc., media, stationary/BTS, gas stations. - P&L and sales responsibility of 500 Mio. € (with gas stations 630 Mio. €) in 630 stores in Germany. - Increased profitability and sales through new marketing concepts, e.g back-to-school activities with 20% sales increase, and pushing for new assortments, e.g. seeds, LED lightning with >50% sales increase. - 5 central buyers as direct reports, total buying team of approx. 30 employees.

- Leading the corporate transformation project to strategically realign, increase profitability and repositioning of the retail brand Praktiker, achieving a significant three digit profit improvement in the first year. - Developed a new business model E2S within the new corporate strategy, including brand repositioning and consolidating store portfolio. - Supervised, monitored and reported transformation progress on all sales, margin and efficiency (opex) measures to the Board of Directors and supervisory board. - 8 direct reports in the transformation team; reporting to the CEO.

- Leading the central Category Management division for seasonal: garden/camping and flower/plants. P&L and sales responsibility of 430 Mio. Euro in 240 stores in Germany. - Successful implementation of a new marketing discount concept for flower/plants with an annual sales increase of 30% for 2 consecutive years. - 3 category managers and one central buyer for flower/plants as direct reports, total category team of 60 employees.

- Leading and full responsibility for the global procurement (outside EU), food (interim) and private label development for the Metro Group with an annual spend of more than 1 bn. Euro. - Developed an international purchasing strategy of „common ranges“ for the Metro Group with a spend of up to 100 Mio. Euro with strategic supplier relationships and own brand products to be sold in all Metro countries. - 8 Product Managers as direct reports and approx. 125 employees in 6 offices across Asia.

- 2005-2007: Leading the purchase department with the categories garden/camping, furniture, bicycles, spend of 200 Mio. Euro. - Build up the bicycle business from scratch to 300.000 units per season; initiated a pre-consolidation supply chain solution with 60 suppliers and 3.000 TEU’s in Asia. - 2004-2005: Leading the purchase department with the categories seasonal, toys, stationary/photo, watches/jewelry, spend of 110 Mio. Euro. - 2 Merchandise Managers as direct reports and approx. 30 employees in the purchase department.

- Developed and implemented a customer loyalty program with a sales share of 60% after 2 years. - Grew E-Commerce sales by 40-50% through online marketing and assortment extension with high value products. - Responsible for centrally led customer services, to reduce workload of complaint management in stores. - Tested new sales opportunities to scale the retail brand, e.g. travel