Top 10 Procurement Leaders in Automotive Industry
With the automotive industry moving at a record pace, procurement teams are essential for organisations to find success. Like many supply chains, the industry faces unprecedented challenges, from disruptions to the complexities of transitioning to electric vehicles. Procurement leaders stand at the forefront, driving efficiency, sustainability and innovation. Procurement Magazine takes a look at the top 10 procurement leaders who are working incredibly hard to achieve success during these challenging times.
10. Liz Door, Chief Supply Chain Officer – Ford
Revenue: US$176.2bn
Employees: 177,000
Founded: 1903
Liz Door is the Chief Supply Chain Officer for Ford. In this role, Liz leverages the supply chain to improve quality, reduce costs and help the Ford+ plan realise its full potential.
Before working at Ford, Liz was Executive Vice President of Global Strategic Sourcing at home-appliance maker Whirlpool Corp, where she served as a member of the company’s executive board. This position placed her at the centre of Whirlpool's efforts to reimagine and develop smart, networked kitchen and laundry products.
Before Whirlpool, Liz spent 15 years at General Motors, advancing its purchasing and supply chain functions as she became an Executive in the Global Purchasing and Supply Chain organisation.
She began her career with Prince Corp. (now part of Johnson Controls) as a resident quality engineer at a Chrysler assembly plant in St. Louis. A Michigan native, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Michigan State University.
9. Maxime Picat, Chief Purchasing & Supply Chain Officer – Stellantis
Revenue: Approx. US$206.6bn
Employees: 258,275
Founded: 2021
Maxime Picat was appointed Chief Purchasing and Supply Chain Officer in June 2022 and has been a member of Stellantis’ Top Executive Team since January 2021.
He was previously Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe, a role he has held since the creation of Stellantis in 2021. Maxime joined Groupe PSA in 1998, gaining extensive industrial experience.
Speaking with Automotive Logistics in February 2024, Maxime said that since taking the job, he has focused on: “Strategising how to buy, where to buy, what to buy and understanding the dynamic and chaotic environment we are working in. It’s about ensuring that we are not just purchasing and supplying, but that we understand where, why and with whom we have to work, so that we will still be able to have the right level of competitiveness and the right level of supply and volumes in an environment that is less and less certain.”
8. Kaja M, Procurement Officer – Honda Europe
Revenue: Approx. US$101.5bn
Employees: 197,039
Founded: 1948
Having worked at Honda since 2010, first as a Procurement Officer at Honda UK from 2010 to 2013, Kaja is responsible for sourcing, negotiations, cost and supplier management, investment verification and budget reporting.
She joined Honda Europe in 2013, where she has held a similar role ever since.
7. Jeffrey Morrison, Lead Global Purchasing and Supply Chain – General Motors
Revenue: US$171.8bn
Employees: 163,000
Founded: 1908
With over 25 years of experience in the global automotive industry, Jeffrey has worked for General Motors (GM) since 2006, leading global engineering, procurement and logistics organisations for GM in the US and Germany.
His previous assignments include executive roles in Electrical Systems and Advanced Technology, Strategic Planning, Chassis Systems and Global Logistics.
Prior to joining GM, Morrison spent 10 years in various engineering, commercial and consulting roles across the automotive industry, leading strategic projects for global OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and financial investors on a wide range of technical and business issues. He began his career in 1996 at the Chrysler Corporation. He also worked at Federal-Mogul, a leading Tier 1 powertrain supplier and Ricardo Strategic Consulting.
Morrison holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
6. Dirk Große-Loheide, Extended Group Management of Volkswagen AG and Board Member for Procurement of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars – Volkswagen
Revenue: Approx. US$355bn
Employees: 654,359
Founded: 1937
Starting his career at Volkswagen in 1990, Dirk Große-Loheide has worked across the company in several positions, including as Chief Procurement Officer for the North American region at Volkswagen de México in Puebla. He was responsible for Group procurement of services and equipment at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg.
In April 2019, he took over the management of Group Procurement Operations at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg.
On October 1, 2019, Dirk was appointed a member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, responsible for Procurement, before taking over Board of Management responsibility for Procurement and IT at Audi AG in Ingolstadt on April 1, 2020.
Since January 1, 2023, Dirk has been a member of olkswagen AG’s Extended Group Management and Board Member for Procurement of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in Wolfsburg. In this role, he has managed the procurement organisations of all brands and regions within the Volkswagen Group.
5. Dr Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network - BMW Group
Revenue: Approx. US$157.1bn
Employees: 154,950
Founded: 1916
Since joining BMW AG in 2002, Joachim Post has held a number of management functions at the company.
In 2018, he became head of vehicle strategy before becoming a member of BMW AG Purchasing and Supplier Network in 2022. In this role, he has been vocal about the company's commitment to cutting CO2 emissions across its supply chain and supplier network, calling sustainability an “integral part of all purchasing activities.”
4. Barbara Frenkel, Member of the Executive Board, Procurement – Porsche
Revenue: Approx. US$31.6bn
Employees: 42,140
Founded: 1931
Having worked at Porsche since 2001, Barbara has worked across various departments before taking charge of the procurement function in 2021. This role is particularly important at Porsche because the in-house share of production has always been small, with 80% of the value added coming from external partners.
Barbara is the first woman to sit on Porsche’s Executive Board at Porsche. Speaking to the company’s website, Barbara said: “I enjoyed the high dynamics at the suppliers. As a supplier, you constantly have to overcome challenges, continuously evolve.”
3. Andreas Burkhart, Chief Procurement Officer – Mercedes-Benz Group
Revenue: Approx. US$165.5bn
Employees: 166,000
Founded: 1926
Andreas has been at Mercedes since 1995 and the Chief Procurement Officer since 2018. He has worked in a variety of roles, including as the director of sales and marketing over 20 years ago.
Speaking at Mercedes-Benz Supplier Circle in 2022, Andreas said: "At Mercedes-Benz, we aim to build the most desirable cars in the world - and to be number one in the luxury segment. Quality, groundbreaking innovations and sustainability are not just a brand promise - they are the basis and link to the all-electric future.
"This also applies to our suppliers: without them, there would not be a single production line or a single highly flexible factory that lets these fantastic vehicles roll off the assembly line. With the Supplier Circle, we finally have the space to personally thank our partners."
2. Angelo Pesci, Chief Purchasing and Quality Officer – Ferrari
Revenue: Approx. US$3.8bn
Employees: 11,000
Founded: 1929
Angelo Pesci has been Chief Purchasing and Quality Officer since January 2022.
Angelo joined Ferrari from STMicroelectronics, where over the past decades, he held roles of increasing responsibility in financial planning, supply chain and product planning, services and operation over past decades.
Angelo holds a Master in Business Administration from SDA Bocconi, as well as a master’s degree in Physics from the University of Trieste.
1. Bonnie Clinton, VP and CPO Indirect Procurement – Toyota
Revenue: Approx. US$306.6bn
Employees: 380,793
Founded: 1937
Having been at Toyota since 1998, Bonnie Clinton's career started in aerospace and defence before moving into automotive. She has held several positions across supply chain management, focusing on learning more about how companies functioned through positions in areas that included audit, accounts payable and administration.
Speaking to We USA, Bonnie explained how she spent six years leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives involving software program implementations and organisation development. The lessons learned and skills developed in those roles were instrumental in preparing her to return to her passion for procurement – something she still has, as she edges towards three decades in the industry.
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