Carmen Erhardt

Chief Procurement Officer

Professional Overview
Carmen Erhardt is an accomplished procurement executive with over 20 years of experience driving strategic sourcing, supplier management, and digital transformation initiatives for global enterprises. As the Chief Procurement Officer at Swisslog, she leverages her deep expertise in procurement operations, category management, and process optimization to deliver measurable cost savings and enhance supply chain efficiency.

Experience Summary

Current Role
As Chief Procurement Officer at Swisslog, Carmen is responsible for leading the company's global procurement function, overseeing a team of over 50 professionals across 10 countries. In this role, she has implemented robust supplier relationship management frameworks, streamlined procurement processes, and spearheaded the adoption of cutting-edge digital procurement tools, resulting in a 12% reduction in annual supply chain costs.

Career Progression
Prior to joining Swisslog, Carmen served as the Director of Corporate Purchasing and Head of Global Processes/Operations & Digitalization at Henkel, where she led the transformation of the company's procurement function through the integration of advanced analytics and automation. In this capacity, she drove a 15% improvement in on-time delivery and a 20% increase in supplier satisfaction scores.

Earlier in her career, Carmen held various leadership positions at Henkel, including roles as the Corporate Director and Head of the Shared Service Center for Source-to-Pay, Head of Strategic Sourcing for Marketing and Human Resources, and Global Category Teamlead for Hardware and IT Services. She also gained valuable experience as a Consultant for Application Development and Services and a Sales Manager at Bosch Telecom.

Academic Background
Carmen holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Duesseldorf, where she specialized in Supply Chain Management and Logistics. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and has completed advanced training in Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

Areas of Expertise

• Strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management

• Procurement operations and process optimization

• Digital transformation and technology implementation

• Category management and spend analysis

• Cross-functional collaboration and change management

Professional Impact
Throughout her career, Carmen has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have had a significant impact on the organizations she has served. She has been recognized for her ability to drive cost savings, improve supplier performance, and enhance overall supply chain resilience. Carmen's thought leadership and industry contributions have earned her a reputation as a respected authority in the procurement field.

Conclusion
With a proven track record of delivering transformative results, Carmen Erhardt is a strategic and visionary procurement leader. In her current role as Chief Procurement Officer at Swisslog, she is poised to continue driving innovation and operational excellence, positioning the company for long-term success in the highly competitive logistics and automation industry.