Available for new mandates
Interim Executive & Advisor

Operations, Transformation & Supply Chain

Thirty years turning complex industrial and consumer operations into efficient, high-performing organisations. I partner with companies navigating growth, transformation or cost pressure, on interim and advisory mandates across Switzerland and internationally.

Philippe Schmid
30
years of international leadership
5
countries
30+
markets
CHF 150M+
portfolio governed
USD 30M
savings delivered
82
-person team led

Thirty years on the ground. On yours by Monday.

Programmes fail in the gaps between functions. I am recommended by a CEO, a CFO, IT leads, Supply Chain, HR and Data Governance — by people who managed me, worked beside me, and reported to me. Thirty years spanning SAP delivery, full P&L accountability, end-to-end supply chain and a CHF 150M+ governed portfolio means I can hold the middle.

Experience & credentials
NestléEPFLLean Leader ChampionPRINCE2 · MoP · MoR · MoV
Use cases

Does this sound like your week?

Nine situations I get called into, and exactly what you get.

Use cases

Operations & Performance

How do I bring my costs back in line with my volumes?

We find the real cost drivers and fix the biggest ones first.

  • Cost baseline and driver map
  • Savings roadmap with a business case
  • Renegotiated 3PL terms

How do I get my supply chain ready for the next stage of growth?

We debottleneck the flows and resize the network for where you are going.

  • Flow and capacity diagnostic
  • Network options with a business case
  • Service back under control

How do I make my supply chain resilient to the next disruption?

We map the vulnerabilities, close the critical gaps, and build in the right buffers.

  • A risk and vulnerability map
  • A mitigation plan for critical flows
  • Scenario-tested continuity
Use cases

Transformation & Change

How do I get my ERP programme to land and stick?

We reset scope and governance, and put the business in the owner's seat.

  • Honest status and a realistic roadmap
  • Governance and decision cadence
  • An adoption plan the business owns

How do I know which digital and AI investments will actually pay?

We separate the hype from the few use cases that pay, check your data is honestly ready, and govern them through to benefit.

  • Digital and AI use cases ranked by value and feasibility
  • A data-readiness check
  • A business case and benefits tracking

How do I make change stick in my teams?

We align your leaders, coach your managers, and make improvement routine.

  • Change plan with clear ownership
  • Coached managers
  • Routines that outlast me
Use cases

Programmes & Integration

How do I get a clear view of my project portfolio?

One list, one set of criteria, one governance rhythm.

  • A PMO up and running
  • A prioritised portfolio
  • An executive dashboard

How do I get my post-merger integration back on track?

We integrate around the customer and harmonise in the right order.

  • Day-1 and day-100 roadmap
  • A harmonised operating model
  • Synergy tracking

How do I keep operations steady through the transition?

I step in, take the accountability, and hand over cleanly.

  • Immediate leadership
  • Operations stabilised
  • A clean handover
Services

How I can help

Interim leadership and advisory mandates, hands-on when needed and strategic throughout.

Operations & Performance

Running and improving operations, and turning them into measurable results.

  • Operations & Operational Excellence
  • Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Cost & Performance Improvement

Transformation & Change

ERP and SAP backbone, advanced planning, data and dashboards, automation readiness, and the change that makes them stick.

  • Digital Transformation & Change
  • Change Management & Coaching

Programmes & Integration

Governing, delivering and rescuing complex programmes, including post-merger integration.

  • PMO & Portfolio Governance
  • M&A & Post-Merger Integration
  • Project & Programme Recovery
Impact

Selected results

CHF 150M+

Digital transformation

Governed the group digital-transformation portfolio and led a 2,500-user SAP GLOBE rollout with 100% adoption and no disruption.

USD 30M

Process optimisation & debottlenecking

Standardised and debottlenecked processes across 30+ markets, embedding Lean continuous improvement that delivered 22% efficiency gains.

−16%

Cost & service performance

Redesigned networks and cost-to-serve to cut logistics cost by 16% and supply-chain cost by 10%, while improving service and safety.

How we work together

Three ways to start

Every mandate begins with a short call. From there, one of three shapes usually fits.

Diagnostic

2 to 5 days

A short, sharp look at the real problem before you commit to anything bigger.

  • Findings from the ground, not from the reports
  • A prioritised plan with a business case
  • A straight recommendation, including doing nothing

Right when: You sense something is wrong and want clarity first.

Interim mandate

3 to 12 months

I take the seat and the accountability, lead your team, and hand over cleanly.

  • Full accountability from day one
  • Operations stabilised and delivery protected
  • A developed team and a clean handover

Right when: A leader has left, or a programme needs someone accountable now.

Advisory

A few days a month

A senior sounding board for you and your leadership team, without adding headcount.

  • Sparring on the decisions that matter
  • Governance and a review cadence that sticks
  • Coaching for your managers

Right when: You have the team, and you want experienced challenge.

Not sure which one fits? Start with the call and we will work it out together.

Book a call
Approach

My method: Go · See · Think · Do

A Lean mindset applied to programme and project management. Rather than steer from status reports alone, I start where the work actually happens.

01

Go

Go to the ground. I start at the Gemba, with the teams and the reality of the operation, not only the reports.

02

See

See the facts. I map the processes, data, bottlenecks and dependencies objectively, so decisions rest on evidence.

03

Think

Think it through. I structure the problem, set clear priorities and governance, and design solutions with the people who do the work.

04

Do

Do with discipline. I execute against clear KPIs, remove waste, standardise what works and improve continuously.

Executive perspective, hands-on delivery, and a people-first style that makes change stick.

Values

Trusted from every direction

Ten recommendations across eighteen years, from the people above me, beside me and reporting to me.

1

Trusted from above

Consistently aligns IT initiatives with business objectives, ensuring maximum value from technology investments.
Angela Willows · CFO · managed Philippe directly
2

Trusted across

Organised as meticulously as a Swiss watch — clear visibility on status and trends.
Pete Becker · IT Solutions Lead, Nestlé · senior colleague
3

Trusted from below

He didn't just manage — he invested in people.
Ricardo Rossi De Déo · Director IT Programme & Portfolio Management · direct report
Expertise

Hands-on strategic and operational expertise, kept current

Alongside thirty years of practice, I keep my toolkit current through EPFL advanced studies (MAS + CAS).

Digital & Data

Turning data into decisions across the value chain, and governing the investment that gets you there.

  • Data strategy for value chains
  • Demand sensing and forecast analytics
  • Digital twins
  • LLM and AI for planning and decision support
  • Advanced planning platforms (o9, OMP)
  • Governance of digital and AI investment
CAS Value Chains Data Technologies · EPFL

Resilience

Building supply chains that absorb shocks instead of amplifying them.

  • Risk and vulnerability mapping
  • Scenario testing and stress cases
  • Business continuity for critical flows
  • Network and sourcing robustness
CAS Building Resilient Supply Chains · EPFL

Risk Management

Governing risk, dependencies and priorities across complex portfolios.

  • Portfolio and programme risk governance
  • Dependency and interface management
  • Prioritisation under constraint
  • The MoR framework in practice
MoR Certified · Resilience CAS

Sustainability

Leading operations that are efficient with resources, not just with cost.

  • Resource-efficient operations
  • Sustainable supply chain design
  • Sustainability embedded in operating routines
CAS Lead Sustainable Operations (Nov 2026) · MAS · EPFL
About

Three decades of industrial leadership, kept current

I am a senior operations and transformation leader with thirty years of international experience at Nestlé, across Switzerland, Ukraine, France, Germany and the United States. I have led supply chain and logistics organisations, a group digital-transformation portfolio, and programme management offices, always with full accountability for delivery, cost and performance.

Since 2025 I work as an independent advisor and interim manager. I am a Lean Leader Champion (EPFL), completing an EPFL Master in Sustainable & Resilient Supply Chains, and I work fluently in French, German and English.

Contact

Let's talk

Based in Switzerland, available for mandates locally and internationally.

Book a call