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Thomas S.

Fractional CEO | COO | CFO for Industrial & Manufacturing Businesses | Growth, Turnaround & Transformation

Senior executive with 25+ years leading manufacturing and industrial businesses as CEO, COO and CFO. Specialised in turnaround management, working‑capital and cash optimisation, operational excellence, post‑merger integration and international scale‑up. Hands‑on, fact‑based leader who rapidly diagnoses complex problems, prioritises actions and drives fast, sustainable results. Selected achievements: turned a PE‑backed titanium business from ~€2M loss to ~€4M profit, delivered €850K p.a. savings through automation/AI, improved order‑to‑cash by 25% and reduced inventory by 18%. Available for interim CEO/COO/CFO roles, PE portfolio mandates and transformation programmes.

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Thomas S.

Work

Post-Merger Integration and Regional Business Expansion Central-Eastern Europe

enverra.at
Post-Merger Integration and Regional Business Expansion Central-Eastern Europe

Situation

Following the acquisition of an established Austrian business, I was appointed to integrate the acquired organisation and build a unified sales and service business across Central and Eastern Europe. The mandate combined post-merger integration with regional expansion, organisational design and commercial development. 

Responsibilities

  • Post-merger integration
  • Regional P&L responsibility
  • Sales and Service leadership
  • Organisational design
  • Business development
  • Supplier development
  • Regional growth strategy

Key Achievements

  • Successfully completed the post-merger integration
  • Delivered more than €1.5m in synergies and cost savings within the first 12 months
  • Expanded regional service capabilities
  • Increased project and after-sales revenue
  • Established alternative suppliers in Hungary and Croatia

Operational Transformation Across European Operations

enverra.at
Operational Transformation Across European Operations

Situation

Joined a private equity-backed lift manufacturer to improve operational performance across European Operations, Customer Care and Sales Support while driving standardisation and operational excellence.  

Responsibilities

  • European Operations leadership
  • Customer Care and Sales Support
  • Quality Management
  • Process harmonisation
  • Operational Excellence
  • International transformation programmes

Key Achievements

  • Reduced quality-related customer complaints by 67%
  • Increased operational efficiency by 23%
  • Delivered annual savings of approximately €850k
  • Reduced personnel costs by 15%
  • Increased productivity while expanding capacity

Turnaround of a Private Equity-Owned Titanium Manufacturer

enverra.at
Turnaround of a Private Equity-Owned Titanium Manufacturer

Situation

Appointed CEO to restructure and transform a loss-making titanium producer serving the aerospace, medical and industrial sectors. Responsible for restoring profitability, strengthening operations and positioning the business for sustainable international growth.

Responsibilities

  • Full P&L responsibility
  • Leadership of Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, Sales and Finance
  • Turnaround and restructuring programme
  • Business development and international expansion
  • Digital transformation and performance management
  • Working capital and cash-flow optimisation

Key Achievements

  • Turned annual results from approximately €2m loss to €4m profit
  • Expanded into 20+ international markets
  • Improved Order-to-Cash performance by 25%
  • Reduced inventory by 18%
  • Improved Working Capital by €850k

Experience

Aug 2025 — Present
Enverra Austria

Enverra Austria

Founder & CEO – Enverra

Enverra Austria – a practitioner-led advisory helping SMEs and industrial tech firms (50–5,000 FTE) solve high‑stakes problems: cash & profit recovery, pre‑merger readiness, turnarounds, data strategy and AI ROI, international expansion and circular‑economy supply chains. Workstreams are outcome‑focused (13‑week cash sprints, profit‑leak audits, AI ROI sprints) and delivered by former operators supported by a network of specialists.

  • Founded and ran a boutique advisory practice delivering M&A advisory, operational restructuring, analytics implementation, market‑entry and sustainability work across Europe & Asia.
  • Integrated a competitor to expand market reach and design capability, creating additional delivery capacity and technical know‑how.
  • Delivered turnaround work that doubled revenue and improved gross margin at a client (Zirom) through market expansion and operational restructuring.
  • Reduced administrative headcount by ~10% via process redesign and ERP / role optimisation while preserving output and service levels.
  • Built and scaled short, bank‑grade interventions (13‑week cash flow sprints; 3‑week Profit Leak and AI ROI Sprints) that give CEOs/CFOs board‑grade visibility and concrete scale/adapt/exit decisions.
  • Partnered with specialist firms on projects requiring deep technical skills; applied financial discipline and AI‑driven tools to measure and defend outcomes to stakeholders.
Feb 2024 — Aug 2025
Cibes Lift Group

Cibes Lift Group

Director of Operations

Cibes Lift Group – global Swedish manufacturer of vertical platform, cabin and stair lifts with ~70,000 installations and a distributor network across 50 countries. Focus on product engineering, R&D and international expansion for residential and light‑commercial lift markets.

  • Accountable for European operations with ~45 direct reports, covering Operational Purchasing, Sales, Operations, Customer Care, Quality Assurance, Logistics and Aftersales.
  • Led redevelopment of Quality Assurance and Lean Manufacturing standards across multiple production and service sites to raise product and service consistency.
  • Planned and prepared rollout of an integrated operations model (manufacturing + service + spare parts) to improve end‑to‑end responsiveness to customers and subsidiaries.
  • Reduced quality‑related customer complaints by ~67% and improved operational efficiency by ~23% across international operations through process standardisation and tighter QA governance.
  • Delivered ~€850K p.a. savings via targeted automation and manufacturing improvements while increasing output and lowering labour intensity.
  • Implemented cross‑functional cost‑to‑serve improvements and aligned operations with commercial channels to shorten lead times and improve customer NPS.
Oct 2022 — Jan 2024
CDE Group

CDE Group

GM Central + Eastern Europe

CDE Group – global leader in wet processing and materials‑washing solutions for quarrying, mining and recycling; provides engineered wash plants, water‑management systems and circular‑economy technologies used worldwide.

  • Appointed GM Central & Eastern Europe to grow market share and develop a regional operating model across sales, operations and service delivery.
  • Sourced and executed a selective M&A (competitor takeover in Linz), then integrated the acquired operations into Europe’s supply chain and global business.
  • Delivered €1.25M of direct savings in the M&A process through a focused integration and selection approach (site consolidation, supplier rationalisation, IP capture).
  • Established a new local headquarters to secure workforce continuity and a customer‑proximate presence, improving geographic and cultural access to customers.
  • Created a regional plan that enabled projected revenue doubling in Europe and improved global gross margin by 2–3% by capturing acquired IP and optimising the European supply chain.
  • Built a regional organisation and go‑to‑market that supported circular‑economy and recycling projects across Central & Eastern Europe.
Jan 2017 — Sep 2022
Zirom Titanium

Zirom Titanium

Chief Executive Officer | Managing Director

Zirom Titanium – European manufacturer and recycler of titanium and other special metals producing forged pre‑material (round bars, flats, plates) and offering EB‑CH recycling capabilities and in‑house material testing for aerospace, medical and industrial customers.

  • Hired as CEO to stabilise and grow a PE‑backed titanium manufacturer and recycler; led a full operational and commercial turnaround.
  • Transformed the business from an annual operating loss (~€2M) to profitability, increasing turnover by ~130% and reaching ~41M RON.
  • Established and deployed an ERP (Dynamics 365) and Cisco‑based IT infrastructure to support direct sales to industrial clients and improve data discipline.
  • Implemented recycling upgrades (EB‑CH) and R&D‑led product development to broaden alloy portfolio and improve yield and margins.
  • Designed a modernisation programme to double production capacity, enable advanced recycling, raise yields and extend the product range to higher‑value alloys and forgings.
  • Shifted the commercial model from intermediary‑based to direct industry sales, opening new export markets and diversified customer base (20+ countries).
Oct 2012 — Jan 2016
REHAU Group

REHAU Group

Country Cluster Director Romania & Balkans | Board Member Country Management

REHAU Window Solutions – part of REHAU Group, developer of polymer‑based systems and energy‑efficient window, door and façade solutions for construction and industrial markets; global footprint and integrated regional operations.

  • As Country Cluster Director for Romania & the Balkans, oversaw Finance, Legal, H&S, Purchasing and Compliance and acted as Board Member/Administrator.
  • Supported the business through a challenging market environment by instituting strict cost controls and reducing receivables losses.
  • Improved Purchasing and Logistics processes to better align country operations with group standards and minimise supply disruptions.
  • Optimised regional cash flow performance by ~30% through credit, stock and legal process improvements without degrading service levels.
  • Led formation of a new group structure with finance clusters covering eight countries; managed ~230 employees and ~€120M total turnover.
  • Deployed compliance systems and governance measures that reduced commercial and reputational risk across the cluster.
Apr 2006 — Sep 2012

REHAU UK

Commercial Manager UK Plants

  • Commercial Manager for REHAU UK (Amlwch + Blaenau) responsible for commercial performance, P&L and regional turnaround actions.
  • Led a £10M turnaround investment programme for a loss‑making manufacturing facility, combining capex and operational restructuring.
  • Delivered ~£1.5M annual cost savings through manufacturing waste reduction, improved recycling and process optimisation.
  • Implemented regional controlling and reporting improvements to stabilise working capital and improve margin transparency.
  • Managed cross‑functional teams to restore competitiveness and secure longer‑term orders from major distribution partners.
Dec 1999 — Mar 2006
REHAU Germany

REHAU Germany

Head of Plant Controlling

  • Head of Plant Controlling responsible for production controlling, cost reporting and operational KPI governance at a major REHAU manufacturing site.
  • Designed and implemented production‑level reporting and variance analysis to improve forecasting and cost control.
  • Led international operational and financial optimisation assignments supporting sites in Singapore and South Africa, contributing to better performance across multinational plants (~£100M revenue scope).
  • Partnered with operations to translate engineering and maintenance data into actionable cost‑to‑serve and throughput improvement initiatives.