Thomas S.

Experience

• 

  Enverra Austria

  Founder & CEO – Enverra

  Aug 2025 - Present

  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.
• 

  Cibes Lift Group

  Director of Operations

  Feb 2024 - Aug 2025

  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.
• 

  CDE Group

  GM Central + Eastern Europe

  Oct 2022 - Jan 2024

  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.
• 

  Zirom Titanium

  Chief Executive Officer | Managing Director

  Jan 2017 - Sep 2022

  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).
• 

  REHAU Group

  Country Cluster Director Romania & Balkans | Board Member Country Management

  Oct 2012 - Jan 2016

  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.

• REHAU UK

  Commercial Manager UK Plants

  Apr 2006 - Sep 2012

  • 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.
• 

  REHAU Germany

  Head of Plant Controlling

  Dec 1999 - Mar 2006

  • 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.