Mark Berry

Successfully Managed 7 high profile Interim Supply Chain Assignments:

General Manager for Weckerle Cosmetics, Russia

Recovered and significantly raised productivity and service levels, commissioned 2 new production lines and implemented 3 shift working. Resolved critical quality & resourcing problems rescuing a major new product launch for a key customer. Installed & established effective inventory/cost control processes and transitioned the transfer of the business entity to its largest customer without loss of service or staff.

Head of Third Party Manufacturing for Avon, EMEA, based in Russia

Defined and documented standard operating procedures. Sourced and commissioned the first Russian TPM to support peak sales periods for Fragrances. Reduced the overall charges of the largest TPM by over 10% by reviewing product and process efficiencies and renegotiating the contract to give annualised savings of $750K.

Supply Chain Category Leader for Lotions/Skincare for Avon EMEA, Poland

Improved supply and inventory results across a base of 500m units worth $1.5b and raised customer service levels from 94.3% to 99.0% in under 18 months. This was achieved by slimming internal lead times, reviewing/resetting supplier lead times, increasing manufacturing flexibility and reliability and by improving planning team competencies and controls.

Supply Chain Category Leader for Lotions for Avon EMEA, based in Poland

Recommended, piloted and proved a new supply chain role to take end to end supply chain responsibility focused at product category level. Established a framework of action orientated and planning orientated supply chain matrix meetings to improve the collaboration of NPD, procurement, planning and manufacturing teams and improved speed to market, planning adherence and customer service.

Head of Manufacturing for Avon Poland

I was targeted to quickly raise factory output levels to recover from a disastrous service position in the company’s peak sales period. The bottlenecks to flow were identified and relieved/removed. A 48 hour frozen schedule was introduced and regimented. Daily action reviews against plan were established with all impacting stakeholders. Record outputs were delivered in all product ranges in under a month and productivity was raised by 25% within a fortnight on the biggest selling product category.

Project Management and Business Coach for Avon Mexico

A strategic relocation project for a £30m manufacturing operation was significantly behind schedule. I was assigned with the Supply Chain VP to complete the transfer from Mexico City to a rural location. I established a PMO group and regular critical reviews to raise/resolve/refer any impacting issues. Also implemented communications, GMP and KPI task teams to build performance sustainability post project completion. The project was delivered on time and to the required standards of cost, quality and service.

Supply Chain Transformation Leader contracted to Cap Gemini, New York

The Manufacturing Lead in a small Global Team tasked with the redesign of supply chain processes and ERP support. Through active networking & workshops, the future state vision & critical business requirements were set for the Plan/Source/Make/Deliver processes. A gap-fit-resolution work program was completed on proprietary ERP software. Potential business savings of $500m+ were identified.

I was a Main Board Director of Avon Cosmetics Ltd. and also the UK Representative for the European Supply Chain Executive heading a team of 10 senior managers and 600 staff. The manufacturing scope covered a diverse range of cosmetics totalling 150m units annually with operating costs of £25m.
• Led a European Transformation Team to deliver a £15m saving in European Manufacturing costs as part of a wider Supply Chain Transformation Initiative targeting total savings of £30m.
• Supported the development and delivery of UK volume and profit growth strategies in a mature and competitive market returning an annual profit growth of 12%.
• Led a very successful transfer of the entire UK manufacturing facility to Poland with outputs, service and quality performances all exceeding stretch targets.

I led a team of 9 senior managers with 300 full time staff in a 7-day 24-hour operation manufacturing 40m cases of cans, foil pouches and bag-in-box products with operating costs of £15m and material costs of £120m.
• Established, communicated, implemented and engaged all factory teams in a vision for “Excellence in 2000” to drive further improvements in six key business objectives: Quality, Efficiency, Wastage, Housekeeping, Safety and Cost.
• Delivered record shift efficiencies and outputs on all packaging lines yielding an overall increase in production efficiencies of 6% and bettered the site operating cost targets.
• Raised quality performance from an externally validated value of 85% to 94%. Improved safety awareness and standards improving the site injury and accident rate by 100%.

I led a team of 6 senior managers through a business re-engineering programme with over 200 staff manufacturing a very diverse range of juices, stills, carbonates, concentrates and essences totalling 300m units and with operating costs of £10m.
• Consolidated factory capability and performance throughout 1998 delivering record performances in Quality, Efficiency and Cost and won “Best Factory of the Year” in competition with four other Britvic sites.
• Developed and implemented a major restructuring programme transforming the factory into a key site for new product development supported by highly flexible work patterns.
• Commissioned three new production lines (£10m) doubling output and productivity and gained a further 22% uplift through a factory-wide critical skills training programme.