Edwin van der Kaa

Senior Executive Operations & Manufacturing

Rijen, North Brabant, Netherlands

About

Dynamic automotive global manufacturing manager with more than 20 years of experience. Expert in general and stakeholder management, lean manufacturing, and operational excellence. I am a connector, a boundary-pusher, and a believer in the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change. I bring a mindset that thrives on building relationships, challenging the status quo, and aligning diverse teams toward shared goals. I lead with empathy and curiosity, creating environments where people are empowered to contribute, grow, and innovate. My purpose is to foster cultures of trust and accountability where performance and people go hand in hand — delivering impact not just in results, but in how we achieve them together.

Experience

  • Continental (23 yrs 4 mos)
    • General Manager
      Mar 2022 - Dec 2025 · 3 yrs 10 mos

      Responsible for all manufacturing functions across two automotive manufacturing companies in Serbia, The biggest plant is one of the main automotive manufacturing companies for continental worldwide (aprox 400.000 suare meter plot size, high technology location, shopfloor up to 60.000 square meters + automatic high bay warehouse and support areas). Greenfield. Full Operational & legal responsibility.

    • Plant Manager
      May 2018 - Feb 2022 · 3 yrs 10 mos

      2018 - 2022 Responsible for all Plant Functions. Reporting to the BA CCS Operations Head. Turnaround in key indicators: Quality, Cost, and People. - Reduced overall manufacturing cost from 22.39% to 16.23%. - Decreased yearly quality incidents from 279 to 95. - Increased people satisfaction (OBL Tool Conti) from 77 to 84.

    • Focus Factory Manager
      Jul 2015 - Jul 2018 · 3 yrs 1 mo

      Responsible for managing the Electronic Manufacturing of PCBAs and HVACs, Producing over 2.3 billion components per year. Successful completion of transfer of the complete operations from Shanghai to Wuhu.