Fotis Tsavidis

Head of Purchase · LCS Cable Cranes | 25 yrs Strategic & Technical Procurement | €45M peak spend · 200+ suppliers · Maschinenbau · Packaging · Cableway | DE · EN · EL | Open to Switzerland

Wolfurt, Vorarlberg, Austria

About

Procurement and operations leader with 25 years across industrial manufacturing — from hands-on service engineering across Greece, Luxembourg, and EMEA to strategic global sourcing in packaging, machinery, and cableway construction. Currently: Head of Purchase, LCS Cable Cranes (since January 2026). Building out strategic and operational procurement across four group entities (DE / UK / BR / LCS Pipelines): ~€12M annual volume, ~200 suppliers, 2-person team, sign-off authority up to €100k jointly with the MD. Previously, peak role: Head of Procurement & Operational Support Manager, ALPLA Group (Jan 2023 – Dec 2024). Owned €45M annual technical spend covering capital equipment, automation, and tooling — 6-person team (4 procurement + 2 technical support), 25 strategic suppliers worldwide. Preceded by ~6 years as Procurement Manager at ALPLA. Earlier: 9 years at Husky Injection Moulding Systems (Business Development SE Europe / Key Account Manager Coca-Cola HBC, after Service Engineer EMEA). 5 years at NETSTAL Agency, Greece (commissioning across Greece, Switzerland, Sweden). Technical foundation in electronics, mechanics, hydraulics, and industrial automation. Career break (Jan 2025 – Jan 2026): Deliberate pause to advance my BSc in Business and Management (University of London, academic direction by LSE; expected completion summer 2027). Core competencies: Strategic sourcing of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and automation components · supplier qualification & development · framework contracts · KPI-based supplier steering · supply-chain risk management · product compliance (CE, EUH204, H350) · cross-functional alignment with engineering, production, and finance · international team leadership. Languages: Greek (native, C2) · German (C1) · English (C1). Open to: Head of Procurement / Director of Procurement / Einkaufsleiter roles in German-speaking Switzerland.

Experience

  • Head of Purchase at LCS Cable Cranes GmbH
    Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Strategic & operational procurement • ~€12M annual purchasing volume · ~200 active suppliers · 2-person team (strategic + operational) • Sign-off authority up to €100k jointly with the MD • Supplier qualification, framework agreements, ABAS master data, supply-chain risk management • Product compliance (CE, EUH204 isocyanates, H350/H350i); coordination with certified test bodies (BWK, gbd) • Building procurement structure from foundations: documented sourcing criteria, KPI-based supplier steering, team development

  • Professional development at Career Break
    Jan 2025 - Jan 2026 · 1 yr 1 mo

    Stepped back deliberately after 7+ years at ALPLA — including 2 years as Head of Technical Procurement (Business Unit ISBM & Operational Support 1-Step Technology) — to advance my BSc in Business and Management (University of London, academic direction by LSE; expected completion summer 2027). Used the break to sharpen strategic thinking and refresh my approach to procurement leadership before re-entering as Head of Purchase at LCS Cable Cranes in January 2026.

  • ALPLA Group (On-site)
    • Head of Technical Procurement Business Unit ISBM & Operation Support 1-Step Technology
      Jan 2023 - Dec 2024 · 2 yrs

      • ~€45M annual technical spend across capital equipment, automation, tooling, mechanical and electrical components • 6-person team (4 procurement + 2 technical support); 25 strategic suppliers worldwide • Global sourcing strategy, supplier audits, framework agreements, KPI-based supplier steering • Cross-functional alignment with Production, Engineering, Finance; standardised specifications across plants

    • Technical Procurement & Operation Support Manager at ALPLA Group
      Jan 2021 - Dec 2022 · 2 yrs

      • Operational and strategic responsibility for technical procurement processes in injection moulding and stretch blow moulding technologies • Built KPI-based supplier steering and standardisation routines that scaled into the Head-of-Procurement remit • Cross-functional collaboration with Production, Engineering, and Finance

    • Project Manager Procurement PET
      Apr 2017 - Dec 2020 · 3 yrs 9 mos

  • Husky Injection Molding Systems (8 yrs 10 mos)
    • Beverage Packaging Business Manager-South East Europe
      Feb 2010 - Nov 2016 · 6 yrs 10 mos

      Create new business opportunities and support our existing customers.

    • Service Engineer
      Feb 2008 - Feb 2010 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Maintenance and Support of Injection Machines

  • Service Engineer at NETSTAL
    Jan 2003 - Feb 2008 · 5 yrs 2 mos

    Maintenance and Support of Injection Machines