Larsen Block

Global Supply Chain Manager | B2B & D2C Expertise | Driving SCM as a Competitive Advantage | Resilience • S&OP • Digital Transformation

Heppenheim an der Bergstraße, Hesse, Germany

About

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲. 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻. "Products can be easily copied. But a supply chain can provide a true competitive advantage.” — Yossi Sheffi, MIT This belief has guided my career for more than 20 years. I’m a passionate Supply Chain Manager who sees SCM not as a cost factor, but as a strategic enabler of growth, resilience, and customer satisfaction. Today, I lead a small global supply chain team in a scale-up environment, building end-to-end processes that connect central and local warehouses worldwide. Earlier in my career, I managed global and regional supply chain operations in large FMCG and mid-sized companies, giving me experience across different scales and levels of maturity. My career spans both B2B models (serving retailers) and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) environments, where products are shipped directly to end customers. This breadth gives me a unique perspective on supply chain complexity, from large pallet flows to last-mile parcel deliveries. My experience covers building resilience, improving service levels, and leveraging digital tools and scenario-based simulations to support data-driven decisions. What motivates me is creating supply chains that deliver customer satisfaction, resilience, and business growth while balancing cost and cash flow. I thrive in organizations that view supply chain as being on equal footing with Sales, Marketing, R&D, and Finance — because that’s where SCM adds its full value. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: • 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗦&𝗢𝗣 — aligning functions to ensure reliable, bias-aware forecasts. • 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 & 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — balancing service, cost, and cash. • 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 & 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — preparing supply chains for disruption. • 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — using analytics and scenario planning to enable smarter decisions. I bring the strategic vision of a multinational, the hands-on pragmatism of a scale-up, and the drive to make supply chains a driver of business success.

Experience

  • Healy World (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany)
    • Head of Global Supply Chain
      May 2025 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

      Healy World develops and markets products for holistic health and wellbeing, sold globally through a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) business model. 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Responsible for global supply chain strategy and execution across 12 local warehouses serving 40+ markets in a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) environment. • Promoted from Global SCM Manager to lead the global SCM organization and drive end-to-end supply chain excellence from vendors to end customers. • Lead a globally distributed team of regional SCM leads, ensuring high service levels, cost efficiency, and reliable inventory across all regions. • Manage global operations and 3PL partnerships for warehousing, transport, and order fulfillment. • Play a key role in global NPI launches, ensuring supply readiness is aligned with commercial plans. • Standardize global SCM processes and tools to support scalable, agile, and regionally adaptable operations. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 (to date): • Defined global supply chain guiding principles, aligning all regions under one operating framework to improve transparency and decision-making. • Developed the company’s first global supply chain strategy, linking resilience, service, and cost efficiency to business growth and strengthening responsiveness to demand volatility and supply risks. • Introduced a structured OKR framework for the global SCM team, cascading objectives into individual OKRs to increase accountability and execution speed. • Strengthened cross-functional alignment between SCM, Sales, and Finance, laying the foundation for improved forecast accuracy and balanced inventory management.

    • Global Supply Chain Manager
      Sep 2023 - Apr 2025 · 1 yr 8 mos

      𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Directed the global flow of products from vendors to 12 local warehouses worldwide, ensuring reliable direct-to-consumer deliveries across 40+ markets. • Led the Global SCM team based in Germany, managing vendor-to-warehouse flows. • Oversaw procurement and freight coordination, balancing cost efficiency, lead times, and inventory availability. • Led global NPIs, coordinating supply readiness and distribution for launches across multiple markets. • Partnered with 3PLs to optimize warehousing, transport, and customs clearance. • Standardized planning and reporting processes to improve accuracy, transparency, and global alignment. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Designed and deployed a structured demand planning process with standardized templates, improving forecast accuracy, inventory alignment, and cross-functional collaboration. • Developed and implemented a global inventory planning process, enhancing visibility across central and local warehouses, increasing replenishment efficiency, and reducing excess stock. • Introduced scenario-based planning methods to test supply chain responses to volatile demand, laying the foundation for greater agility.

  • Career transition at Career Break
    Jul 2023 - Aug 2023 · 2 mos

    • Took a planned short break between roles after more than 5 years in my previous company. • Used this time to recharge, reflect, and prepare for the next career step. • Focused on professional development in supply chain resilience and digitalization through industry reading and training.

  • Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions (Weinheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
    • Director Supply Chain Germany (Brand: Vileda)
      Jun 2022 - Jun 2023 · 1 yr 1 mo

      Vileda is one of the global brands of Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions, a subsidiary of Freudenberg. 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Promoted from Regional SCM to lead the German Supply Chain, Logistics, and Customer Service organization, with end-to-end responsibility from sourcing to final customer delivery. • Accountable for service, cost, and cash flow optimization across procurement, warehousing, and distribution. • Managed third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and negotiated contracts for freight, warehousing, and order fulfillment. • Led strategic process improvement projects to enhance efficiency, compliance, and operational transparency. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Restructured SCM, Logistics, and Customer Service functions, streamlining operations and strengthening cross-functional alignment, resulting in greater efficiency and customer satisfaction. • Developed and executed a local supply chain strategy fully aligned with business objectives, improving resilience, efficiency, and cost control.

    • Regional Supply Chain Manager EMEA (Brand: Vileda)
      May 2016 - May 2022 · 6 yrs 1 mo

      𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲: Managed the supply network for Floor Cleaning, Cloths, and Laundry Care categories across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA). Acted as a Center of Excellence for supply, production, delivery, and planning processes. • Led network optimization and capacity planning within S&OP to ensure efficient production and distribution. • Directed SCM integration for NPIs across multiple markets. • Supported cross-functional alignment in supply, planning, and logistics processes across the region. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: • Designed and deployed a structured inventory planning process adopted across EMEA, increasing visibility and balancing availability with reduced excess stock. • Optimized intercompany shipment processes, streamlining flows to shorten lead times and improve delivery reliability. • Played a key role in the regional rollout of S&OP, embedding supply and planning practices that improved forecast alignment and collaboration. • Initiated a strategic network design study, reshaping warehousing and logistics setup to reduce costs and strengthen service performance.

  • Procter & Gamble (Schwalbach, Hesse, Germany)
    • Supply Planning Manager
      Jun 2015 - May 2016 · 1 yr

      Based in the DACH organization (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), progressing through multiple roles of increasing responsibility in supply chain and customer service.

    • Customer Service Team Lead
      Feb 2013 - May 2015 · 2 yrs 4 mos

    • SAP Key User (SCM)
      Apr 2010 - Jan 2013 · 2 yrs 10 mos

  • Demand & Supply Planner at Nestlé
    May 2002 - Jan 2004 · 1 yr 9 mos

    Part of the Germany/Austria supply chain organization, planning for chilled products (yoghurts and desserts) with a focus on balancing demand, production, and customer service.