Thomas Nordholt

Supply Chain Director, COO, Operations Manager, Site Director, Director of Operations, Managing Director Operations, SVP of Operations, Group Operations Director

Denmark

About

I am an experienced operations executive with +20 years experience in the FMCG, marine, aviation, and automation industries. In my current role as Supply Chain Director, I have consistently delivered operational excellence by developing and executing scalable, cost-effective, and value-driven strategies that support growth and resilience in multisite organizations. I bring deep functional expertise in supply chain management, production, procurement, logistics, LEAN, and process optimization—combined with a strong commercial mindset and a holistic understanding of business operations. My strategic focus is on delivering measurable impact across the operation, such as reduced lead times, improved delivery reliability, enhanced cash flow, and increased profitability. I thrive in multicultural environments and excel at building high-performing teams that are aligned around common goals. I consistently challenge status quo to develop smarter and agile operating models that respond to changing market conditions. I create value by building cross-functional teams and aligning operations with the overarching business strategy through driving digital transformation and automation to improve efficiency and scalability. I excell at designing and implementing robust end-to-end operational frameworks and delivering cost optimizations without compromising service quality or compliance, and always with the end customers in mind.

Experience

  • Senior supply chain director at Danfoss
    Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    Danfoss High Pressure Pumps, Global end to end supply chain, SIOP, procurement, production, planning, PTA, warehouses, logistics, quality, EHS and service and repair funktions • Driving LEAN implementation to increase productivity 10% • Establishing production strategy and driving CAPEX for automation and robotics in steel manufacturing and assembly • Establishing end to end KPI base to drive operational efficiency and setting strategic direction • Implement structured PFMEA, FAI and control plans to ensure end to end quality and compliance • Driving IATF and ISO audits to ensure internal and external compliance • Establishing inventory review and reduction processes to reduce overstock by 40% • Implementing supplier contract compliance processes to ensure quality adherence and improve payment terms

  • Supply Chain Director at BEUMER Group
    Dec 2018 - Jan 2026 · 7 yrs 2 mos

    Overall responsible for end-to-end supply chain, procurement, planning, production, SIOP, warehousing and shipping for Beumer Group Denmark with purchasing budget of 1.4 bill. DKK • Driving customer centricity throughout the supply chain organization • Rollout of S&OP function including SPOC • Production optimization, improving manpower productivity from 73% to 87% • Implemented integrated supply chain KPIs, improving throughput in receiving and logistics which increased On Time In Full to customers from 72% to 95% • Optimization of supply chain from producing sites to customers through improved container fill rates, alternative lanes and standardized SOP between Project Teams and Shipping • Implemented global Category Strategy setup for key commodities • Responsible for relocating BDK production to China and establishing Global Customer Parts Center • Leading new CAPEX investments in production and warehousing • Reduced external warehousing cost by 24% by closing 2 external warehouses and optimizing stock Driving SC efficiency improvement project, increasing production efficiency from 62% to 106% and delivery performance from 14% to 99% and reducing stock holding from 368 to 210 mill DKK • Increasing productivity from 28% to 86% through LEAN and robotics implementation in production and warehousing • Leading warehouse consolidation project from 5 to 1 warehouse, reducing annual cost by 22 mill DKK • DK responsible for SC SAP implementation, delivering headcount reduction across all departments while increasing throughput • Reducing Spare parts backlog from 6800 to 250 order lines • Established Industrial Engineering function to reduce total cost through design to cost projects and implemented 2 robot-based solutions, reducing manpower 50% and output by 78%

  • Regional Supply Chain Director, COO, Middle East & Africa at Arla Foods
    Jan 2013 - Dec 2018 · 6 yrs

    Overall responsible for supply chain, warehousing, production, S&OP, PTA and Procurement for Arla Foods in MENA, with purchasing budget of +800 Mill. USD • Responsible for +420 employees across MENA, dairy production site in Riyadh, 14 warehouses across Saudi Arabia and 278 vehicles • Driving Lean efforts and reduction of networking capital in the MENA region • Production optimization, capacity expansion and Site Responsible. • Implemented Arla dairy site KPIs and standard reporting, improving output and cost while driving safety mindset • Optimization of logistics from dairies in Denmark and Saudi Arabia to MENA markets with particular focus on improving on time delivery performance while reducing environmental impact • Implementation of best practices in distribution and warehousing across region • Setup regional procurement office, driving supplier and spend consolidation, resulting in savings of 22 mill USD YOY • Responsible for SC setup with JV partners across the region and establishing production ans warehouse sites in Ivory Coast, Egypt, Nigeria and Senegal • Responsible for establishing 3PL warehouse and logistics operations in all African markets • Leading regional implementation of forecasting, ordering and inventory systems • Leading new CAPEX investments in dairies and SC operations across MENA • Designed and build new fully automated warehouses in Riyadh, Iraq, UAE, Nigeria and Kuwait • Increased production output by 48% while reducing staffs by 18% and cost/kg by 42% • Implemented Lean and 6S in production and implemented logistics automation and robot technology • Reduced inventory holding by 26%, resulting in saving of USD 24 mill USD • Established exports department and increasing export volumes by 38%

  • Johnson Controls (4 yrs 11 mos)
    • Regional Supply Chain Manager
      Aug 2012 - Jan 2013 · 6 mos

      • Responsible for purchasing budget of +500 Mill. USD & managing SC departments with 91 staffs • Responsible for consolidation of main commodities at Global level to obtain direct cost savings of 2,7 Mill. USD in 2013 • Responsible for SCM set-ups at Global level under JCI Denmark while heading Lean Production project, reduced TWC 20%, production throughput 15% • JC Leadership Edge program (1 of 30 annually out of 150.000 employees) • Designed and implemented Global Marine Spare Parts SCM structure and heading SC in Denmark, UAE, Singapore, Miami, Sweden, China, UK, India and Germany • Wrote and implemented SCM SLAs with 10 Spare Parts hubs globally • Relocated warehouse function from Denmark to China in a 3PL setting • Rolled out Integrity and Compliance policies and processes globally to reduce supply chain risk • Roll-out Global Supply Chain systems and processes to streamline organization, improving delivery performance from 64% to 95% • Global Commodity Strategy to achieve purchasing power and consolidation of Warehouse operations in Denmark, decreased cost 15% • New forecasting system, improved on-time performance from 77% to 92% • Consolidation of functions and introduction of Lean, reduced direct costs 15% • Responsible for SCM parts of Oracle ERP roll-out for 2 business units

    • Regional Supply Chain Manager
      Nov 2011 - Aug 2012 · 10 mos

      - Heading roll-out of Global SCM strategy across multiple business units - Responsible for purchasing budget of +200 Mill. USD - Managing 6 departments with +30 staffs in Denmark & APAC (Strategic and Operational Procurement, Warehousing, Shipping, Production, Repair shop) - Responsible for consolidation of main commodities at Global level to obtain cost savings of +1 Mill. USD/year - Responsible for business SCM set-ups in Denmark, UAE, Singapore, Miami, Sweden, China, Thailand, UK, US, India and Germany. - Entered Johnson Controls Leadership Edge program (1 of 30 leaders nominated annually out of 150.000 employees).

    • Supply Chain Manager
      Mar 2008 - Oct 2011 · 3 yrs 8 mos

      Regional Supply Chain Manager at Johnson Controls International, Specialty Markets, Global Marine. Responsible for 5 departments, Sourcing, Procurement, Shipping, Warehouse and Repair shop with total 25 staffs. Handles purchasing from 1000+ suppliers in 23 countries. Responsible fo the Global SCM strategies as well as operational SCM.

  • Supply Chain Manager at Terma A/S Denmark
    Sep 2006 - Mar 2008 · 1 yr 7 mos

    • Responsible for supply chain and production planning for manufacturing Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts, AugustaWestland helicopters, F-16 spares and Tornado reconnaissance pods. • Managing 5 departments with 24 staff (Strategic Procurement, Operational Procurement, Receiving, Shipping, Production Planning) • Sourcing of raw materials, chemicals, semi-finished goods and subcontracting services. • Optimization and consolidation of Production Planning with new ICT tools. • Responsibility for purchasing +180 mio DKK. • Responsibility of operational budget of +12 mio DKK • Development of frame agreements with international raw material suppliers, price negotiations, T&C • Implementation of production planning system (decreased delivery time 50%) • Development and implementation of composite material handling system (decreased material scrap 80%) • Consolidation of departments and introduction of Lean in Receiving and Shipping (decreased costs by 15% and 25% respectively)