Karlheinz Zuerl

• optimization of procedures and processes,
• change and crisis management,
• Employee coaching, motivation.
• Sustainability in Learning Organization and High-Performance Culture.

• Profit and loss accountability for overall operational success in APAC,
• Strengthening the competitive position of the customer’s key customers.
• Development and timely implementation of the master plan
• Expansion of regional sales and marketing in APAC, strategic business development of Asia Pacific, leading regional coordination functions
• Significant productivity gains and quality improvements in manufacturing and suppliers to serve customers and increase market share
• Significant cost reductions in PUR, logistics and import & export
• Improvements in budget, finances, guidelines, HSE, IT, digitization.
• Factory relocation within China; Negotiations with landlord and local government.
• Expansion of supply chain, R&D, engineering and production.
• Effective BSC and KPI installation, Kaizen/CIP, suggestion system, cost reduction in purchasing/sourcing
• Make-or-Buy calculations, capacity planning; Coaching & leadership, trouble shooting,
• Financial controlling, cost calculation before/after project
• Root Cause Analysis, Quality Management and Quality Cost Control, HSE
• Training & workshops with employees

• Greater employee motivation, employee retention
• Time to market, faster throughput time from purchase to delivery
• Greater innovative power, implementing employee ideas
• Greater competitiveness (prices, quality, OTD)
• Learning organization, sustainability
• High performance culture
• Lean, cost-reduced organizational structure
• Enthusiastic and satisfied customers, awards

What is special about my service? What am I bringing in?
For your added value, I bring in my 33 years of experience in management with great passion:

• Effective project management
• Employee coaching, internal training, know-how transfer
• Engineering, from design to shop floor
• Lean Production TPS, Asaichi Board, Workflow
• Quality management (in-house, supplier development, tool making)
• Cost reductions in purchasing, logistics, processes and waste
• Cost control in finance and HR • Digitization in BD, sales and marketing

• Ability to supervise financial-analysis and -reporting
• Ability to achieve objectives and drive to completion
• Analysis: Ability to synthesize complex information, identify critical factors, big picture strategic, forward-thinking, proactive problem solver
• Expertise and professional competence, sound technical skills
• Excellent hands-on management skills. Communication skills, negotiation skills, interpersonal competency
• Integrity: Team player, social and emotional intelligence, conducting affairs ethically and honestly
• Assertiveness: Good business acumen, influencing power within cross functional teams
• Persistent, indefatigable: display personal and professional energy
• Organizational, prioritizing and planning skills
• Results focused technical and operational management

An excerpt from my KPI program:

• Business development (BD), Sales & Marketing, Customer relationship management CRM
• Operational excellence in China/Asia (MFG, TPS, QM, TPM, SC, HR, FIN, IT, ENG, R&D)
• Restructuring for cost reduction and profit growth, controlling budgets, financial awareness, KPIs, Taxes in PRC
• Dealing with Governments & Stakeholders
• Automation, Industry 4.0
• Lean Manufacturing
• Project management
• Quality management
• Engineering
• Strategy

• Various Materials (metals, plastics, ceramics, glass, wood, etc)
• OEM Automobile manufacturers (BMW; General Motors)
• Tier1-4 automotive suppliers (exhaust systems, locking systems, electrics/electronics, windshield wipers, battery management BMS)
• Electric motor construction/generators
• Environmental technology
• Textile industry
• Electric and electronic components and products, e.g. LCD, PCB, PCBA, Powertools,
• Battery Management System, Battery Packs
• Mechanical Engineering, metal-cutting manufacturing, machining, toolmaking
• Aluminium Die Casting, Plastic Injection, laser cutting, milling center,
• Welding (plastic, metal)
• Stamping, Assembly, Forging,
• Machining Centres, Production lines, processing machines
• Tool shops, Automation/Robots
• MES/Andon, Digitalization
• Trading

Western/Eastern Europe, GB, USA, Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, India, Taiwan)

• Various Materials (metals, plastics, ceramics, glass, wood, etc)
• OEM Automobile manufacturers (BMW; General Motors)
• Tier1-4 automotive suppliers (exhaust systems, locking systems, electrics/electronics, windshield wipers, battery management BMS)
• Electric motor construction/generators
• Environmental technology
• Textile industry
• Electric and electronic components and products, e.g. LCD, PCB, PCBA, Powertools,
• Battery Management System, Battery Packs
• Mechanical Engineering, metal-cutting manufacturing, machining, toolmaking
• Aluminium Die Casting, Plastic Injection, laser cutting, milling center,
• Welding (plastic, metal)
• Stamping, Assembly, Forging,
• Machining Centres, Production lines, processing machines
• Tool shops, Automation/Robots
• MES/Andon, Digitalization
• Trading

• Audits (finance, IT, quality)
• MTM / REFA
• Project management
• Negotiation technique
• Multicultural experience in Eastern and Western Europe, USA, India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia
• Shop floor management, e.g. CIP (KVP), Asaichi, 5S, Root Cause Analysis
• Cost Reduction Process Product Costing/Tool Costing. Own Trademarks: SPECTRA, ECOCUT
• Make/Buy, Cost accounting, MHR calculation, Direct costing
• Multi-cultural experience in Eastern and Western Europe, USA, India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia
• MTM / REFA
• CAD/CAE/CAM

Growing up in a farming family in Upper Franconia, South Germany, I worked hard as a child to support farming, but get support from my parents as well. 

It is a cold area in Summer as in Winter times.

With my father’s help, I got an apprenticeship as a toolmaker at Siemens. I was one of the best. At that time, they produced tooling for plastic injection parts. but decided to quit and become a teacher. 

My mindset at that time was to go out of the 273 people’s village and see the world.

So, I went to Pfaffenhofen, near Munich, where they opened a BOS, technical college, to be able to study at Technical University, Munich. Target: Vocational School Teacher. 

After graduating from college, as I realized how expensive Munich was, I decided to study Mechanical Engineering at Coburg, Upper Franconia. In the summertime, I went back to Siemens working 3 shifts at a plastic plant. Every week another shift changes.

At that time, I got a freelancer job in Multi-Level-Marketing as a Wine dealer in Nierstein (Rheinhessen). I was promoted to sales and management and at the end of my study, they offered me a permanent job which I refused. I wanted to use my technical knowledge to make a career plan. 

First, I found a job in sales as a project planner for the beverage conveyor industry, then got an offer at BMW as a tooling designer for stamping parts. I worked there for several years in manual and CAD design. We used CADAM (2D) and CATIA (3D). I implemented significant cost reduction by using 3D design of tooling for tool-shop 

at Dingolfing plant and BIW (body-in-white) parts.

At that time, BMW build FIZ (R&D center) and I applied to work there as CAD Coordinator which was taken for several years.

Then I married. Now I needed more money. In 1989 I applied at GM (General Motors) at Opel subsidiary in Russelsheim, near Frankfurt, and was taken. 

I remember, that year my son was born, and just as DDR (Eastern Germany) people rushed into the West. 

At GM, I worked in strategy, development, implementation, and CIP (continuous improvement process) of CAD/CAM (we used UG) function and training, workshops, and projects to improve processes, soft- and hardware in R&D, Engineering, Styling, and Manufacturing. 

I had high communication activities with R&D, IT, and Project Mgt. in US, Brazil, and Sweden. 

At the powertrain department, I was responsible for the calculation and project management of trim heights & vehicle mass /cost calculation and reporting databases, SAP mass, and warehouse functions. In this function, I became a Task Force Leader of the German Automotive Association and a Representative of Germany in ISO (Italy), and European Government (Brussels) councils.

As a Representative of Integrated Management Systems and auditor in ISO 9001 and ISOTS 16949, I got intensive knowledge about process risk management, quality management, and balanced scorecards. 

Dealing with GM and suppliers plants, I learned a lot about APQP, PPAP, Run &Rate of parts. 

There I worked for 16 years, have been sent to the US, Sweden, Italy, and China, in different posts as CAD-Coordinator for Engineering and Manufacturing, Team Leader at Powertrain, Quality Manager at Engineering and Purchasing, and later Cost Reduction Manager. 

1993 was the first time I visited China. Several trips followed. Before I studied Chinese at VHS (adult education center), Bochum university, and Beijing. The reason was, I knew, Asia will be the next business giant. 

1999, I wrote my first book at Springer publishing house “Erfolgreich in China”, a bestseller at that time which I could introduce personally at Frankfurt Book Fair.

In 2005, as GM went bankrupt, I immediately looked for a new challenge. I spend 3 years at Valeo, a French company, in Cost Reduction and Supplier Development, dealing with East Europe and Asia. 

There, I improved costs through intensive supplier management, logistics, and tooling relocation. 

Bosch got their attention and came to me and asked me to come to Shanghai. A VP asked to take over responsibility for Purchasing in Asia. So, I accepted the offer. 

Unfortunately, I got divorced. My ex-wife didn’t want to follow me.

At Bosch, I managed Purchasing Asia business by training in technical, cost structure analysis, cost reduction, and negotiation skills. 

With HQ in Shanghai, I was dealing with supplier management and trained about 600 key users in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and India.

Cost structure analysis and cost reduction workshops were made of purchased parts and tooling of all commodities in the industry.

As a lead auditor, I did audits in ISO 9001 and ISOTS 16949, and VDA6.3.

I traveled a lot to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, India, and within China. Even on vacations, I went there, they are so interesting and beautiful. I was very engaged and trained about 600 people in 5 years. My 4 years contract was extended for one year, but 5 years was the maximum.

After 5 years working there, I joined a Bosch company for the development and production of battery packs in Suzhou and Stuttgart. I was responsible for managing this project as a key account for BMW and Brilliance. But series production went to a competitor, so top management offered me a job in Stuttgart. 

Instead of going back to Germany in 2013, I married a Chinese lady and became an interim manager. Jumping into a new field, where I needed to learn to manage projects, companies, and myself at the same time. 

Luckily, due to my great experience in the industry and as I was well known already on Linkedin, Xing, and as a book author in Germany, I got job offers as Interim General Manager and Executive consultant until now. Companies can call and rent me directly, without headhunters. A win-to-win solution for both sides.

In 2021, Springer publishing house “Effective Cost Cutting in Asia” was published, which created huge attention worldwide. 

Followed in 2022 by “Successful Interim Management Project Reports and their Results” as an e-book at GTEC publisher.

In the same year, I received the “Top Interim Manager” Award from Capital magazine and “Certified Interim Manager” at United Interim. 

As a member of BME, (Federal Association of materials management, purchasing, and logistics e.V.) and a member of DDIM (Umbrella organization German Interim Management e.V.), the German Chamber of Commerce and General Manager Club in Shanghai, and Rotary Club in Suzhou, I can reach my customers directly.

Beginning of February 2023, my experience as Interim General Manager and Executive Consultant was published with a new book “Management in China” with interesting and useful content for all managers at the Diplomatic Council Publishing house. You can buy in the German language at Amazon.de.

So far, with GTEC since 2013 in interim and consultant business, my team members and I worked for the automotive, electric and electronic, environment, machinery, and textile industry at ABP, ACCU, Atreus, BMW, Daimler, Eberspächer, Huf, Schaeffler, Siloking, RVT, Volkswagen, and Zapi. 

I have a passion for teamwork and business development and organizational building. See my achieved successes in my project reports. 

I burn for the calculated ROI. My value to my customers is based on my uniqueness over my competitors, my financial advantages at a favorable price, and my dedicated service. 

I burn to help other people become successful and meet their personal goals. If trust in other people is restored, these people also trust me. 

I burn for continuous learning. Therefore, I invest daily in further training and invest this valuable time for my customers. 

My teams recognize the goals and vision of the company. My employees join in and bring new impetus to the team. People are motivated and do great work. See my customers’ feedback. 

For example, I became the general manager in Tianjin at an Italian company. There, with the help of my team, I managed to achieve a large increase in profits and significant cost reductions within a few years. I am proud of it. 

Then I used my experience in motivating Chinese people at other companies where I was employed as a General Manager or worked as a consultant. With great success, because it kindles the customer’s fire. See my achieved successes in my project reports. 

• As tooling is the most important to get best quality and costs of your products, as a Toolmaker (plastic, die casting, stamping), I am able to communicate with tool shop staff to deal with challenges, root cause analysis and proposed solutions in manufacturing and maintenance.
• As an expert in cost management, with cost structure analysis skills dealing with sales, plants and suppliers, I am able to sell your tools and products at best price to customers, implement improvements of efficiency and productivity in own plants and on your supplier sites.
• My knowledge in the fields of Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen is outstanding (training by Valeo Production System VPS, Bosch Production System BPS)
• Experience in the field of stamping/deep drawing, ADC/plastic processing, experience in machining (milling, grinding, turning, etc.), assembly (PCB/PCBA, electric motors, controllers, etc.)
• Long time experience in the Automotive Industry (e.g., engineering, CAD/CAM design, Quality management, Auditor 9001/16949/VDA6.3, Supplier development, purchasing, logistics).

• Support C-level with my Asian expertise in GM, Supply Chain, Operation, Business development, restructuring, relocations, cost reduction
• Support western companies in China/Asia with experts in industry out of my network
• Digital Transformation consulting for Manufacturing into a Smart Factory, MES
• Automation at shop floor
• Digitalization in maintenance and repair service with AR/VR
• Coaching of managers and employees to work in high-performance culture

Thanks to feedback from my Chinese wife, I know what Chinese women look for in business: shoes, socks, and shirts. Everything has to fit if he wants to score points in sales or projects. Even in the home office and video conferences, I am styled in a business-like manner, which motivates me and my customers. 

As a result, I am very close to Chinese culture, its customs, politics, and the way of thinking of Chinese managers and decision-makers, which is of great benefit to my customers and my employees: I can put myself in their position and way of thinking and communicate interculturally, both in business and in private life. 

I don’t let take away from me the morning or evening daily jog through the residential complex in Suzhou or Shanghai. Even with fit employees, I climb mountains, play table tennis or join other running teams. 

Through “learning by doing”, daily practice makes me more and more perfect. This knowledge and skills, I transfer to others by coaching. I do myself what I ask of others.