Hijo Hillariose
Melbourne,Australia
Summary
A supply chain professional with 18 years of experience in strategic sourcing, buying operations, cost-saving projects, and sustainability initiatives for companies like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Mars, and Walmart. I have collaborated across diverse cultures and regions, focusing on building, and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders, suppliers, and professionals at all levels.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Strategic Sourcing Manager - Own Brands
Coles Group
Melbourne, Victoria
08.2024 - Current
- Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing for Coles Own Brand product range, which includes products such as rice varieties (Basmati, White, Brown, Jasmine, Long Grain), canned fruits & vegetables, peanut butter etc.
- Manage the full sourcing lifecycle — from market analysis, supplier identification, and tender execution to negotiation and contract finalization — ensuring alignment with business P&L targets and delivery of quality, value, and continuity.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with merchandising, quality, legal, and finance teams to optimize product costs and improve category margins.
- Drive supplier performance, cost efficiency, and compliance while maintaining high quality and ethical sourcing standards.
- Contributed to multiple high-impact sourcing initiatives that delivered measurable improvements to profitability and category performance.
Procurement Leader - Packaging
The Arnott's Group
Sydney, NSW
04.2024 - 06.2024
- I am responsible for managing all types of packaging as a procurement leader.
- I am a part of Arnott's Effective Integrated Program team, which aims to drive value across various geographies, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand.
National Manager - Packaging
Coca-Cola
Bengaluru, India
10.2022 - 04.2024
- I managed a portfolio of packaging materials, including rigid plastics, metal caps, flexible packaging, and paper packaging.
- Led initiatives on value creation to maintain a pipeline of short- to long-term value projects.
- Development of category strategy at the business unit level, in line with the global framework of Coca-Cola.
- As a leader, I have effectively coordinated with multiple stakeholders to drive process optimization in bottling lines.
Procurement Lead – Dairy
Unilever
Mumbai, India
04.2019 - 02.2022
- Led ingredient sourcing for the nutrition business, including liquid milk, dairy ingredients, sweeteners, and flavors.
- Managed external manufacturing to meet increased demand and control costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- I worked in a sustainability role for the South Asia business, where I led critical sustainability initiatives such as water conservation for barley, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the dairy supply chain, and improvement of animal health and nutrition, as well as soil conservation in ecologically sensitive growing regions of the Western Ghats of India.
- Led a complex network of liquid milk sourcing for own and third-party sites, overseeing several suppliers, farmers, and collection centers, and ensuring on-time deliveries.
Strategic Lead – Raw material
Mars Wrigley
Gurgaon, India
06.2014 - 04.2019
- Started as a strategic buyer for packaging, then transitioned into raw materials lead for the India business.
- Established a commercial process for the chocolate factory.
- Replaced global sourcing with localization to improve profitability.
- Part of the core team to roll out ERP and other IT modules for the business, including the digitization of S&OP.
- Worked as the Procurement Lead for the Mars Affordable Nutrition Initiative (MANI), a collaboration between TATA Trust and Mars.
- Drove 4% value creation and productivity improvement initiatives across direct material spend.
Category Manager- Nutrition
Marico
Mumbai, India
04.2012 - 06.2014
- Ingredient buyer with major spending in oats, dried vegetables, and seasonings.
- My role evolved from establishing an import supply chain for oats to localizing and running it as an external manufacturing operation.
- Led the project on the localization of oat varieties to lower COGS and derisk the supply chain.
- Expanded the breakfast portfolio by steering NPD projects and initiated the savory and sweet breakfast category under the Saffola Oats brand.
Category Manager – Spices & Herbs
Wal-Mart
Gurgaon, India
01.2010 - 12.2011
- Category manager for spices, herbs and dry fruits.
- Part of the initial merchandising team; opened 21 stores across India.
- Managed customer profiling and developed merchandise plans for each store through local officers.
- Achieved (+10%) same-store growth YOY.
- P&L contribution (+10%) margin across the categories.
Procurement Manager
Reliance Retail
Gurgaon, India
04.2006 - 01.2010
- I joined the F&V department as a management trainee during the 2006 launch phase.
- Category manager for spices and herbs valued at $50 million, with a gross margin of 6%.
- Developed VMI models and alternate channels to improve business revenue.
- Additional P&L accountability in many of the bulk commodities, such as black pepper, chili, and coriander.
Education
BSc (Hons) - Agriculture Science & Rural Development
Osmania University
Hyderabad, IndiaPGP - Agri-Supply Chain Management
National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management
Hyderabad, IndiaSkills
- Category management
- Sustainability initiatives
- Strategic sourcing
- Supply planning
- Process Optimization
- Value Leadership
Timeline
Strategic Sourcing Manager - Own Brands
Coles Group
08.2024 - Current
Procurement Leader - Packaging
The Arnott's Group
04.2024 - 06.2024
National Manager - Packaging
Coca-Cola
10.2022 - 04.2024
Procurement Lead – Dairy
Unilever
04.2019 - 02.2022
Strategic Lead – Raw material
Mars Wrigley
06.2014 - 04.2019
Category Manager- Nutrition
Marico
04.2012 - 06.2014
Category Manager – Spices & Herbs
Wal-Mart
01.2010 - 12.2011
Procurement Manager
Reliance Retail
04.2006 - 01.2010
BSc (Hons) - Agriculture Science & Rural Development
Osmania University
PGP - Agri-Supply Chain Management
National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management
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