SASCHA BENJAMIN VON WOLFERSDORF
Sydney,NSW
Summary
Visionary leader bringing over 17 years of experience in transforming, establishing operational and financial optimization across diverse industries in both, national and international operations.
Recognized for talents in strategy development and providing corporate vision. Converts strategic plans into tactical reality through guiding companies in establishing themselves as viable business.
Devises and implements new programs and initiates successful processes to produce new products with maximum revenue or profit. A versatile professional with management skills developed from highly competitive and complex business environments.
A leader who has effectively managed very diverse airline businesses and subsidiary's, with annual revenues from USD $100M to USD $4 billion and staff levels from 100 to 4000 in locations around the world, with a proven record of project and change management for process improvement projects and business turnarounds in regards to safety, operations, financials, supply chain, commercial and customer relationships.
Diversified background in operations, food manufacturing and airline / tourism management; distinguished for an entrepreneurial mindset, creative problem solving, cross-functional teams and a bottom-line orientation. Offers innovative solutions to operational challenges and leverages decisiveness to implement solutions while minimizing risk and maximizing performance.
Expert in transforming organisations and creating strategic plans into tactical initiatives, for national and international programs in order to improve quality, performance and bottom line results. Motivator and coach combining business acumen with analytical depth to align operational efficiencies with corporate goals and to increase quality and customer satisfaction.
Executive Leader with the ability to manage very large and diverse workforces across all levels of an organisation, with a tremendous focus on the triple bottom line, CSR, sustainability and environmental protection, which is also a passion. Experienced Union negotiator with the ability to lead an organisation to success, even in high pressure, high stakes environments and situations.
Experienced crisis Manager with a proven track record in delivering results in difficult environments, political or operational. Head of Division Safety, Risk, business resilience and continuity at Qatar Airways, leading teams through difficult times. Top-notch COO with proven track record of success leading and growing organizations.
Strong background in strategic planning, financial management and team development. Skilled in identifying opportunities and implementing practical business strategies with commitment to staying informed about latest trends, technologies and best practices.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Operating Officer / Director Ground Services
Dnata, The Emirates Group
09.2022 - Current
- Successfully turned around a bankrupt company that had been losing 30-50 million dollars annually, while facing customer and staff attrition and potential industrial action at dnata.
- Transformed a 34 million dollar loss into an 8 million dollar profit within a span of less than 12 months.
- Achieved significant revenue growth, increasing from 90 million dollars to half a billion dollars in just 18 months.
- Negotiated contracts and agreements to secure favourable terms and maximize profits.
- - Elevated operational performance from being an average ground handler to becoming the best ground handler in the industry, resulting in multiple award wins.
- Recruited and trained over 1000 employees, achieving an exceptional retention rate.
- Guided teams through periods of significant change by providing clear communication and decisive leadership during transitions.
- Streamlined operations by implementing efficient processes and systems, leading to increased productivity and cost savings.
- Enhanced company reputation by establishing strong relationships with clients, partners, and stakeholders.
- Championed the adoption of new technology solutions to streamline operations, automate manual tasks, and improve overall efficiency levels.
- Formulated strategic plans aligning with overall company vision; setting achievable short and long-term goals to drive growth and profitability.
- Established key performance indicators for each department to track progress towards organizational goals effectively.
- Ensured regulatory compliance by developing policies in line with industry best practices to mitigate risks associated with legal or ethical violations.
- Improved employee satisfaction and reduced turnover through the development of effective training programs and performance management systems.
- Spearheaded major organizational restructuring efforts, resulting in a more agile and responsive team structure.
- Developed comprehensive financial plans to support long-term business objectives, reducing operational expenses while maximizing profitability.
- Aligned organizational objectives with company mission to increase business growth and integrate work strategies.
- Expanded company''s market presence by identifying new business opportunities and executing strategic partnerships.
- Refined organizational structure to consolidate, streamline, and delineate necessary functions.
Senior Vice President Global Catering Services (QRCS) / Senior Vice President - Qatar Airways Catering Company (QACC) / A-SVP Ground Services / A/SVP - Hub Operations
Qatar Airways & Qatar Aircraft Catering Company
02.2017 - 09.2022
- Managed and overlooked a global network with 107+ catering units and 350+ suppliers providing all goods necessary for an award winning, 5-Star inflight operations and customer experience worldwide
- Full P&L responsibility for catering services, ground operations and QACC, local and global operation with approx
- 4000+ employees and annual budget volume of $4 billion
- Initiated a savings and turnaround program which was accomplished in 250 days from announcement, saving an excess of $70 million dollars
- Furthermore, the entire local owned QACC operation was placed in 40% of the original floor space which saved the company an capital investment of $1.6 billion for a new catering facility
- Initiated and led a cross functional team to reduce overall inventory by 2/3 ~ approximately $20 million by creating a pull and push system using Lean principles as well as other mechanisms known to Global Supply Chain specialists including daily work with suppliers around the world to establish new and more efficient methods for the supply chain
- Total ownership of all supply chain activities of the catering operations to ensure daily demand of goods is ensured, purchase orders worth $3 million per day in a very difficult environment given the political situation and dealing with supply chains being cut off by blockading countries, during the global pandemic or dealing with the difficulties with the war in East Europe
- Fully responsible for producing and delivering 180,000+ meals per day (58 million per year), as well as catering and supplying 450 flights per day at Hamad International Airport as well as all Airport Lounges, Hotels and staff-canteens for more than 15000 staff members per day, across 39 customers, Airline and Non-Airline
- The operations also included an in-house laundry processing 45000kg a day, an in-house bakery, manufacturing 250000 pieces of bakery items and a fully equipped and certified laboratory
- As part of of the assignment as Acting SVP Ground Services, full responsibility for 178 Airports, plus the Hub Airport in Doha
- This area includes a Headcount of 4000+ staff and a budget in excess of 1 billion USD
- It spans from an Operational aspect, across all parts of the Ground services operations (above and below wing), including Airport Station Managers, Baggage Handling, Al-Maha Services, Ticketing, Check-in, Airport Sales offices, De-Icing, Fuelling, Cargo loading operations, weight and balance, in essence, covering the end-to-end operations
- Achievement of ISO 9001, 14001, 17025, 45001 and 2200 certification, just to name a few
- Increased quality and profitability from 2017 to 2022 and exceeded all KPI's and targets given, year on year
- Furthermore, leading all division's successfully through the blockade of Qatar in 2017 which lasted till 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic, without compromising quality or service, while managing costs and workforce, with achieving all KPIs and a stunning record, of winning more than 48+ awards at the same time.
General Manager Australia & Japan
gategroup
01.2015 - 01.2017
- Full responsibility for all aspects of the Gate Gourmet and Gate Aviation facilities in Sydney, Australia, one of the biggest gate group operation around the world
- Total ownership for a multi-million dollar P&L, 28 high profile customers and 800 staff in a very competitive and unionised environment
- Participated in and responsible for a number of business acquisitions, mergers and integration into the current business model
- Responsible for three different Enterprise Barging Agreements after the acquisition of different business (such as Q-Catering in Sydney and Cairns) and the associated negotiations with the Union and Fair Work to combine them into one agreement
- Seconded to Japan in 2015 to turnaround all Gate Gourmet sites in Japan
- Managed the turnaround of all Units from deficit to a positive result by the end of 2015 with a EBITDAM of almost 20%, which was a 25% increase of profit
- Furthermore, complete Headoffice and Operations restructure was achieved which increased profitability as well as Operational performance
- Gate Gourmet Japan is to date one of the best functional Airline catering operations since the restructure of 2015
- Successful transformation in 2016 of the Sydney facility into a CPU in order to target new markets and to diversify the business to increase revenue and to reduce dependence of the airline markets.
Domestic and International Operations Manager / Deputy GM
gategroup
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Led and managed all staff in multiple departments in the airline catering unit; Food Production, Transportation, Dispatch, Equipment Processing, and related departments to ensure production standards and customer service requirements were met
- Full operational responsibility for the day to day business, producing 30k meals and servicing 200 flights a day
- Ensured customer requirements/specifications and service requirements were complied with on all airline accounts
- This included production processing, on-time performance, equipment inventory, and quality assurance controls
- Key Lead in the operational business transition and merger of different business acquisitions
- Promoted due to outstanding achievements and results to General Manager.
Primary Account Manager (Commercial)
gategroup
01.2008 - 01.2012
- Assigned to the commercial department in Central Europe with base in Hamburg, Germany
- After successful bidding and securing a multi million dollar contract with a major airline from the Middle East, in charge for the Account, Commercial, Contract, and Costing of this major client
- Secured and won additional business in Hamburg, Copenhagen and Geneva
- Total responsibility for all airline start ups, project management and customer service in each city which Led to an increase in market share by dramatically improving responsiveness and timeliness to customer needs
- Developed and implemented a supply and order management system to ensure accurate tracking of new orders, deliveries, and outside suppliers
- Initiated over a dozen new sources and vendors to profitably meet customer needs that could not be met internally before
- Also increased supply chain visibility and efficiency in order in hit 'triple bottom line' results.
Operations coordinator and Continues Improvement (Operations Excellence) Manager
gategroup
01.2008 - 01.2009
- First assignment in Sydney, Australia as Operations coordinator and Continues Improvement (Operations Excellence) Manager
- Responsible for a number of costs savings initiatives which were successfully implemented
- Implemented LEAN and SIX sigma techniques in order to maximise productivity and to reduce waste in order to improve bottom line results.
Production Manager
Gate Gourmet
01.2005 - 01.2008
- Revamped the production division, implementing business process re-engineering initiatives that resulted in the production and facility increasing its revenue contribution by 350% within 24 months
- Implementation of new production technologies in order to transform the existing production into a high volume CPU for various airports in South-West Germany.
Education
Doctorate in Business Administration -
University of Business and International Studies
Geneva, SwitzerlandMaster of Business Administration -
Clarkson University
New York, Upstate New YorkBachelor in Business and Economics / Vocational Degree in Catering Systems -
IHK Saarland
Skills
- Executive Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Process Improvement
- Contract Negotiation
- Cost savings and reduction
- Financial Management
- Corporate Communications
- Business Forecasting
- Organizational Development
- Recruitment and retention
- Planning and execution
- Acquisition integration
- Business process reengineering
- Leadership and People Development
- Adaptable and Flexible
- People and Culture
Locations
- Sydney, Australia
Languages
German
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Limited Working
Timeline
Chief Operating Officer / Director Ground Services
Dnata, The Emirates Group
09.2022 - Current
Senior Vice President Global Catering Services (QRCS) / Senior Vice President - Qatar Airways Catering Company (QACC) / A-SVP Ground Services / A/SVP - Hub Operations
Qatar Airways & Qatar Aircraft Catering Company
02.2017 - 09.2022
General Manager Australia & Japan
gategroup
01.2015 - 01.2017
Domestic and International Operations Manager / Deputy GM
gategroup
01.2012 - 01.2015
Primary Account Manager (Commercial)
gategroup
01.2008 - 01.2012
Operations coordinator and Continues Improvement (Operations Excellence) Manager
gategroup
01.2008 - 01.2009
Production Manager
Gate Gourmet
01.2005 - 01.2008
Doctorate in Business Administration -
University of Business and International Studies
Master of Business Administration -
Clarkson University
Bachelor in Business and Economics / Vocational Degree in Catering Systems -
IHK Saarland
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