After a career spanning almost two decades at Electrolux Group, Carsten Franke, COO, has decided to leave the company to pursue an external opportunity.

What memories will you bring with you from your time at Electrolux Group?

I feel that I was continuously in a transformation mode over the past 19 years! I have witnessed significant transformations within the company and industry, mainly the transition from a manufacturing-driven to a consumer-driven company when supply chain became an important part of the business.

I have had the pleasure of working with the best team members over the past 19 years, and I'm proud of the hard work and commitment of my Operations team in driving all the initiatives forward.

Most of all, I've really enjoyed working in the positive, open, and inviting culture at Electrolux Group.

What achievements are you most proud of?

Throughout my time here, every moment has been enriching. A pivotal moment was when we introduced the Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) in 2005. EMS has revolutionized our approach to operations that paved the way towards manufacturing excellence worldwide, with a mindset to drive improvement continuously every day.

In recent years, sustainability has become a top priority on my table, and I can say with pride that Electrolux Group is leading the journey towards carbon-free operations. We are two years ahead of our committed plans, we are already operating carbon-free factories, and we are committed to becoming fully carbon-free in our own manufacturing by the early 2030s.

For me personally, safety at our workplaces has always been the highest priority together with quality and, today, we have the lowest incident rate ever and can consider our workplaces as the safest ones in our industry. We can be very proud of this and also, in quality, we have the best results.

In our factories, we have implemented significant automation in recent years. Today, we have over 1,500 robots in the Group, along with digital solutions positioning us at the forefront of the industry, through the Industry 4.0 approach in our leading factories. And lastly to mention, the supply chain is being held all together through a mature sales and operations process.

What is next for you?

I will take on a new role leading the Operations as COO for an international corporate company, and with my experience, drive and passion for operational excellence I will do my best to contribute to the further success of this company.

'I would like to thank Carsten for his many years of service to Electrolux Group, and, in particular, his leadership with driving operational excellence,' says CEO Jonas Samuelson. 'In his recent role, he has helped prepare the Group for the transformational changes within Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Quality. His contribution has been invaluable, and we wish him the best in his future role.'

Carsten Franke joined Electrolux Group in 2005. Since then, he has led operations for Dish Care and Food Preservation in Europe and headed the Group's supply chain before progressing to COO for Europe and then the Group. He has been part of the Group management team since 2020.

Operations will now be integrated into the Product Lines Taste and Care, Technology, Digital and Sustainability (TDS) and BA Europe APMEA (EA). Procurement and Product Sourcing will be strengthened with a Group Management role - a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) reporting to Jonas Samuelson, CEO.

(C) 2024 Electronic News Publishing, source ENP Newswire