Christina Panti
Leamington Spa
Summary
Experienced procurement professional with 10 years of experience in the automotive industry; who has decided to pursue a career change. I am a confident and articulate communicator, capable of engaging with individuals at all organizational levels, including executive leadership. My methodical approach to work and my attention to detail enable me to conceptualize and break down complex situations for better problem resolution. I excel at navigating high-pressure environments, adapting to changing priorities, and ensuring that all moving parts of a project are aligned to achieve it’s objectives. I bring with me a wealth of transferable skills that will enable me to be an asset for my new employer.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Lead Buyer – Strategic Procurement
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2024.06 - 2026.02
- Leading the Strategic Sourcing team and reporting directly to the Head of Procurement
- Overseeing the development of award strategies for sourcing decisions for the E-Motor division for multiple OEM projects. Achievement: Completing 7 nominations since in role
- Overseeing the development of Commodity Strategies, to be used as input for; sourcing decisions, early supplier engagement for new projects and supplier relationship management
- Working collaboratively with other departments to understand customer requirements; including timelines and budget, to enable more suitable sourcing decisions
- Overseeing the supplier nomination process, all the way from preparation for the Sourcing Committee meeting to issuing award letters to nominated suppliers and managing the industrialization phase of various commodities until SOP
- Understanding the needs of the team and developing their technical and soft skills through training and coaching Achievement: Developing a former procurement assistant from Indirects with low self-esteem to a confident Buyer able to present sourcing decisions to the Sourcing Committee, hold negotiation meetings and participate in internal cross-functional reviews
- Process improvements to optimise Procurement activities whilst better satisfying customer needs Achievement: Improving the Sourcing Process for direct commodities and streamlining it with the Quality Management System; leading to aligned sourcing decisions across key functions Logistics, Quality, Engineering, Procurement, Finance and Programme
Senior Commodity Buyer – Castings, Forgings & Machined Metal Parts
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2023.10 - 2024.06
- Responsible for supplier nominations for new projects; all the way from RFI to obtaining sourcing approval from the Sourcing Committee, through to PPAP approval, including all industrialization stages until SOP
- Development and implementation of cost reduction initiatives for commodities already in series production; through VA/VE and re-sourcing Achievement: 57% cost saving over the project lifetime on shims Achievement: 68% cost saving over the project lifetime on various small machined parts Achievement: 40% cost saving over the project lifetime on forgings
- Implementation of T&Cs and nomination agreements with existing suppliers for commodities already in series production Achievement: Nomination agreements in place with 65% of suppliers for existing projects Achievement: Terms and Conditions in place with 72% of suppliers for existing projects
Senior Commodity Buyer – Body and White
Volta Trucks – Reading
2022.10 - 2023.10
- Responsible for the industrialisation stage of exterior and interior trim commodities including door systems and seating
- Managing the implementation of design changes cross functionally with input from Quality, Engineering and Material Planning
- Development and implementation of risk mitigation activities to prevent line stoppages due to commercial disagreements with suppliers
- Market research and commodity strategy development for Seating
Senior Commodity & Programme Buyer – Castings, Forgings & Machined Metal Parts
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2021.10 - 2022.10
- Responsible for a wide range of Purchasing activities from NPI (new product introduction) through to PPAP approval; as well as looking after commodities that are in series production involving price increase reviews, preventing gaps in supply, development and implementation of cost savings projects
- Responsible for Sourcing Decisions and the industrialization stage of 15 components belonging to 3 different projects; from initiating relationships with suppliers and kicking off a benchmark, to analyzing quotes and engaging into DFM and commercial reviews with the suppliers all the way through supplier nomination and PPAP approval stages Achievement: completion of all activities required for series nomination for all components within 3 months Achievement: effective stakeholder and risk management on components that would be late for the MRD to make business aware of the delay so a risk mitigation plan can be deployed allowing project milestones to be met; whilst working on delivery date improvements with the production intent suppliers
- Putting sourcing agreements in place for any new components post nomination, whilst achieving more favorable terms on the existing components Achievement: 60% improvement on payment terms Achievement: 27% success in agreeing on LTAs for existing projects Achievement: LTAs in place for 3 years on 73% of all new components
Commodity Buyer – Fasteners, Castings, Plastics, Bearings, Machined Metal Parts
Hofer Powertrain Products (ElringKlinger) – Solihull
2020.01 - 2021.10
- Responsible for £10m purchasing spend across various categories
- Development and implementation of cost saving projects; VA/VE and resourcing activities Achievement: 21% cost saving over the lifetime of the project on plastics Achievement: 12% cost saving over the lifetime of the project on fasteners
- Contract negotiation to achieve better trading terms Achievement: 79% of suppliers on 60day payment terms Achievement: LTAs for 3 years in place with 50% of suppliers Achievement: Framework agreement in place with 86% of suppliers
- Leading sourcing and re-sourcing activities and presenting business cases to the Group Sourcing Board; Purchasing Directors, Head of Purchasing & Head of Quality
- Acting as an escalation point for the Quality and MP&L teams to work through problems with suppliers that cause line stoppages due to part availability because of quality problems or poor delivery performance, commercial disputes with suppliers, etc
- Review of bonus agreements to ensure claim of rebates when purchase volumes are met, reviewing and negotiating price increase requests
- Leading implementation of design changes from a Procurement perspective. Ensuring smooth transition from current to new design as well as advising key stakeholders on cost & timing; by analysing cost impact through new cycle times & any obsolescence cost from suppliers, and constructing a change implementation plan with the suppliers
Strategic Buyer – Bearings, Filters, Oils, Coolers, Machined Metal Parts
Hofer Powertrain Products (ElringKlinger) – Warwick
2017.11 - 2020.01
- Minimization of cost and development cycle of the project by achieving early supplier involvement; providing commercial guidance and support to the Project Management & Design Engineering teams.
- Development and implementation of sourcing strategies that are in line with the global commodity strategies; involving supplier selection and nomination for sourcing of bespoke production components.
- Benchmarking activities, supplier assessment and negotiation with suppliers prior to sourcing board nomination meeting; to meet cost targets and value for money.
- Compiling cost comparison files and supplier rate cards based on RFQs & QAFs.
- APQP cross functional meeting attendance to ensure that customer requirements are met; i.e MRD dates, part maturity requirements, etc.
- Development of a new supplier base for the Hofer Powertrain Products entity that resulted from a joint venture; introducing 16 suppliers to the board for various parts, from prototype stage through to production and PPAP approval.
- Experience in leading sourcing activities for medium/high value components for low volume projects.
Education
MSc (Hons) - Engineering Business Management
Coventry University
2019.01 - 2022.03
BSc - Technology Management
University of Macedonia
Thessaloniki, Greece 2011.10 - 2016.10
Skills
- Commercially astute
- Emotional intelligence
- Strong communication skills
- Strategically minded
- Great organisational skills and planning ahead
References
References available upon request
Timeline
Lead Buyer – Strategic Procurement
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2024.06 - 2026.02
Senior Commodity Buyer – Castings, Forgings & Machined Metal Parts
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2023.10 - 2024.06
Senior Commodity Buyer – Body and White
Volta Trucks – Reading
2022.10 - 2023.10
Senior Commodity & Programme Buyer – Castings, Forgings & Machined Metal Parts
YASA (Mercedes Benz Group) – Oxford YASA
2021.10 - 2022.10
Commodity Buyer – Fasteners, Castings, Plastics, Bearings, Machined Metal Parts
Hofer Powertrain Products (ElringKlinger) – Solihull
2020.01 - 2021.10
MSc (Hons) - Engineering Business Management
Coventry University
2019.01 - 2022.03
Strategic Buyer – Bearings, Filters, Oils, Coolers, Machined Metal Parts
Hofer Powertrain Products (ElringKlinger) – Warwick
2017.11 - 2020.01
BSc - Technology Management
University of Macedonia
2011.10 - 2016.10