Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Languages
Personal Information
Trainings & qualifications
References
Timeline
Generic

Jeeten Poonit

Morden,CRY

Summary

Seasoned Operations Director with a proven track record at Cawston Press, adept in procurement and supply chain management. Mastered relationship building, spearheaded innovative sourcing strategies, and led significant sustainability initiatives. Achieved over £500K in savings, showcasing exceptional negotiation skills and a strategic mindset for impactful change in global markets.

Overview

37
37
years of professional experience

Work History

Operations Director

Cawston Press
03.2023 - Current
  • Company Overview: premium soft drink
  • Member of the LT and permanent Board attendee
  • Leading a team of 8 managing all Operations areas – Procurement, Logistics & Warehousing, QA & Regulatory, and Sustainability
  • Key focus for my role is to ensure we run an efficient supply chain to enable a profitable and sustainable growth of the brand in the UK and International markets
  • Premium soft drink
  • Defined, recruited and implemented Operations Team model for capability and efficiency
  • Developed and implemented S&OP process – eliminated over £500K of write off risks, reduced stock holding by 35% and freed up >£1.5M cash
  • Development and implementation of CoMan strategy for supply security, growth, and innovation
  • Manage AOP & budget input for Operations, including productivity initiatives
  • Developed and implemented Category Management process, including SRM and SPM models
  • Introduced CPRM (commodities bookings) – delivered savings >£400K in Y1 and on track >£600K in Y2
  • Leading our ESG ‘Pressing for Better’ sustainability agenda on agriculture and supply chain
  • Lead SC area in getting BCorp certification

UK & Europe Head of Procurement – Agriculture & Ingredients

Pladis Global
02.2022 - 02.2023
  • Company Overview: United Biscuits - INTERIM
  • Leading a team of 5 Category Procurement Managers to manage the Agriculture and Ingredients spend portfolio of c
  • £300M for UK and Europe regions
  • The main objective of my role was to ensure that the global strategies are being implemented in the regions, productivity opportunities identified and executed, and ensure timely fulfillment of materials in all production sites
  • United Biscuits - INTERIM
  • Re-organised a team of 7 category managers operating model to reflect changing global supply landscape and focus on key
  • Lead Procurement AOP input for the regions and ran productivity workshop that identified over £8M savings that were fully implemented
  • Developed Agriculture category procurement strategies for new harvest, including sustainability agenda development, innovation projects and SRM program
  • Successfully lead the Supply Risk Management to mitigate any supply risk from Ukraine conflict
  • Identified and brought in contingency suppliers that mitigated most supply risks

Global Sourcing Director – Direct Categories & Co-Manufacturing

Godiva Chocolatier
03.2017 - 12.2021
  • Company Overview: Premium global chocolate brand – part of the Pladis Group.
  • I had global leadership in managing multiple categories (ingredients, packaging, in-store Capex) and developing a network of contract manufacturers to deliver current and future business needs.
  • Direct management of six regional category managers, and indirectly a team of 18.
  • Extensive travel across all key Godiva markets (NA, Asia, Japan, and Europe) for stakeholder management and supplier engagement.
  • I also had functional leadership of the Global Indirect Procurement team of four.
  • Premium global chocolate brand – part of the Pladis Group.
  • Designed and implemented the Global Procurement function following the Covid headcount impact and the departure of the Head of Procurement.
  • Direct management of a global functional team of six procurement professionals, with direct and dotted line management for four indirect category managers, managing a total spend of $225 million and savings of 3-5% year over year.
  • Development and implementation of the Category Management process, with strategies developed and executed for key spends.
  • SRM and SPM programs for top-tier vendors.
  • Lead the procurement of all in-store capex in all of Godiva's global markets (U.S., Asia, and Europe).
  • Lead the tender and award of a spend of more than $6M, which is over 20% below budget and provides substantial TCO benefits.
  • Manage the procurement of all NPI and productivity projects, contributing from concept to commercialization.
  • Fifty projects are delivered annually within or below cost targets.
  • Contract manufacturing - built and implemented a strategy that has delivered $4.2M in savings in my first year and over $2M every year since, with a 5% year-over-year increase.
  • Active member of the Godiva Top 50 Leadership Team and of the Global Supply Chain Leadership Team, contributing to defining the organisation's culture, strategy and operating model.
  • Developed and managed the supply plan risk during COVID-19, and delivered minimal supply chain disruptions.
  • Lead Procurement mapping for ERP implementation in Asia, Europe and US

Group Operations Category Procurement Lead

Britvic Plc.
01.2015 - 06.2016
  • Company Overview: PepsiCo bottler in UK&Ireland
  • Overall group responsibility of developing and oversee implementation of Operations Categories Strategies across all Business Units (GB&I, France, Brazil, USA and India) - Capex & MRO, Contract Packing, Utilities and Logistics with annual spend portfolio of c
  • £200M
  • Direct line management of 3 Senior Buyers and 2 dotted line Senior Buyers
  • PepsiCo bottler in UK&Ireland
  • Leading sourcing of major Capex Investment Program across GB
  • Developed and implemented strategy for both equipment and construction
  • Negotiated cost avoidance and additional value of £9M on £65M worth of tenders
  • Utilities - implemented sourcing strategy that has delivered £960K savings in 2015 and estimated £450K additional in 2016
  • Contract Packing - built and implemented a strategy that has delivered over £1M in savings and enabler for innovations
  • Logistics & warehousing - developed sourcing strategy approach and approved by internal stakeholders for implementation in 2016 (c.£80M tender)
  • Procurement lead for all NPD projects from Gate 1 through to commercialisation phase across all Britvic brands (Robinson’s, PepsiCo brands, Tango, Ballygowan, etc…)

Capex Procurement Manager

Diageo Plc.
01.2013 - 08.2014
  • Manage factory Capex Procurement for the Africa region - ~£75-125M/Year
  • Key activities: supplier sourcing, tendering (RFi/p/q), tender analysis & negotiation, contractual negotiation & management, and SRM
  • Leading sourcing of Capex Projects through e-sourcing, tendering and traditional direct contract negotiation
  • All project delivered with a minimum of 10% cost avoidance to budget
  • Coaching role for Africa in market procurement colleagues on general procurement capabilities and compliance agenda

Africa Regional Procurement Manager

Diageo Plc.
02.2012 - 12.2012
  • Management of a portfolio of over £70M spends across Ingredients (cereals, sugars and flavours), manufacturing services, MRO, CIP, packaging
  • Procurement Project Management of new capability development across Africa
  • Savings and cost avoidance of over £3M through tendering and design simplification
  • Lead CIP productivity initiative that delivered savings of 15% on a £30M spend over 3 years through consolidation and specs standardisation
  • Researched, engaged and onboarded (technical, compliance and governance) of PET supplier in Turkey that delivered £4M savings over 3 years and unlock opportunities in Africa Regional growth agenda

Global Procurement Manager – Product Innovation & Technology Research

Diageo Plc.
03.2006 - 01.2012
  • Highly visible and key role to both ensure timely and successful delivery of the innovation agenda, but also delivering the expected GM as a minimum
  • I was the Global Procurement lead for all internal and external Innovation related forums and workshops, managing a very global, complex matrix and varied seniority levels set of cross functional stakeholders (Marketing, Brand teams, Supply, Technical and Global Procurement and supplier base)
  • I also had the Team leader responsibility of 4 Regional Procurement Innovation Managers
  • Lead procurement deliverables on over 150 innovation projects with over 100 successful product launches
  • Developed and deployed Global Procurement Innovation Strategy in all global regions
  • Lead a number of Supplier Regional Capability and strategy workshops (over 50 global suppliers) that generated ideas for new products and capabilities, many of which commercialised
  • Developed and managed a Supplier Innovation Program (SIP)
  • The program delivered over 100 ideas, a few of which have now been commercialised

Business Development & Supply Chain consultant

LM Distribution
10.2004 - 12.2005
  • Company Overview: Importer and Supplier of Foodstuffs - REUNION Island based
  • Importer and Supplier of Foodstuffs - REUNION Island based
  • Top 3 importer and supplier in fresh produce based in Reunion Island, serving all the French supermarket groups in Reunion Island, Madagascar, Comoros and Mayottes

Procurement & Product Planning Manager

Del Monte Foods Inc. Intl. Ltd
03.1998 - 03.2004
  • Procurement of raw materials including commodities trading (juice concentrates, sugar, flavours and ingredients) – ieo £65M/ p.a
  • Managed to keep a flat cost base, mitigating YoY ~ 5% inflation

Imports Manager

Possibilities (UK) Ltd
03.1997 - 12.1997

Procurement Director

SKC FRUITS REUNION Sarl
01.1994 - 01.1996

Procurement Director

SKC SURAT & CO LTD
01.1988 - 01.1996
  • Company Overview: Importer and Distributor of fresh produce
  • Importer and Distributor of fresh produce

Education

C++ Programming -

CCS Instutitute of Computing
01.1991

Visual Basic Programming -

CCS Instutitute of Computing
01.1991

A levels -

St. Andrew’s College
01.1987

Skills

  • Procurement
  • Supply Chain
  • Contract Management
  • Relationship Building & Management
  • Sourcing strategies
  • Product Innovation
  • Team Management
  • Project Management
  • Negotiation Skills
  • Sustainability
  • Change Management
  • Emerging Markets

Accomplishments

Nominated in Procurement Leaders Awards – Finalist team for ‘Procurement Innovation’

Chairman's Award for innovative ideas - Godiva

Languages

  • English, Written and spoken
  • French, Written and spoken
  • Italian, Beginners spoken
  • Hindi, Beginners spoken
  • French Creoles languages/dialects, Written and spoken

Personal Information

Title: Mr

Pronouns: He/Him

Dual Mauritius & UK passport holder

Trainings & qualifications

  • Oxford Leading Sustainable Corporations Programme (currently studying)
  • CIPS Membership
  • GAP Partnership Negotiation Training
  • Multiple inhouse and external formal trainings: Procurement Category Management, Intellectual Property Rights, Product Quality Management, Advanced Negotiation Skills, Compliance & Ethics, Communication and Engagement, C2C (concept to commercialisation), Navigate Project Management, High Performance Coaching, and other industry specific trainings.
  • CCS Institute of Computing, C++ Programming Diploma, 1986-1991, CCS Institute of Computing, Visual Basic Programming Diploma, 1986-1991, St. Andrew’s College, A levels, 1981-1987

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Operations Director

Cawston Press
03.2023 - Current

UK & Europe Head of Procurement – Agriculture & Ingredients

Pladis Global
02.2022 - 02.2023

Global Sourcing Director – Direct Categories & Co-Manufacturing

Godiva Chocolatier
03.2017 - 12.2021

Group Operations Category Procurement Lead

Britvic Plc.
01.2015 - 06.2016

Capex Procurement Manager

Diageo Plc.
01.2013 - 08.2014

Africa Regional Procurement Manager

Diageo Plc.
02.2012 - 12.2012

Global Procurement Manager – Product Innovation & Technology Research

Diageo Plc.
03.2006 - 01.2012

Business Development & Supply Chain consultant

LM Distribution
10.2004 - 12.2005

Procurement & Product Planning Manager

Del Monte Foods Inc. Intl. Ltd
03.1998 - 03.2004

Imports Manager

Possibilities (UK) Ltd
03.1997 - 12.1997

Procurement Director

SKC FRUITS REUNION Sarl
01.1994 - 01.1996

Procurement Director

SKC SURAT & CO LTD
01.1988 - 01.1996

C++ Programming -

CCS Instutitute of Computing

Visual Basic Programming -

CCS Instutitute of Computing

A levels -

St. Andrew’s College

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