With more than 35 years of professional experience in various industries and sectors and a proven track record of success, Rainer Topp is a recognised expert in purchasing and procurement. With his expertise, he ensures a targeted purchasing organisation and strategy – with a clear focus on quality, costs, efficiency and time.

He has experience in management roles in medium-sized companies and international corporations. In addition to his strong commercial knowledge, he offers intercultural expertise and knowledge of common management techniques.

In addition to sound experience in the management of purchasing projects, he has the necessary technical understanding. As a professional negotiator and solution-orientated purchasing manager, he asserts the interests of the procuring company. He acts consistently and with an entrepreneurial approach. He is motivating and participative and has the necessary intuition for people and current situations.

Core competences Purchasing & Procurement

• Negotiation and commissioning of various procurement requirements (OPEX / CAPEX)
  • Various components and services for plant construction and the technical infrastructure of buildings, production facilities and construction sites
  • Indirect supplies and services, such as operating, office and business equipment, information technology/telecommunications, fleet management, energy, consultancy services, machinery, tools, security services and cleaning, as well as other product groups
• Process optimisation
• Supplier management and strategy
• Team development and coaching
• Procurement cost reduction
• Compliance and claim management
• Process and transformation management

Experience

• In the role of department head / project manager in a staff or line function
• Support (strategic + operational) with challenging procurement requirements, optimisable day-to-day business, purchasing organisation improvement, purchasing cost reduction
• Structuring and taking over tasks in the handling of procurement projects, which are often under budget pressure and time-critical
• Support in conducting negotiations; as a ghost negotiator in the background or just as actively in the foreground as a lead negotiator or member of the negotiating team
• Strengthening specialist expertise and transferring knowledge within the company
• Taking on higher-level management tasks in order to work on particularly prioritised projects as a procurement expert

Skills

• Structured and authentic way of working
• Clear and open communication
• Convincing manner, Strong negotiating skills
• High level of commitment, risk-aware, independent
• Strong implementation skills when making changes and optimising processes

Objectives

• Strengthening operational purchasing power
• Reducing procurement costs
• Improving departmental communication and promoting departmental networking to involve the purchasing function in good time