George Zien
Senior Director of Corporate Procurement @Harbor Freight Tools
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WORK HISTORY
Senior Director of Corporate Procurement @Harbor Freight Tools
Los Angeles, CA, US
A $10B+ discount tool and equipment retailer that operates retail stores in 48 states.I was brought in to build and lead the company’s first corporate procurement/strategic sourcing organization to support the company’s rapid expansion and growth. This department is responsible for purchasing all indirect goods and services, including logistics, labor, consulting services, construction, IT, and marketing, representing $1B+ in annual spend. In addition to leading a direct team of 20, I am often called to lead or co-chair multiple committees comprised of executives, spearheading company-wide initiatives. • Established and built the entire procurement organization from the ground floor, which involved driving significant cultural change and hiring and building a “best-in-class” team of 15 Professionals.• Managed purchasing of material and services for construction and setup of 2 x one million sq. ft. distribution centers.• Captured millions of dollars in annual cost savings and gross margin improvements through negotiation of highly favorable contracts and steep vendor discounts. • Created new 7-figure revenue stream by transforming recycling process from a cost to profit center.• Opened up avenues for huge vendor discounts by positioning the company as a valued strategic partner and by dealing directly with OEMs for IT hardware/software purchases, breaking normal channels.• Generated millions of dollars in supplier incentive rebate checks through innovative approaches not previously utilized.• Reduced national media OPEX 23% in 3 months, without degrading service or products, through a marketing and advertising campaign.• Implemented purchasing process improvements, providing risk mitigation, visibility for spend analytics and write company policies and procedures.
EDUCATION
Cameron University
MBA, Business Administration and Management, General
University of California, Davis
B.S., Physiology
SKILLS
ABOUT GEORGE ZIEN
I am a profit-driven strategic sourcing and procurement executive with a time-tested record of delivering strong bottom-line improvements for businesses across multiple industries. Over my career, I have been highly successful at executing dramatic business transformations, centralizing purchasing functions, accelerating cultural change, and engaging stakeholder buy-in and support for robust business initiatives. I am a great problem-solver and outstanding negotiator with proven performance negotiating exceptionally low-priced contract terms with all types of vendors. This has resulted in tens of millions of dollars in annual cost savings and gross margin improvements. I am able to deliver results quickly by utilizing innovative approaches and multistep strategic sourcing processes. My global sourcing experience spans Asia, Pacific Rim, EMEA, and South America, and I am able to leverage my fluency in Mandarin Chinese to build strong relationships with vendors in these regions. My accomplishments include:• Built world-class corporate procurement / global sourcing organizations from the ground floor• Prioritized initiatives for $1B+ in annual global sourcing spend• Generated $100M+ in enterprise cost savings on vendors’ lowest prices• Led strategic sourcing initiatives including globalization, vendor consolidation, and standardization• Transformed national company from decentralized to centralized purchasing operation• Integrated enterprise Procure to Pay (P-P) platforms • Implemented multi-platform sourcing strategies to drive sustainable cost savings
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