Bernhard Külbs - Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant

Q: Where is Bernhard based?

Bernhard is based in Düsseldorf, Germany and can operate in on-site , hybrid , and remote work models.

Q: What languages does Bernhard speak?

Bernhard speaks the following languages: German (Native), Afrikaans (Advanced), English (Advanced), Dutch (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary) .

Q: How many years of experience does Bernhard have?

Bernhard has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Bernhard has worked in at least 14 different roles and for 15 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months . Note that Bernhard may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Bernhard's latest experience?

Bernhard's most recent position is Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant at SERRALA GROUP GmbH .

Q: What companies has Bernhard worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Bernhard has worked for SERRALA GROUP GmbH , AURUBIS AG , HERAEUS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS GmbH , KNAUF INFORMATION SERVICES GmbH , and FRATCH.IO GmbH .

Q: Which industries is Bernhard most experienced in?

Bernhard is most experienced in industries like Professional Services , Advertising , and Transportation . Bernhard also has some experience in Retail , Utilities , and Insurance .

Q: Which business areas is Bernhard most experienced in?

Bernhard is most experienced in business areas like Strategy , Procurement , and Supply Chain Management . Bernhard also has some experience in Project Management , Sales , and Marketing .

Q: Which industries has Bernhard worked in recently?

Bernhard has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Information Technology , and Metals and Mining .

Q: Which business areas has Bernhard worked in recently?

Bernhard has recently worked in business areas like Procurement , Supply Chain Management , and Strategy .

Recommended expert

Düsseldorf, Germany

Experience

Jan 2025 - Mar 2025

3 months

Hamburg, Germany

Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant

SERRALA GROUP GmbH

RFQ Atlassian Jira renewal TCV 0.5 mn p.a., 11% savings
RFP Concur integrated travel management agency
Procurement assessment and target organisation, vendor sourcing
Develop and implement procurement workflow with Jira tickets
Establish procurement as strategic single point of contact for vendors, ITSM, IT security, data protection, legal & compliance

Jan 2023 - Jun 2023

6 months

Hamburg, Germany

Interim Global Category Management IT (HW, SW, Services)

AURUBIS AG

RFPs for Digital Factory (Industry 4.0): digital shopfloor management, LIDAR continuous volume measurement, yard management system
RFPs: Salesforce Service Cloud, OT servers infrastructure, parking management, project management engineering
Contracted SAP AI Operations (Avantra), Salesforce, IT-security (Pentera, Trend Micro), infrastructure (Verizon), performance management (Board), PI (Megla/Aveva), SAP Service (Westfalen-Informatik)
IT procurement strategy developed and implemented, with procurement functions and resource planning

Jan 2022 - Jun 2022

6 months

Hanau, Germany

Interim Senior Global Procurement Manager IT and Professional Services

HERAEUS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS GmbH

RFP MSP, VMS for HR contingent workforce EUR 30 mn spend p.a.
Spend analysis credit information companies and consulting services
IT RFP Compliance/Third Party Risk Management data and tool for Supply Chain Act (LkSG)
IT RFP Content Management System for marketing, PR & creatives spend communication analysis
Multiple RFP for M&A financial/tax due diligence US and Germany
Neutral vendor concept with MSP and VMS developed for contingent workforce

Jan 2021 - Jun 2021

6 months

Kitzingen, Germany

On-site

Lead Buyer IT Hardware, Infrastructure & Telecommunication

KNAUF INFORMATION SERVICES GmbH

RFP internet connectivity/underlay network cloud base to connect 387 production sites in 60 countries
RFP mobile telecommunication Germany
RFP global monitoring tools
RFPs SAP & non-SAP one storage consolidation (IBM)
RFP SCM platform (Blue Yonder)
RFP network components for conveyor belts (Cisco)
RFP 8 000 workplace hardware clients
Successful mitigation of HW supply chain disruptions, EUR 3.8 mn savings on ICT spend p.a.

Jan 2020 - Jun 2020

6 months

Zürich, Switzerland

Director Consulting, Project Lead Indirect Spend and Interim Category Manager IT

JICAP (SUISSE) AG

Data gathering, spend cube building and spend analysis
Stakeholder liaisoning
Procurement strategy developed per spend category
Program management cost optimisation with 52 initiatives for IT, HR, facility management, energy, marketing & communication
Benchmark categories IT hardware, software licenses, IT consulting
RFP medical diagnostics hardware
Implement e-catalogue system for hardware; CHF 1.6 mn p.a. savings, cost avoidance and transactional cost reduction

Jan 2019 - May 2019

5 months

Munich, Germany

Project Manager Insurance Procurement, RFP Professional Services Global Financial Audit

ALLIANZ SE

RFP professional services for global statutory audit
Assess and manage demand for IT services, software and infrastructure
Steer IT, IT security/outsourcing and legal workstreams
Establish SLAs and KPIs for AI service provider management
Negotiate contracts with AI service provider for vehicle insurance
Project management for savings initiative Allianz Deutschland AG in IT, professional services and facility management
Global framework agreement for statutory audit, go-live of unified Allianz Direct platform in DE, NL, ES, IT

Jan 2018 - Jun 2018

6 months

Düsseldorf, Germany

Interim Senior Manager Central Procurement IT and Non-IT Professional Services

ERGO Munich Re Group

RFP for legal protection insurance strategy
RFP and contracting due-diligence M&A for ERGO China
Contracting feasibility study for joint venture with MAPFRE Group for ERGO Mobility Solutions
RFP and contracting strategy consulting for transformation of group IT services ITERGO
Benchmark consulting and negotiate framework agreements rate cards
EUR 1.8 mn p.a. savings on IT and non-IT professional services

Jan 2017 - Sep 2017

9 months

Project Manager Insurance Procurement

ALLIANZ TECHNOLOGY SE

Align technical and service specifications at Allianz Italy S.p.A., Trieste
Develop strategic RFP process for dual sourcing
Negotiate framework agreements for current provider and challenger, finalise with compliance, tax & legal, audit
Renegotiate current ICT provider, calculate TCO and savings
Sale-lease-back GPS/telematic black boxes (CHG Meridian)
Onboarding senior procurement manager in Trieste
EUR 1.4 mn savings p.a. on M2M communication infrastructure

Jan 2012 - Aug 2012

8 months

Bonn, Germany

Consultant

Deutsche Telekom AG

Assess ICT hardware workplace requirements
Roll-out new ICT hardware with business application updates
Steer and control combined relocation and software migration
Manage network providers and sub-contractors ICT infrastructure (MAN, LAN, WLAN)
Successful relocation & software migration process for +2 000 employees in six locations

Jan 2009 - Present

17 years 3 months

Düsseldorf, Germany

Interim IT Category Manager / Management Consultant for Strategic Procurement Management and Digitisation

FRATCH.IO GmbH

Analyse & structure spend, establish category management
Benchmark providers, identify savings and efficiency potential
Conduct RFP incl. requirements SLA
Restructure procurement organisations and workflow
Establish strategic sourcing
Develop strategic category/provider management, supplier performance management
Procurement categories: Professional Services, IT and telecommunication services, hardware/infrastructure, software/licensing
Corporate goals: Significant cost-avoidance/savings, efficient procurement workflows Source-to-Contract, Procure-to-Pay, digital transformation of procurement

Sep 2006 - Dec 2008

2 years 4 months

Bonn, Germany

Senior Consultant

Deutsche Post DHL Consulting

Acquire and manage projects for external and internal clients
Develop added value services beyond delivery business of Deutsche Post
Implement cost-optimising marketing concepts for mail order, retail, utilities
Provide decision papers for top management

Mar 2006 - Jun 2006

4 months

Cape Town, South Africa

Area Manager

Kerkhoff Consulting Africa (Pty.) Ltd

Interim assignment to convert unit strategically, develop local business
Senior manager for aluminium, solar, automotive, food industry

Jan 2005 - Aug 2006

1 year 8 months

Düsseldorf, Germany

On-site

Consultant, later Area Manager

Kerkhoff Consulting GmbH

Team leader on-site projects: Evaluate commodities, develop and implement sourcing strategies
Negotiate contracts and terms of payments on behalf of client
Organisational restructuring of department including recruitment and staff training
Research, develop and audit alternative raw material suppliers worldwide

May 2002 - Mar 2004

1 year 11 months

Neuss, Germany

Consultant

microm Micromarketing-Systeme und Consult GmbH

Target group consulting in direct marketing, raising cost-effectiveness of corporate marketing measures
Responsible for newspaper publishing, nonprofit organisations with single key accounts from pharmaceutical, mail order and automotive sectors

Jul 1990 - Dec 1994

4 years 6 months

Nuremberg, Germany

Business Development

WB Werbung GmbH

Client acquisition and account management for trade fair services

Industry Experience

See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.

Experienced in Professional Services, Advertising, Transportation, Retail, Utilities, and Insurance.

Professional Services

Advertising

Transportation

Retail

Utilities

Insurance

Business Area Experience

See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.

Experienced in Strategy, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, Sales, and Marketing.

Strategy

Procurement

Supply Chain Management

Project Management

Sales

Marketing

Languages

German

Native

Afrikaans

Advanced

English

Advanced

Dutch

Advanced

Spanish

Elementary

Education

Oct 1997 - Jun 1998

HSE Helsinki School of Economics & Business Administration

Economics & Business Administration · Mikkeli, Finland · 1.00

Oct 1994 - Jun 2001

University of Passau

Diplom-Kaufmann, Business Administration · Business Administration · Passau, Germany · 3.50

Jan 1977 - Oct 1989

German Private School DHPS

Abitur (German Baccalaureate), A-levels/ Matriculation Examination · Windhoek, Namibia · Abitur 2.8; A-levels Aggregate C

Certifications & licenses

Certified Training DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act

TÜV NORD Akademie GmbH & Co. KG

Certified Workshop Conducting Negotiations In IT Procurement

BME Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf Und Logistik E.V.

Certified Training Digital Procurement Manager

BME And procure.ch

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 15

Experience in Professional Services 19 y

Avg length 2 y 1 m

Longest experience 17 y 2 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 3 (Germany, Switzerland, South Africa)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant, Interim Global Category Management IT (HW, SW, Services), Interim Senior Global Procurement Manager IT and Professional Services

Main industries Professional Services, Advertising, Transportation

Main business areas Strategy, Procurement, Supply Chain Management

Qualifications

Certifications earned 3

Profile

Created

June 2025

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have questions? Here you can find further information.

Where is Bernhard based?

Bernhard is based in Düsseldorf, Germany and can operate in on-site, hybrid, and remote work models.

What languages does Bernhard speak?

Bernhard speaks the following languages: German (Native), Afrikaans (Advanced), English (Advanced), Dutch (Advanced), Spanish (Elementary).

How many years of experience does Bernhard have?

Bernhard has at least 27 years of experience. During this time, Bernhard has worked in at least 14 different roles and for 15 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months. Note that Bernhard may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Bernhard be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Bernhard would be well-suited for roles such as: Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant, Interim Global Category Management IT (HW, SW, Services), Interim Senior Global Procurement Manager IT and Professional Services.

What is Bernhard's latest experience?

Bernhard's most recent position is Interim Procurement Manager/Consultant at SERRALA GROUP GmbH.

What companies has Bernhard worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Bernhard has worked for SERRALA GROUP GmbH, AURUBIS AG, HERAEUS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS GmbH, KNAUF INFORMATION SERVICES GmbH, and FRATCH.IO GmbH.

Which industries is Bernhard most experienced in?

Bernhard is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Advertising, and Transportation. Bernhard also has some experience in Retail, Utilities, and Insurance.

Which business areas is Bernhard most experienced in?

Bernhard is most experienced in business areas like Strategy, Procurement, and Supply Chain Management. Bernhard also has some experience in Project Management, Sales, and Marketing.

Which industries has Bernhard worked in recently?

Bernhard has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology, and Metals and Mining.

Which business areas has Bernhard worked in recently?

Bernhard has recently worked in business areas like Procurement, Supply Chain Management, and Strategy.

What is Bernhard's education?

Bernhard attended HSE Helsinki School of Economics & Business Administration for Economics & Business Administration.

Does Bernhard have any certificates?

Bernhard has 3 certificates. These include: Certified Training DORA Digital Operational Resilience Act, Certified Workshop Conducting Negotiations In IT Procurement, and Certified Training Digital Procurement Manager.

What is the availability of Bernhard?

Bernhard is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Bernhard?

Bernhard's rate depends on the specific project requirements. Please use the Meet button on the profile to schedule a meeting and discuss the details.