Thomas Lüftl - Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force

Q: Where is Thomas based?

Thomas is based in Munich, Germany .

Q: What languages does Thomas speak?

Thomas speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Advanced), French (Advanced), Italian (Advanced) .

Q: How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 37 years of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 19 different companies . The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months . Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

Q: What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force at Central Lubrication Systems Company .

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

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Central Lubrication Systems Company , Motorized Positioners Company , Food Company , Medical Diagnostics Company , and Injection Molding Company .

Q: Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Professional Services , Information Technology , and Cosmetics . Thomas also has some experience in Chemical , Manufacturing , and Pharmaceutical .

Q: Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Quality Assurance , Operations , and Strategy . Thomas also has some experience in Information Technology , Project Management , and Customer Service .

Q: Which industries has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in industries like Professional Services , Manufacturing , and Food and Beverage .

Q: Which business areas has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in business areas like Strategy , Operations , and Production .

Recommended expert

Munich, Germany

Experience

Mar 2025 - Oct 2025

8 months

Germany

Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force

Central Lubrication Systems Company

Analysis of planning processes and management system
Observation and evaluation of managers
Derivation and implementation of personnel measures
Interim production management
Establishment of proactive production planning processes
Implementation of a management operating system from the shop floor to the management team
Reports and structured meetings
Interim Production Manager and Head of a task force
Repeatable throughput increased by 10%

Sep 2023 - Dec 2024

1 year 4 months

Germany

Throughput Increase Positioning Devices and Interim Manager Supply Chain

Motorized Positioners Company

Implemented elements of lean management
Streamlined shopfloor management and meeting cascade
Created and implemented KPIs and controls to manage throughput, losses and revenue generation
Implemented side systems to the ERP to extract data and create meaningful reports
Implemented mentoring system for new hires
Improved parametrization of the production planning system
Streamlined vendor contracts to secure availability of materials
Interim Manager leading production management and Task Force Leader
Throughput and revenue consistently on target

Jan 2023 - Aug 2023

8 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Food Company

Implemented management operating system on shopfloor and in planning & logistics departments: KPIs, reports, structured meetings, loss management & continuous improvement
Leader of a task force
Contributed to €1.5 M savings for one site
Developed template to roll out to further sites

May 2022 - Nov 2022

7 months

Germany

Interim Manager Supply Chain

Medical Diagnostics Company

Implemented sales & operations planning and scheduling; customer-centered KPIs; shopfloor management
Defined stock levels
Transferred logistics to an outside warehouse and implemented process & system changes
Head of supply chain team and head of task force
Increased output by 20%
Increased on-time, in-full delivery from 63% to 95%

Apr 2022 - May 2022

2 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Injection Molding Company

Designed and implemented management operating system for the shop floor
Defined system and provided hands-on observation and coaching of first-line leaders
Conducted management trainings for first-line leaders

Jul 2021 - Feb 2022

8 months

Poland

Independent Consultant

Food Company

Improved OEE from 83% to 88%
Enhanced management operating system with root cause analysis and TPM
Provided leadership development & coaching
Accompanied first-line leaders during daily routines

Mar 2021 - Sep 2021

7 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Biotech Company

Ensured production logistics to ramp up COVID-19 vaccine production (single to three shifts)
Mapped end-to-end logistics processes
Stabilized processes and reduced risk
Integrated processes including interfaces to contract manufacturers
Provided training and practical support
Reduced average FMEA process risk from 154 to 7

Sep 2020 - May 2021

9 months

Switzerland

Independent Consultant

Process Industry Company

Contributed to $2 M p.a. OPEX reduction across production, maintenance, logistics, EHS
Developed capacity management tool for logistics operations
Advanced shopfloor & production management systems
Provided leadership and performance coaching
Delivered training in management system elements

Aug 2020 - Aug 2020

1 month

Germany

Independent Consultant

Semiconductor Manufacturer

Performed scheduling and material flow analysis
Identified method to introduce TAKT, KANBAN, pull and one-piece flow to reduce lead time and WIP by 70%

Jun 2020 - Sep 2020

4 months

France

Independent Consultant

CRO Laboratory

Conducted efficiency quick checks for laboratories
Identified potential for > 10% throughput improvement
Worked on sales & operations planning, project & order management, digitization

Sep 2019 - Apr 2020

8 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Power Electronics Company

Made or buy decision for PCBA and box build
Developed brownfield vs. outsourcing cost comparison model
Managed tender and bid processes

Nov 2018 - May 2019

7 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Automotive Supplier

Optimized purchasing and supply chain processes
Conducted spend analysis, category management, vendor consolidation
Locked production schedule and optimized scheduling
Prototyped IT tool for planning, scheduling, order management and stock reduction
Achieved 10% stock reduction

Mar 2018 - Oct 2018

8 months

Germany

Independent Consultant

Railway Company

Introduced shop-floor management, visual boards and 5S at various sites
Designed shop-floor management system, provided training and coaching
Delivered lean training
Improved on-time, in-full completion of work orders by 10%

Jun 2015 - Sep 2016

1 year 4 months

France

Interim Manager for Supplier Quality and Operational Excellence

Pharma Company

Acted as procurement operational excellence manager responsible for vendor development and procurement processes
Facilitated cross-functional problem solving and data-driven analysis
Implemented process control
Identified root cause at one vendor and reduced defect rate from 400 ppm to 20 ppm

Jan 2010 - Present

16 years 3 months

Consultant and Crisis Manager

Independent Consultant and Crisis Manager

Jan 2010 - Dec 2017

8 years

Consultant, Coach & Trainer for Lean & Six Sigma, Master Black Belt

Various Companies

Trained over 60 Black Belts, 15 Master Black Belts, and 100 Green Belts
Coached more than 100 improvement projects
Deployed lean six sigma and continuous improvement in three larger organizations
Delivered over €100 M of net benefits

Jun 2006 - Dec 2009

3 years 7 months

Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

Linde Engineering

May 2003 - Jun 2006

3 years 2 months

Assistant Project Manager / Lean Six Sigma Specialist

Celerent Consulting

Sep 1993 - Dec 2002

9 years 4 months

Consultant and Project Manager

GE CompuNet (now ComputaCenter)

Senior Consultant Managed Service (2001-05 to 2002-12)
Black Belt and Master Black Belt (1998-01 to 2001-04)
Customer Service (1996-03 to 1997-12)
Project Manager / Head of IT rollout and migration projects (1993-09 to 1996-02)

Sep 1988 - Jun 1993

4 years 10 months

System Analyst & System Operations Manager

Procter & Gamble

Industry Experience

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

Experienced in Professional Services, Information Technology, Cosmetics, Manufacturing, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical.

Professional Services

Information Technology

Cosmetics

Manufacturing

Chemical

Pharmaceutical

Business Area Experience

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

Experienced in Quality Assurance, Operations, Strategy, Information Technology, Project Management, and Customer Service.

Quality Assurance

Operations

Strategy

Information Technology

Project Management

Customer Service

Summary

You can rely on the fact that you will always get clear, blunt, unconventional approaches and statements from me. For me, this is part of a good and successful cooperation. I am a resourceful and analytical type who quickly determines the core cause of a problem. I always have simple, cost-effective and directly implementable solutions in mind and give my clients invigorating impetus and motivation.

I involve my clients' employees and lead with natural authority.

I am persistent and energetic, stay the course and keep at it until the problem is solved. Even in the face of headwinds.

Skills

Profile

Master Of Industrial Engineering
Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Scrum Master (Psm I)
More Than 25 Years Of Result Orientated Project And Efficiency Management In Production And Supply Chain
Production Management
Operational Leadership Of Supply Chain Teams
Program Management (Pmo) For Turnaround And Efficiency Improvements
Trainer, Moderator And Coach At All Levels Of The Corporate Organization
Good Digitization Background

Examples Of Success

Production Throughput Increased By 30%
Delivery Performance Increased From 63% To 95%
Oee Increased By 5%
Process Risk On An Fmea Scale Reduced From 154 To 74

Industries

Mechanical Manufacturing And Assembly In Single-item Production And Small Batch Sizes
Life Science & Biotech
Food Manufacturing & Packing
Transportation
Automotive Suppliers
Injection Molding

Specialist Focusses

Crisis And Task Force Management
Project Management
Operational Improvement
Production Management
Supply Chain Management
Production Planning & Control
Rapid Prototyping Of Digitized Systems
Sales & Operations Planning

It Skills

Erp Systems
Complex Excel Sheets
Vba
Sql
Python
Statistical Software, E.g. Minitab

Languages

German

Native

English

Advanced

Spanish

Advanced

French

Advanced

Italian

Advanced

Education

Oct 1986 - Jun 1987

University Paris – Dauphine

Exchange program · Paris, France

Oct 1983 - Jun 1988

Karlsruhe University

Industrial Engineer · Industrial Engineering · Karlsruhe, Germany

Certifications & licenses

Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt

Scrum Master (PSM I)

Statistics

Experience

Total positions 20

Experience in Professional Services 23 y

Avg length 2 y 8 m

Longest experience 16 y 2 m

Global Experience

Countries worked in 4 (Germany, France, Poland, Switzerland)

Primary country Germany

Expertise

Recent roles Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force, Throughput Increase Positioning Devices and Interim Manager Supply Chain, Independent Consultant

Main industries Professional Services, Information Technology, Cosmetics

Main business areas Quality Assurance, Operations, Strategy

Qualifications

Highest degree Bachelor

Certifications earned 2

Profile

Created

December 2021

Last Update

September 2025

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Frequently asked questions

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

Where is Thomas based?

Thomas is based in Munich, Germany.

What languages does Thomas speak?

Thomas speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Advanced), Spanish (Advanced), French (Advanced), Italian (Advanced).

How many years of experience does Thomas have?

Thomas has at least 37 years of experience. During this time, Thomas has worked in at least 11 different roles and for 19 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 2 years and 10 months. Note that Thomas may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.

What roles would Thomas be best suited for?

Based on recent experience, Thomas would be well-suited for roles such as: Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force, Throughput Increase Positioning Devices and Interim Manager Supply Chain, Independent Consultant.

What is Thomas's latest experience?

Thomas's most recent position is Interim Plant Manager and Head of Task Force at Central Lubrication Systems Company.

What companies has Thomas worked for in recent years?

In recent years, Thomas has worked for Central Lubrication Systems Company, Motorized Positioners Company, Food Company, Medical Diagnostics Company, and Injection Molding Company.

Which industries is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in industries like Professional Services, Information Technology, and Cosmetics. Thomas also has some experience in Chemical, Manufacturing, and Pharmaceutical.

Which business areas is Thomas most experienced in?

Thomas is most experienced in business areas like Quality Assurance, Operations, and Strategy. Thomas also has some experience in Information Technology, Project Management, and Customer Service.

Which industries has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in industries like Professional Services, Manufacturing, and Food and Beverage.

Which business areas has Thomas worked in recently?

Thomas has recently worked in business areas like Strategy, Operations, and Production.

What is Thomas's education?

Thomas holds a Bachelor in Industrial Engineering from Karlsruhe University.

Does Thomas have any certificates?

Thomas has 2 certificates. These include: Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Scrum Master (PSM I).

What is the availability of Thomas?

Thomas is immediately available full-time for suitable projects.

What is the rate of Thomas?

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