Operating Partner · Board Advisor · CEO / COO

Transforming global industrial
enterprises into high‑performance
organizations

Four decades of executive leadership driving operational excellence, restructuring and sustainable value creation across the world's leading automotive and industrial organizations — trusted by boards, investors and executive teams.

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Years Executive Leadership
€0B+
Operations Managed
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Manufacturing Plants Overseen
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Employees Led Globally
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Executive Profile

A global operator, built for the boardroom

Manfred Kwade, Operating Partner and Board Advisor
Manfred Kwade — Wiesbaden, Germany

Manfred Kwade is a globally accomplished automotive and industrial executive with decades of experience leading complex, multi‑site manufacturing organizations and delivering large‑scale transformation across Europe and North America. He is recognized for restoring profitability, driving operational excellence, and building high‑performance organizations in demanding, fast‑moving environments.

Across his career he has held CEO and COO roles at global industrial groups — including Techniplas, WEIDPLAS, Faurecia, Philips Automotive and Adler Pelzer — managing multi‑billion‑euro operations, global teams and extensive manufacturing footprints. He specializes in converting underperforming businesses into efficient, scalable and profitable enterprises through disciplined execution and KPI‑driven leadership.

Today, as an Operating Partner and Board Advisor, he partners closely with boards, private equity investors and executive teams to navigate restructuring, post‑merger integration, global expansion and industrial digitization — driving sustainable growth and long‑term enterprise value.

Operational Transformation Turnaround Leadership Industry 4.0 Board Governance Post‑Merger Integration
Value Proposition

Where Manfred creates enterprise value

A disciplined operating toolkit built across eleven executive roles and two decades of turnaround leadership — applied wherever a board, investor or leadership team needs performance restored.

01

Operational Transformation

Redesigning organizations and processes to restore performance, accountability and speed of execution.

02

Turnaround & Restructuring

Stabilizing underperforming businesses and rebuilding them into profitable, scalable enterprises.

03

Operational Due Diligence

Assessing operational risk and value‑creation potential for investors ahead of transactions.

04

Board Governance & Advisory

Advising boards and supervisory bodies on strategy, risk oversight and performance governance.

05

Manufacturing Excellence

Driving lean, KPI‑driven manufacturing performance across multi‑site global footprints.

06

Supply Chain Optimization

Strengthening supplier bases, delivery performance and working‑capital efficiency.

07

Industry 4.0 & Digitization

Deploying MES, ERP, automation and IoT to modernize industrial operations.

08

Post‑Merger Integration

Aligning acquired businesses, synergies and organizational structures after a transaction.

09

Private Equity Portfolio Support

Serving as an Operating Partner embedded in portfolio companies to accelerate value creation.

Executive Career

Four decades of global leadership

From General Motors to global CEO and COO roles, to independent Operating Partner — a career built on repeatable, measurable turnarounds.

2025 — Present
Advisor / Consultant / Turn‑Around Manager
Independent — Frankfurt Rhine‑Main Metropolitan Area (Remote)
Self‑Employed · Since May 2025

Operating as an independent executive advisor supporting industrial and automotive organizations through turnaround, restructuring and operational transformation.

Led turnaround and restructuring initiatives across complex industrial organizations
Advised executive teams on operational performance, cost optimization and strategy execution
Implemented KPI‑driven frameworks to improve transparency and accountability
2020 — Present
Partner, Automotive
WP Board Services — Bad Homburg, Germany
Freelance · Since Jun 2020

Board‑level advisory and interim executive support to automotive and industrial companies, focused on integration, restructuring and performance improvement.

Delivered interim C‑level leadership across multiple engagements
Advised boards on governance, strategy and execution priorities
Improved cost structures and operational efficiency across client organizations
2017 — 2020
Chief Operating Officer
Techniplas LLC — Novi, Michigan, USA
May 2017 – Jun 2020

Global COO overseeing operations for a major automotive supplier across an international manufacturing footprint.

Led global operations across 11 manufacturing plants and partner network
Managed ~2,000 employees with full operational accountability
Strengthened global supply chain performance and delivery capability
2016 — 2020
President & CEO
WEIDPLAS GmbH — Kuesnacht, Switzerland
Jun 2016 – Jun 2020

Full P&L leadership of a global automotive components group, driving growth, operational excellence and international expansion.

Directed global operations across Europe, the Americas and partner markets
Delivered revenue growth and margin expansion through transformation initiatives
Optimized manufacturing footprint and OEM relationships
2014 — 2016
President & CEO / VP Global Group Projects
Faurecia — Auburn Hills, MI & Nanterre, France
Feb 2014 – May 2016

Turned around a $1.4B automotive interiors business, then led global "Mother Plant" best‑practice deployment across manufacturing sites.

Turned around underperforming business across 11 plants and 9,000 employees
Delivered $64M improvement in profitability through cost optimization
Restructured leadership team and rebuilt the supplier base
2012 — 2014
VP Global Operations
Faurecia — Stadthagen, Germany / Nanterre, France
Sep 2012 – Jan 2014

Oversaw global operations across a large‑scale manufacturing network spanning €5B+ in business.

Managed global operations across 80 plants and €5B+ business
Delivered €25M+ cost reduction through organizational redesign
Reduced inventory by €32M to enhance working capital
2009 — 2012
VP & General Manager, Global Business Unit Automotive Lamps
Philips Automotive Lighting — Aachen, Germany
2009 – 2012

Led the turnaround of a global automotive lighting business, restructuring operations and product strategy.

Increased profitability from 2% to 17% through strategic transformation
Reduced product complexity from 8,000 to 3,000 SKUs
Executed industrial footprint optimization and plant restructuring
2005 — 2009
Chief Executive Officer
Philips Automotive Playback Modules & Philips APM — Wetzlar, Germany
2005 – 2009

Led turnaround and strategic repositioning of an automotive electronics business, then its merger with Lite‑On Digital Solutions.

Turned a €13M loss into €23M profit through restructuring initiatives
Led integration and merger with Lite‑On to form the leading global CD/DVD drive supplier to the automotive industry
Served as Board Member of LITE‑ON IT
2001 — 2005
Joint CEO / Chief Operating Officer
Metzeler Automotive Profile Systems & HP Pelzer — Lindau & Witten, Germany
2001 – 2005

Held oversight of €543M in revenue and 5,000 employees across seven European countries, and led worldwide manufacturing and R&D restructuring.

Improved EBIT from ‑€29M to +€1M within 14 months
Aligned synergies between business units and joint ventures in China and India
1990 — 2000
Managing Director / Division Manager
Plastic Omnium & Mannesmann AG incl. VDO Adolf Schindling AG — Germany
1990 – 2000

Led a Central European business unit with full P&L responsibility, following corporate planning and project management leadership within the automotive division.

Delivered regional revenue growth and improved profitability
Directed global project management and corporate planning initiatives
1979 — 1990
Various Functions, culminating in Division Manager
General Motors — Rüsselsheim & Mainz, Germany
1979 – 1990

Progressed through engineering, production and planning roles, building a strong foundation in manufacturing and operations.

Led production planning and industrial engineering initiatives
Built foundational expertise in automotive operations and supply chain
Signature Achievements

Measurable outcomes, at scale

$0M
Profitability improvement delivered at Faurecia through cost optimization
0%→0%
Profitability improvement at Philips Automotive Lighting
€0M
Inventory reduction achieved to enhance working capital at Faurecia
€0M+
Operational cost reduction through organizational redesign
€0M→€0M
Loss‑to‑profit turnaround at Philips Automotive Playback Modules
0
Manufacturing plants and 9,000 employees realigned in a single turnaround
€0M+
Integration synergies generated via business unit integration
‑€0M→+€0M
EBIT recovery delivered at HP Pelzer within 14 months
Industries Served

Deep expertise across the industrial value chain

Automotive OEM
Tier 1 Suppliers
Industrial Manufacturing
Advanced Manufacturing
Automotive Electronics
Industrial Components
Mobility
Private Equity Portfolios
Global Supply Chains
Industrial Technology
Operations Consulting
Consumer Electronics
Board & Advisory Experience

A trusted voice in the boardroom

"
A result and action‑driven personality with the ability to understand and operationalize complex interdependencies while maintaining strategic overview and control.
  • Operating Partner WP Board Services
  • Member, Supervisory Board Tajco Group A/S, 2008–2013
  • Chairman, Supervisory Board RelNetyX, 2007–2010
  • Board Member LITE‑ON IT
  • Interim CEO / Interim COO Multiple engagements
  • Governance & Risk Oversight Advisory practice
Services

How Manfred engages

Available remotely or in person from Wiesbaden, Germany. Engagement scope and pricing discussed by request.

01
Operating Partner & Board Advisory
Private Equity
02
Interim CEO / COO Leadership
C‑Level
03
Turnaround & Restructuring
Performance
04
Operational Due Diligence
Investment
05
Manufacturing & Industry 4.0 Transformation
Operations
06
Post‑Merger & Business Integration
M&A
07
Global Supply Chain Optimization
Operations
08
Executive Coaching & Leadership Advisory
People
Leadership Philosophy

"No matter how difficult the challenges, there is always a positive, forward‑looking approach to tackle the issue at hand — and a team, if led with candor, that will meet it."

Disciplined Execution

KPI‑driven accountability at every level of the organization.

People‑First Leadership

Field‑led, candid, and invested in developing the team.

Strategic Clarity

Balancing operational detail with board‑level perspective.

Long‑Term Value

Building durable, scalable performance — not short‑term fixes.

Testimonials

What colleagues and clients say

"

Manfred is a fully committed and engaged personality thriving for the success of each project and the whole group. He has the ability to motivate his team through vision and charisma, while maintaining strategic overview and control.

DC
Dario Cimirro
Group CFO & Board Member — reported to Manfred at WEIDPLAS
"

Manfred has always impressed with his ability to transform the business and his can‑do mentality. With strategic thinking, he recognizes new opportunities and doesn't hesitate to bring new ways of working.

PP
Pascal Popis
CEO, SmartParts SA — colleague at Philips Automotive
"

At the end, Manfred could achieve a business turnaround which was not trivial — he formed one business team and reshaped our entire business model, all while carefully analysing our technology capabilities.

MP
Michael Pielasch
Consulting & Board Advisory — reported to Manfred at Philips
"

Manfred is not the regular boss, but a mentor, coach and sponsor at the same time. As more challenging and complex the situation, the more you will appreciate him as a leader.

SS
Stefan Spreu
Managing Director, ElringKlinger — reported to Manfred
"

Manfred has a strong global background and can create a good roadmap and get everyone to pull toward the goal. He is respectful of others, a true professional, and cares about people.

BB
Bob Brzozowski
President & CEO, Wolverine Crane & Service — reported to Manfred at Techniplas
"

Manfred Kwade is a great leader gifted with a rare combination of high IQ and high EI. Out of a career of over 30 years, my best performance and most effective results were during the years I worked under Manfred.

AA
Amir Aharon
Manufacturing & QA Executive — reported to Manfred
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Education & Languages

Engineering foundations, global fluency

Engineer's Degree, Mechanical Engineering

University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) Frankfurt/Main
1975 – 1980

A mechanical engineering foundation built at the start of an eleven‑year tenure at General Motors, followed by continuous executive development across five global industrial groups.

German
Native / Bilingual
English
Full Professional
French
Limited Working
Get In Touch

Ready to accelerate operational
performance and enterprise value?

Whether supporting a board through transformation, leading a complex turnaround, advising private equity portfolio companies, or driving operational excellence across global manufacturing organizations — Manfred Kwade brings decades of executive leadership, disciplined execution, and measurable results.

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Contact

Start a confidential conversation

Location
Wiesbaden, 65197, Germany
Phone
+49 (0)172 850 7959
Email
mgkwade@web.de
Alternate Email
mkwade@t-online.de
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/manfredkwade

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