Samuel Zbinden

Global entrepreneurial leader with more than 30 years of experience in both large life sciences companies and IT tech SMEs in procurement, project management, digital transformation, and business community building with a passion for digital business innovation, process optimization, and team development

2021-2023 - Currently working as a freelancer, supporting startups in the field of Big Data Tech with company formation and GTM strategy definition. In parallel further education in digitalization and innovation topics and now looking for a new permanent position

2016-2021 - worked as Head of BD and MA at Simeno before this SME was taken over by Coupa. Worked as Director/Sr. Director of Coupa Advantage; sucessfully set up a sales-enabling supplier-customer community in EMEA and rolled the concept out to more than 20 countries, generating substantial value for supplier (more revenue due to actively managed new sales channels) and customers of Coupa (optimized processes, reduced supplier base, pre-negotiated contracts generating large savings)

2011-2015 worked as Director Global Procurement (CPO) at Actelion, buliding the global procurement and sourcing organization from scratch. Included a lot of team building and development as well as project management incl. process definition and implementation, SAP offshoring and BSM system integration

2007-2010 worked as European Purchasing Director at Harlan (former RCC), setting up Procurement in Europe from scratch. Including extensive project management such as introducing an European Travel Mgmt or the complete outsourcing of a FM department with 40+ people, inclulding lots of corresponsing side projects

2004-2007 - worked as VP Strategic Sourcing, MA & Projects at (Thermo) Fisher Scientific in Germany and Switzerland with a main focus on setting up and optimizing the procurement function, product management and the warehousing in CEE. Running the European part of an extensive single-sourcing in the lab consumable and reagents space

1990-2004 - held various positions of increasing (leadership) responsibility in the Basel chemical and pharmaceutical industry, including Ciba, Novartis and Syngenta, where I experienced the enormous changes brought about by demergers, mergers and spin-offs. Introduced and run disruptive projects such as a standard pipetus or one of the first European bio-bars for sensitive biotech reagents

BASIC EDUCATION: 

• HSLU Rotkreuz; CAS “Digital Business Innovation”; 2021/22; Thesis: Intelligent HealthCare Eco-System in Switzerland
• FHNW Basel; CAS “Change Management”; 2012; Thesis: Change at the introduction of a digital procurement platform
• KV Basel; 1989-90; Federal Diploma, Business Administration/Merchant (Bachelor level)
• NSH Basel; 1988-89; Qualification Certificate, Commercial School Basel            
• Ciba-Geigy Academy; 1980-83;  Federal Diploma, Chemistry Lab Technician (Bachelor level) 

FURTHER EDCUCATIONS

• FHNW, Basel         Modern Management, Certification Course                                  2021
• FHNW, Basel         Digital Transformation, CAS add-on module                                2020
• Coupa Academy    Management Development Training (Coupa leadership program)  2020
• Google, Zurich        SEO and Google AdWords Training (Yapi)                                  2017
• SECS, Dues’dorf    Besser überzeugen, building on sovereignty, Stéphan Etrillard    2014
• A. Colson, Paris     360° Negotiation (Negotiation Unlimited / Aurelien Colson, Paris)   2012
• PL/Uni, London      Mini MBA, Procurement Leaders / University of London              2012
• FSci Academy        PPI, Practical Process Improvement training for Managers          2007
• GKI, various           Gustav Kaeser Management Training                                    2005-06
• St. Bollington, UK   Contract Manager Training (cpm training)                                    2003
• DBK, Basel             Apprentice Trainer (federal certification)                                      1995