Sandra Guastaferro
Simpsonville,SC
Summary
Result-oriented, tenacious, and hands-on professional powered with more than 16 remarkable years of purchasing experience. Demonstrate excellent teamwork, creativity, and skills in empowering people. Equipped with successful and verifiable career in cost reductions, contract negotiations, and business procurement. Adept at assisting suppliers for accomplishments of deliverables and quality goals. Expert in working in extremely competitive and fast-paced manufacturing and distribution environments. Highly capable of resolving complex and critical supplier situations encountered in the daily production operations. Acknowledged for outstanding decision-making ability complemented with exceptional skills in identifying cost savings opportunities. Manifest exceptional ability in developing strong and solid supplier relationships that promote the delivery of support services on time and with good quality and reasonable price. Consistent in meeting deadlines and targets; able to work with minimal supervision.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Corporate Director of Supply Chain
Meridian Adhesives Group
Charlotte, North Carolina
04.2023 - Current
- Developed and implemented strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency across multiple departments.
- Led cross-functional teams in the execution of corporate strategies aligned with organizational goals.
- Analyzed market trends and competitive landscape to inform decision-making and identify growth opportunities.
- Oversaw budget management, ensuring resource allocation aligned with strategic priorities and financial targets.
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project goals on time and within budget constraints.
- Spearheaded change management processes, guiding teams through transitions while minimizing disruption to operations.
- Established performance metrics to measure effectiveness of initiatives and drive continuous improvement efforts.
- Recruited, trained, mentored, and engaged highly successful operations leadership team.
- Developed strategic partnerships for business growth and expansion, strengthening the corporate network.
- Enhanced company productivity by implementing streamlined operational processes and workflow systems.
- Boosted employee morale and retention through effective communication, recognition programs, and team-building initiatives.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Implemented innovative programs to increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover.
- Reduced budgetary expenditures by effectively negotiating contracts for more advantageous terms.
Director of Procurement
IPS Packaging & Automation
FOUNTAIN INN, SC
02.2020 - 04.2023
- Managed a centralized Procurement Team comprised of 14 team members: one Product Sourcing Manager, six Product Sourcing Specialists, six Buyers and one Purchasing Specialist. My existing team is comprised of Sourcing individuals and Buyers. Successfully supervise and manage over 400 suppliers worldwide. Responsible for selection and negotiation of Preferred Suppliers. Develop and lead a bid process for all RFQs. Participate in many RFQ’s for multiple locations over 400 items and many states. Develop key relationships with domestic suppliers to reduce import charges and lead times. Create E-Forms for internal documentation and ease of doing business. Product select code initiative for commodity tracking and focusing on core business. Maintained and updated information systems that distribute materials to management re raw materials and feedstock trends. Develop service contract issuance strategies, effectively manage supplier performance and optimize purchasing efforts. Implemented and led strategic sourcing strategy that capitalized on benefits of resourcing into lower cost markets. Identify existing businesses and prime locations for acquisitions.
- Notable Accomplishments:
- Contributing more than $5 MM in direct savings across stock and non-items.
- Converted all suppliers for one location on ACH as well as negotiate discount payment terms.
- Consolidate vendors across 9 locations, maximize profitability while reducing time spent on managing vendors.
- Board Member to SECC (Southeast Chemical Conference) since 2013
Global Strategic Indirect Manager
HB Fuller (formerly ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS)
SIMPSONVILLE, SC
01.2017 - 01.2020
- Supervised and managed 80 plus carriers for global logistics covering more than 38 worldwide facilities for HB Fuller. Streamlined the logistics process by implementing the following TMS (Transportation Management Systems). Purchasing our own TMS system, not only reduced cost but streamlined bill pay and audit. By using the TMS for almost all freight in house we were able to have better visibility of our immediate and long-term needs. TMS allowed us to improve carrier sourcing and our bulk dedicated positions. Indirect incorporates much more than just logistics and freight. I have been diligent in negotiations for new and existing Ryder Trucks and contracts. Simpsonville, South Carolina has its own fleet of trucks and drivers. I have been responsible not just for the trucks but the drivers as well. DOT obligations, electronic logs and monthly training. In addition, I have conducted two large RFQ’s for streamlining carriers as well as getting better full truck load rates. Responsible for selection and negotiation with an outside company to monitor and reduce our small parcel spend with FedEx, UPS and DHL. Indirect encompasses many different facets; such as warehouse optimization, multipurpose devices, real estate transactions and MRO implementation to name a few. Over the past two years we have consolidated some warehouses, closed some less active warehouses and negotiated deals with new warehouses in unique locations. Renegotiate Ricoh Multipurpose device contract for 97 units. Streamline the import/export business from over 20 brokers and freight forwarders to three main providers to leverage spend and increase familiarity of the business.
- Notable Accomplishments:
- Contributing more than $6 MM in indirect savings on logistics.
- Consolidate as many suppliers as possible into ARIBA. Ariba is an order catalog management system. Savings of $2.4 MM for all Legacy Royal facilities.
- Cost avoidance of $1.2 MM savings across several U.S. warehouses.
Director of Procurement & Logistics
ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS
SIMPSONVILLE, SC
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Supervise more than 250 suppliers and coordinate the sourcing of all new components related to current production and engineering changes. Managed a Purchasing department for four locations consisting of three buyers and one administrative assistant that deliver outstanding financial results through strategic procurement activities, averting material shortfalls, driving strategic sourcing, and holding suppliers accountable to a higher expectation. Consolidate supply base by building and maintaining on-going and long-term strategic relationship with the supplier emphasizing continuous improvement of quality in components and materials. Ensure proper sourcing of all new and current production items to obtain best costs, on-time delivery and high quality. Manage the Supplier Corrective Action Reporting program to prevent areas of re defect to support all customer requirements. Generate reports that outline department’s achievement of cost savings and initiatives goals as well as calculations of yearly supplier’s expenditures and yearly cost savings. Ensure on-time shipping of all suppliers and provide resolution on any potential issues alerting the production flow. Proactively coordinate with Supplier Quality, Project Engineering, Manufacturing, Research & Development, Scheduling and Finance departments in support of common goals. Efficiently direct the Logistics Team consisting of one traffic manager, one logistics specialist and nine drivers. Singlehandedly created and implemented a training schedule to help educate as well as ensure safety for all the drivers. Directs and over sees operations within the organization’s logistics department. Develops logistics plans and procedures to ensure that internal and customer needs are met. Monitor my internal logistics team, as well as the true challenge monitoring the third-party logistics company which handles all of our LTL. In addition to procurement and logistics, customer service reports directly to me. Customer service consists of one manager and four customer service representatives. Responsible for management and development of solutions to meet the customer needs.
- Notable Accomplishments:
- Contributing more than $1.5 MM in bottom line material savings in 2015.
- Issuing over $200K in Supplier Corrective Actions in 2015.
- Consolidation of suppliers in strategic commodities to leverage purchases.
- Assisting in the qualification process of additional suppliers in key commodities to leverage spend.
- Contributing more than $1.8 MM in bottom line material savings in 2016.
- Contributing more than $2.5 MM in bottom line material savings in 2017.
Purchasing Manager
REICHHOLD, INC.
Durham, NC
01.2007 - 01.2014
- Supervise more than 100 suppliers and coordinate the sourcing of all new programs and components related to the current production and engineering changes. Manage two purchasing coordinators. Consolidate supply base by building and maintaining on-going and long-term strategic relationship with the supplier emphasizing continuous improvement of quality in components and materials. Orchestrate on-going market testing of key components to identify cost saving opportunities with existing supplier or new suppliers. Direct all blanket purchase orders, spot buys, supplier set ups and exit agreements. Ensure proper sourcing of all new and current production items to obtain best costs, on-time delivery, and high quality. Generate reports that outline department’s achievement of cost savings and initiatives goals as well as calculations of yearly supplier’s expenditures and yearly cost savings. Ensure on-time shipping of all suppliers and provide resolution on any potential issues alerting the production flow. Proactively coordinate with Supplier Quality, Engineering, Project Management, Materials and Finance departments. Perform cost breakdowns review for supplier costs analysis to enhance drivers’ understanding.
- Notable Accomplishments:
- Played an integral role in the cross-qualification team to not be single sourced on any one raw material.
- Successfully saved $1.2 million for the company by qualifying alternate packaging suppliers and consolidation of volume.
- Obtained $400K distribution savings from a large RFQ across multiple facilities and 15 vendors.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
Fordham University
Bronx, NYSkills
- Vendor negotiation skills
- Advanced and Production Programs
- Suppliers Relationships
- Quality Standards and Specifications
- Effective Partnership Development
- Materials and Services Ordering
- Requisitions and Purchase Orders
- Client Relationship Management
- Competitive Contract Negotiations
- KPI Development and Implementation
- Customer Service Satisfaction
- Organizational leadership
- Ethics and integrity
- Operations management
- Strategic partnerships
- Cost reduction
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking Abilities
- Excellent communication
- Organizational skills
- Effective leader
- Relationship building
- Decision-making
Languages
Italian
Timeline
Corporate Director of Supply Chain
Meridian Adhesives Group
04.2023 - Current
Director of Procurement
IPS Packaging & Automation
02.2020 - 04.2023
Global Strategic Indirect Manager
HB Fuller (formerly ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS)
01.2017 - 01.2020
Director of Procurement & Logistics
ROYAL ADHESIVES & SEALANTS
01.2014 - 01.2017
Purchasing Manager
REICHHOLD, INC.
01.2007 - 01.2014
Bachelor of Science - Sociology
Fordham University