Outokumpu, a global leader in stainless steel, has appointed Marc-Simon Schaar as its Chief Procurement Officer. A resident of Düsseldorf, Germany, with professional and personal experiences from Finland to the US, the Netherlands and the UK, Marc-Simon brings a rich global perspective to his new role in the company – and to a totally new role for Outokumpu.
An active sportsman with a passion for football, Marc-Simon's competitive spirit extends to his professional life. His approach has been sharpened by 11 years spent with Outokumpu, during which he has taken on a variety of roles.
“Sustainability is a very important value for me, and the Nordic business culture is something I truly appreciate. We are real — we walk the talk and mean what we say, which makes us a credible business partner,” says Marc-Simon Schaar.
Marc-Simon steps into his new role with a primary focus on people and processes, as he will oversee both raw material procurement and general procurement. He intends to leverage his leadership team to blend the best practices of both departments, with a keen focus on efficiency, effectiveness, as well as responsible and sustainable sourcing.
“Given that we operate in a commodity business with severe competition, it is strategically important to focus on cost-efficiency. How we can enable Outokumpu and our operations to get the most efficient and price competitive materials describes the strategically important role of procurement. And what comes to sustainability, Outokumpu’s near-term science-based target is to reduce direct and indirect emissions as well as the company’s supply chain emissions quite massively by 2030. The majority of our emissions comes from Scope 3, so it’s crucial to focus on the whole supply chain to help advance our decarbonization and sustainability journey”, Schaar points out.
Reflecting on his decade-plus with the company, Schaar sees Outokumpu as stronger than ever. A series of strategic decisions have resulted in a de-risked, de-leveraged, and reorganized company that leads the industry. But however bright, Marc-Simon recognizes that Outokumpu’s future will require continued hard work and vigilance.
“We have worked hard to achieve the position as the leader in our industry. We have great potential to outperform our competition not only in the short term but also in the long run. We have the right strategy going forward – to maintain our position as the leader in the industry and among our customers”, he concludes.