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Martin Kotula Interim Manager

Interim Manager Procurement and Consultant 

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Procurement.
From the Ground Up.

 

I started my career in procurement – as an apprentice, with little more than curiosity and the conviction that few functions in a company hold as much untapped potential as procurement.

More than 25 years later, that belief still drives me. As an Interim Procurement Executive, I step in where it matters most – quickly, pragmatically, and with a clear focus on what actually makes a difference.

My career was never a straight line. I built it deliberately, step by step. I studied part-time while working, initially focusing on IT – but always from a business perspective rather than from the perspective of code. I later completed a part-time MBA, a demanding journey module by module, with a focus on finance and supply chain management. Eventually, I earned my doctorate in the UK, specializing in risk-oriented strategic procurement.

Alongside my academic journey came a diverse range of professional roles: as a Partner at sourcing and procurement consultancy Kerkhoff Consulting, as a Manager at Accenture, where I led restructuring, cost reduction, and supply chain programs, and ultimately 12 years at SAP as a trusted advisor to C-level executives. Transformation strategies, business cases, target architectures, and value advisory were at the heart of my work.

Today, this combination is one of my strongest differentiators: I understand both sides – procurement itself and the technology and systems that are meant to enable it.

I have led global, interdisciplinary teams across Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, India, and the United States. Throughout, my ambition has remained the same: no report that ends up in a drawer, but results that show up in the numbers. And I believe that everyone in a team should take ownership like an entrepreneur – not simply execute, but think, challenge, and contribute.

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What I bring

  • Interim procurement leadership – as CPO, Head of Procurement, or program lead, with a clear 100-day mindset

  • Rapid assessments and EBITDA-impacting transformation – no off-the-shelf concepts, but focused interventions that deliver

  • Procurement as a strategic lever for cost, resilience, and scalability

  • Operational excellence across production and supply chain, enabled by digital technologies

  • AI & SAP enablement – from identifying the right use cases to implementation and go-live, backed by 12 years of SAP experience

  • Interim COO or SAP program leadership – not as a developer, but as someone who understands the business and connects operational leadership with digital transformation

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What drives me

  • Getting companies back on track by using procurement as a strategic lever

  • Restructuring and rebuilding procurement organizations for the future

  • Sharing knowledge and developing people

  • Making digital transformation work in day-to-day operations – not just on paper

  • Leading projects for genuine business value and impact, rather than managing them down to the smallest detail

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My style: Clear. Collaborative. Execution-focused.

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I do not deliver PowerPoint visions. I work alongside your team until the result is delivered – and measurable.

25+ years across procurement and technology. 90 days to make an impact.

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25+ years across procurement and technology.
90 days to make an impact.

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Values and Beliefs

Discipline beats motivation.

Those who want it find ways. Those who don't, find excuses.

Less talk, more action.

Solving a problem often means letting go of the problem.

If it doesn't hurt, you didn't push
hard enough.

Certification

3/2026 - Leading Organizations & Change
MIT Sloan Executive Education

3/2026 - Strategic Operations Management
Wharton Executive Education

5/2025 - Certified Interim Manager
Steinbeis Business School

4/2025 - Artificial Intelligence - Implication for Business Strategy
MIT Sloan / CSAIL
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2/2025 - Certified Agile Leader
Steinbeis Business School
 
4/2024 - Algorithmic Trading Program
Said Business School, University of Oxford
 
2/2022 - Certificate Program Leadership and Mgmt.
Wharton Executive Education
 
2/2022 - Technology Acceleration Program
Wharton Executive Education
 
8/2010 - Postgraduate Certificate in Business Research and Consultancy
Aston University

Education

Associate Professor - Digital Transformation & AI in Procurement, SCM
5/2025 - Today
Apsley Business School, London, United Kingdom

Executive Doctor in Business Administration (DBA)
9/2008-7/2013
Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom
 
Master in Business Administration (MBA)
9/2004-8/2006
TiasNimbas Business School, Utrecht, Netherlands
University Bradford, United Kingdom
 
Bachelor in Business Administration and Information Management
9/2000-3/2004
VWA Mannheim, Germany

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