Bob Ferlauto is a Senior Supply Chain Executive with more than 20 years of experience transforming and integrating the end-to-end Supply Chain. He has made major contributions creating value in roles spanning the supply chain continuum – from R&D, process engineering, and technology planning to procurement, demand and supply planning, manufacturing, logistics and customer service.
Most recently, Bob was Head – Supply Chain Strategy & Execution for Kyowa Kirin, a $4B global biopharmaceutical company where he was responsible for establishing supply chain processes and capabilities for North America as well as global strategic supply chain initiatives. Prior to that, Bob was Director of the North American Supply Chain organization for the Specialty Chemical Business Unit at Solvay, a $12B global chemical company. There, he was focused on integrating and optimizing the Supply Chain verticals in demand and supply planning, logistics and customer service in close collaboration with manufacturing and market / sales units.
Bob began his career with the Colgate-Palmolive Company, a $16B global Consumer Products corporation. Early in his career, he rose through various product development, manufacturing-engineering and strategic planning roles at Colgate’s Global Technology Center in New Jersey. He was subsequently recruited to the US Company, North American Division, in Colgate’s New York headquarters, where he drove best-in-class Supply Chain performance.
Bob is a people-centric leader who has a passion for building high-performing teams, great Supply Chains and organizations that create significant value and are characterized by a positive, principle-based culture.
Bob received his Ph.D. from Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, his M.S. from Long Island University, and his B.A. from Hofstra University. He periodically serves as an Adjunct Professor and is on the Advisory Board for Supply Chain Management at the Rutgers Business School. Bob is a member of the Council for Supply Chain Management Professionals and The Institute for Supply Management. He has formal training in business finance and is certified in negotiation and BioPharma Innovation.
Bob’s current interests include fostering supply chain excellence to drive the key financial metrics around growth, profitability, cash flow and complexity. Additional areas of focus include implementing and advancing end-to-end, demand-driven approaches in supply chain networks.
Bob lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. He leads an active lifestyle with a keen interest in adventure travel. Bob has completed a winter backcountry expedition in Yellowstone National Park, and most recently participated in a winter backcountry dogsledding expedition in Alaska.