Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wagner

Profile

Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wagner is an engineer and experienced manager focusing on restructuring, operational leadership and industrialisation in the automotive supply and series production industry. He takes responsibility in demanding situations and combines technical understanding with rigorous execution.

Areas of focus

• Interim general and plant management
• Restructuring and operational stabilisation
• Industrialisation, project and ramp-up management
• Operational optimisation in series production

Experience

1. DrW-Management Interim Executive Manager · Founder and Owner Self-employed · Feb 2021 – present

   Focus: restructuring, operations excellence, industrialisation.
   www.drw-management.com

2. KIRCHHOFF Automotive Interim C-Level Manager Operations Self-employed · Mar 2025 – Aug 2025 · Gliwice, Poland

   Responsible for cost reduction and coaching of local management at the Gliwice plant. “Operations Excellence” project.

3. ACPS Automotive Group / ORIS COO · Managing Director Full-time · Mar 2023 – Feb 2025 · Ingersheim, Baden-Württemberg

   Leading manufacturer of car accessories and towbars. Responsible for operations (1,800 employees), plants in Germany, Hungary, Mexico and China.

4. KSM Castings Group Interim Managing Director Self-employed · Jul 2022 – Feb 2023 · Hradek, Czech Republic

   Interim CEO at the Hradek plant (800 employees). Achievements: stabilisation and turnaround after implementing a cost reduction programme.

5. Joyson Safety Systems Interim Executive Manager Self-employed · Jan 2022 – Jul 2022 · Miskolc, Hungary

   Coaching and leading the local CEO. Securing and optimising series production. Cost reduction.

6. JOYSONQUIN Automotive Systems GmbH Interim Executive Manager Self-employed · Jun 2021 – Dec 2021 · Brașov, Romania

   Coaching and leading the local CEO. Securing series production. Optimising production processes. Launch management for BMW and Mercedes projects.

7. LEIPA Group Strategic Advisor Self-employed · Mar 2021 – May 2021 · Schrobenhausen, Bavaria

   Strategy development, investment appraisal, workforce adjustment and modernisation of paper production on behalf of the chairman of the supervisory board.

8. PMG Holding GmbH (Powder Metal Group) Managing Director, CTO/COO Full-time · Oct 2015 – Jan 2021 · Füssen

   Responsible for eight sites in Germany, Spain, North America, China and Romania. €290 million revenue, 1,500 employees.

9. Witte Automotive GmbH General Manager with full power of attorney · Member of the Executive Board Full-time · Mar 2012 – Sep 2015 · Velbert

   Member of the executive board of Witte Holding, responsible for all Witte plants in Germany, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, and head of industrial engineering and special machine construction. €500 million revenue, 3,600 employees.

10. ISE Automotive GmbH Managing Director, Business Unit Hinges and Transmission Components Full-time · Oct 2010 – Feb 2012 · Bergneustadt

    Managing director of the hinges and transmission components business unit, responsible for 1,000 employees, approx. €200 million revenue and 3 plants.

11. Takata-Petri AG Director BU Airbag and Electronics · Director BU Steering Wheels Full-time · Oct 2000 – Jul 2010 · Aschaffenburg

    Responsible for the airbag & electronic systems business units, at times also steering wheels & seat belts. Up to 5,000 employees, more than €700 million revenue, plants in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Northern Ireland, South Africa and Morocco.

12. Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. General Manager / Technical Managing Director, Shanghai Brose, China Full-time · Jun 1998 – Sep 2000 · Shanghai, China

    Responsible for setting up and running a new assembly plant in Shanghai. 120 employees, investment of approx. €10 million.

13. Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA Research Associate and Project Manager Jun 1990 – Sep 1998 · Stuttgart

    Project manager for automation and rationalisation projects.

Education

• University of Stuttgart Dr.-Ing., Mechanical Engineering · Manufacturing Technology Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.) · Doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) at the University of Stuttgart

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