Manuel Wildberger leads European operations at Givaudan, a global flavor and fragrance giant with 7.4B Swiss Francs in sales and customers across 150 countries. I spoke with Manuel about how he manages an 800M Swiss Francs supply chain across seven plants and five countries while balancing hyper-customization, precision, and resilience. We explore how Givaudan stays agile amid raw material shocks, geopolitical complexity, and regulatory hurdles, while integrating AI, digitalization, and sustainability into daily operations.
Listen to the full discussion here:
Connect with the Guest:
Manuel Wildberger is currently the Head of Operations Europe, Taste & Wellbeing at Givaudan. Givaudan is the global leader in flavors and fragrances manufacturing, with 7.4 billion Swiss Francs in sales and operations in over 100 locations worldwide.
Manuel leads Givaudan’s European supply network. That includes 7 factories across 5 countries, 1,800 people, driving operational excellence for a business of over 800 million Swiss Francs.
With previous leadership roles at Unilever, Lindt & Sprüngli, and Ghirardelli Chocolate, Manuel brings deep expertise in supply chain strategy, manufacturing, and continuous improvement. He excels at managing complex global operations through the lenses of digitalization, sustainability, and resilience.
Manuel has a passion for challenging the status quo and bringing fresh ideas to our daily work. He is devoted to securing the future of the company by attracting and growing talent.
In his free time, Manuel likes to spend time with his family and to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Switzerland on a bike, on skis, or hiking.
Highlights & Show Notes:
- [02:37] How Givaudan quietly shapes everyday products around the world.
- [04:18] The reach of Givaudan’s influence in daily hygiene and food products.
- [05:06] Behind the scenes of managing thousands of unique formulations.
- [06:38] How Givaudan stays agile when key ingredients run short.
- [08:02] How Givaudan’s flavors and fragrances power snacks, soft drinks, sweets, and personal care products
- [09:49] Balancing rapid innovation, quality, and scale in a fast-moving consumer market.
- [11:49] How direct supply chain-to-supply chain collaboration improves efficiency and service.
- [13:40] Turning simple mixing into a highly sophisticated supply chain operation.
- [16:17] Ensuring consistency across all factories with a single SAP instance
- [18:08] Risk management through dual sourcing, in-region manufacturing, and continuity planning.
- [20:56] Challenges in terms of attracting young talent, managing extreme demand swings, and procuring raw materials.
- [25:17] How Givaudan’s European operations combine legacy expertise with global reach, shipping to 150 countries while meeting complex regulations and labeling standards.
- [27:45] Using a hybrid model of global sourcing and local mixing.
- [29:28] Applications of AI in flavor creation and internal productivity at Givaudan.
- [32:10] The rising importance of influencing skills, people leadership, and functional breadth.
Quotes from the Episode:
About the Host:
A great conversation with Manuel Wildberger. I am your host, Fei Yu, Managing Director for Europe and USA at Alcott Global. I have 15+ years of experience.
Alcott Global provides executive search solutions for key positions at all pillars of end-to-end value chains from general management to overall supply chain operations, including executive and non-executive board roles, globally.
At Makers & Movers, we bring together C-level executives from multinational companies to connect, collaborate, and innovate on a forum focused on business value creation.
Join us on September 10, 2025, at the Leaders in Supply Chain Awards, where we celebrate and award the Top 30 Leaders in Supply Chain who push for excellence and inspire the future of the industry through exceptional leadership and operational excellence.
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