Henkel unveils 801-sq m global supply chain hub in Singapore

It works with the existing one in Amsterdam in consolidating supply chains globally.

When Henkel opened its 801-sq m global supply chain hub in Singapore in August this year, the goal is to simplify the organization and secure the company’s long-term competitiveness in terms of efficiency, speed and agility. As such, a single global supply chain is a key driver for realizing Henkel’s vision to be ‘a global leader in brands and technologies’.

It was established following the successful setup of Henkel’s global supply chain headquarters in Amsterdam. " Working closely together, the two global hubs in Amsterdam and Singapore will steer Henkel’s strategic initiative to consolidate all its supply chains around the world," Thomas Holenia, president of Henkel Singapore, said.

The Singapore hub will serve as a global centre of excellence for Henkel by having best practices in supply chain management, sustainability, digitalization and talent management.

When the Singapore global supply chain hub began operations in November 2015, Henkel had four employees working in a temporary office. On June 1, the team moved into its permanent premises at the PSA building.

"We have built up the team to around 50 people from 14 nationalities, either through internal transfer or new hiring. Most of them have global and regional sourcing and supply chain responsibilities, and the rest are from Operations, Legal, IT and Finance," Holenia said.

"Our goal is to build a culture of leadership where we have good managers and leaders at every level of the organization. With our focus on hiring locals, we are working closely with the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. We have seen very good results. Over the past three months, we have hired interns and highly experienced managers through the career services program of the NUS Business School."