You're seeing this page as if you were . The main menu is still yours, though. Exit from immersion
Malt Strategy
Ricardo S.RS

Ricardo S.

Interim COO | ERP & Ops Transformation

€900/day
Bern, CH
8-15 years
Project Management
Business development
Strategic planning
Business analysis
Process Management

Average response time: 1 hour

About Ricardo

BMW/Honda partner | 30→50 FTE scaling | +40% revenue
I help mid-size industrial companies turn family-run operations into scalable, compliant, digital businesses.

For the last 4 years I led Operations & Business Development at an automotive company (Portugal), partner for BMW Motorrad and Honda. There I:

Architected the shift from 30 to 50 people, designing new hierarchies, KPIs and Lean workflows
Owned the full ERP procurement lifecycle — from requirements mapping and RFP to cross-functional rollout and data governance,
Opened 4 sites (3 retail stores + 1 workshop) on time and on budget,
Delivered +40% revenue growth while securing maximum OEM performance incentives
Before that, I co-founded a company selling automotive parts, digitising manual processes with cloud tools while completing my Master’s in Finance (ESG focus). My thesis at Parfois’ Global Logistics Center optimised warehouse flow for one of Europe’s fastest-growing fashion retailers.

What I bring to your project:
• Strategic ERP selection & implementation (process-first, not IT-first)
• Operations scaling, Lean process engineering, P&L ownership
• Stakeholder management with demanding OEMs and public-sector clients
• Financial modeling with ESG lens

Industries: automotive, manufacturing, retail logistics
Tools: ERP ecosystems, process mapping, Lean/Six Sigma basics, Excel/Power BI for finance

Based in Bern, I work in English and Portuguese, and I’m actively improving German for Swiss mandates (currently A2). Available for fractional COO, interim operations lead, or ERP transformation projects across Switzerland and remotely.
Automotive OEM
Large Retailers
Retail (Small Business)
Digital Business Models

  • Portuguese

    Native or bilingual

  • English

    Fluent

  • German

    Basic

  • Spanish

    Conversational

  • French

    Basic

Can work on-site
Bern (up to 20km), Zurich (up to 10km)

Experience

  • Automotive
    Head of Operations and Business Development
    AUTOMOBILE
    November 2021 - Today (4 years and 7 months)
    • • Organizational Scaling & Architected the transition from a family-run structure to a corporate performance model, managing a 66% workforce expansion (from 30 to 50 employees). Designed new
    departmental hierarchies and KPIs to ensure operational stability during
    rapid growth.
    • • Strategic ERP Lifecycle Management: Orchestrated the full software procurement lifecycle, from technical requirement mapping to vendor selection (RFP) and cross-functional implementation. Served as the strategic liaison between IT providers and business stakeholders to ensure data integrity and system security.
    • • Expansion & Infrastructure: Directed the end-to-end launch of 4 new facilities, including three commercial stores and a specialized Honda workshop. Orchestrated all logistics, contractor management, and budget control.
    • • Strategic Business Growth: Under my supervision, the company achieved a 40% revenue growth during the restructuring phase, with a positive upward trend as the new operational capacity scales.
    • • Revenue & Partner Optimization: Key point of contact for Honda and BMW Portugal, ensuring 100% compliance with rigorous brand standards and consistently securing maximum performance incentives.
    OEM Stakeholder Governance Revenue Growth Engineering Change Leadership Business analysis Business development
  • Automotive Parts
    Startup Co-Founder
    AUTOMOBILE
    July 2018 - November 2021 (3 years and 4 months)
    • • Market Modernization & Co-Founding: Identified an opportunity to professionalize a traditionally fragmented sector in Portugal. Co-founded the venture to implement corporate-level standards, focusing on service reliability and market differentiation.
    • • Digital Transformation & Process Optimization: Digitized historically manual operations, implementing lean workflows and cloud-based
    management tools to increase agility and reduce operational overhead.
    • • Financial & P&L Management: Directed all financial planning, capital allocation, and P&L oversight. Successfully balanced business growth with the completion of a Master's in Finance, applying academic ESG frameworks to real-world business performance.
    Digital Transformation P&L Ownership & ESG Finance Entrepreneurial Resilience Process Management Business development
  • Global Logistics Center
    Graduate Project Intern
    LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN
    January 2018 - July 2018 (6 months)
    • • Process Optimization Developed and proposed operational improvements for one of Europe's fastest-growing fashion retailers, focusing on warehouse efficiency and supply chain flow.
    • • Data-Driven Analysis: Conducted in-depth logistics audits to identify bottlenecks, applying Industrial Engineering methodologies to enhance
    throughput and reduce lead times.
    Warehouse Process Optimization Process Management Data-Driven Logistics Auditing Supply Chain Flow Design Industrial Engineering

Recommendations

Be the first to recommend Ricardo

Help this freelancer shine by sharing your experience working together.

These freelancer profiles also match your criteria

AgathaA

Agatha Frydrych

Backend Java Software Engineer

4.7

(3)

2

BaptisteB

Baptiste Duhen

Fullstack developer

4.6

(4)

5

AmedA

Amed Hamou

Senior Lead Developer

4

(2)

7

AudreyA

Audrey Champion

Web developer

4.3

(3)

4

Signup to reveal

Education

  • PhD in Management
    School of Economics & Management of the University of Porto
    PhD in Management
  • Master's in Finances
    School of Economics of the University of Minho
    2021
    Master's in Finances
Check out Ricardo's education

Categories