Erol Cacouratos

Expertise

Erol is part of our Operational Excellence leadership team that assists clients through the development of high calibre people, optimisation of processes and, where appropriate, the enabling through the considered deployment of technologies.

Erol has over 26 years’ experience in leading, implementing and managing global IT manufacturing operations across multiple manufacturing sectors, with experience in Programme Management, Project Management, Manufacturing Operations Management, strategy, delivery and digital transformation.

He has delivered multiple concurrent project implementations in ERP, MES/MOM, plant control/automation and IT infrastructure for both greenfield and brownfield manufacturing sites. His strategic approach to transformational IT change enables organisations to transform their businesses through digital technologies enabling them to take control and optimise their operations.

gunnercooke is a predominantly global law firm with a manufacturing arm focused on partnering with businesses to improve their Manufacturing Operations Excellence. gunnercooke’s approach is People First, Process Led and Technology Enabled.

Erol’s responsibilities include engaging with existing and new manufacturing clients, perform manufacturing maturity assessments, understand their manufacturing pain points, define suitable target solutions, create strategic roadmaps and deliver fit-for-purpose solutions to achieve their desired level of manufacturing Operational Excellence maturity. Essentially, he offers an end-to-end service to catapult manufacturing businesses into a digitised world of manufacturing Operational Excellence.

Erol advises on...

• Manufacturing maturity assessments
• Manufacturing digital strategies and roadmaps
• Industry 4.0
• Programme Management
• Project Management
• Digital business transformation
• Lead RFI / RFP processes for ERP / MOM / MES solutions
• Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM/MES)
• IT infrastructure
• Manufacturing IT operations
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Manufacturing strategy, design and Implementation
• Process mapping and modelling
• Solution architecture for manufacturing
• Data centre design and implementation for manufacturing

Experience Highlights

Implementing a greenfield factory’s MOM end-to-end solution

Innocent selected the Port of Rotterdam for its first greenfield carbon-neutral factory. This required new MOM systems to be integrated into its new global MS Dynamics365 ERP solution. Erol was engaged initially as Programme Manager then as Senior IT Project Manager by the Programme Director to deliver a 2.5-year MOM implementation. He led requirements definition, selected solutions through RFI/RFP process, and established vendor contracts.

Erol then project managed the design, deployment and commissioning of a fully redundant IT infrastructure solution. He succeeded in delivering the MOM IT infrastructure, CCTV/Security and Access Control systems on time and to budget, enabling Innocent to manufacture its own drinks.

Designing and executing a new MOM strategy for 55 manufacturing sites

Johnson Matthey PLC required a new MOM strategy for its 14 Autocatalytic Manufacturing sites around the world. As a result of delivering a successful implementation of his MOM solution in South Africa, he was selected as Global Strategy and Solutions Manager to lead this global initiative. He moved to the UK global headquarters to drive its execution. From there, he developed the global strategy to standardise the MOM solution. He then built an international team and gained approval to proceed.

Erol succeeded in defining the implementation solution for 14 sites, and as a result he was asked to deliver it to the full Group’s 55 manufacturing sites.

Improving production line productivity through consultancy with local teams

Johnson Matthey PLC had a production line in Mexico which would have benefited from performance improvements. As a result of Erol’s reputation for transforming Manufacturing Operations, he was called upon to assist with identifying root causes and implementing solutions.

Erol acted as consultant for the Mexican team, working with automation and MES teams to educate them on what to do. He succeeded in guiding the implementation of a solution which resolved performance problems and permitted full drilldown into production line issues. In a competition involving a total of 128 sites, this team won the global “Innovating and Improving Operations” award for the improvements it made.

Career History

Previous Workplace

• innocent Limited
  • Senior IT Project Manager, 2019/12 – 2021/12
  • IT Programme Manager, 2019/7 – 2019/12

• Johnson Matthey Plc.
  • Global MOM / MES Delivery Lead, 2018-2019
  • MOM Strategy and Solutions Manager,  2017-2018
  • Global Manufacturing Operations Applications Manager, 2016-2017
  • Head of IT: Infrastructure and Software Manager, 2010-2016
  • Head of IT: Information Systems Manager, 2007-2010
  • Systems Analyst, 2002-2003
  • Computer Operations Supervisor, 2001-2002
  • Systems Engineer/Lead Developer, 1999-2001

• Warthog Industries – Developer, 1998-1999

Volunteer Experience

• 2015 to 2017: Wonderware User Group Southern Africa – User Group Vice-Chair.

Education

• University of Oxford – Saïd Business School – Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme, 2020
• ITIL Foundation Certificate, 2016
• Stellenbosch University – Executive Development – Senior Managers Development Programme, 2015
• MES/MOM Methodologies Certificate of Competency (MESA), 2015
• Baccalaureus Technologiae Degree Electrical Engineering (4-years), 1998
• National Diploma – Electrical Engineering, 1996
• National Diploma Computer Systems Engineering, 2000