Electrolux Group has appointed supply chain veteran Daniele Rossi as its new head of procurement, placing him at the center of the global home appliance manufacturer’s efforts to strengthen cost leadership, supplier collaboration and sustainability across its sourcing activities.
The appointment was announced by Electrolux Group on Sept. 23. Rossi officially took up the position on Sept. 1 and reports to Michelle Shi-Verdaasdonk, the company’s chief product officer.
Rossi succeeds Shi-Verdaasdonk, who moved into the chief product officer role in January after serving as chief procurement officer for 14 months.
The new role comes as procurement becomes an increasingly integrated part of Electrolux Group’s product organization. Rossi said the function can play a larger role in driving “design-to-cost” initiatives at the early stages of research and development.
He also pointed to component standardization and greater platform-sharing across global product families as opportunities to reduce complexity and costs before products reach production.
“By aligning component standardization and platform-sharing across global product families, we can reduce complexity and cost before a product ever hits production,” Rossi said.
Based in Susegana, Italy, Rossi brings more than 30 years of experience across procurement, supply chain, quality and product development. Before joining Electrolux Group, he was chief procurement officer at Italian steelmaker Acciaierie d’Italia. Electrolux Group says his background also includes leadership roles spanning procurement, supply chain, quality and product development.
Under Rossi’s leadership, procurement will place particular emphasis on working with direct-material suppliers to co-develop more sustainable products, accelerate time to market and improve supply resilience.
Electrolux Group says sustainability is increasingly being incorporated directly into sourcing decisions. Supplier assessments are expected to take into account factors including carbon footprint, environmental performance and compliance with labor standards.
“Sustainability and responsible sourcing are no longer optional; they are interconnected strategic imperatives and a ‘must-have’ for modern procurement,” Rossi said.
Rossi also highlighted the commercial dimension of more sustainable procurement. In his view, integrating sustainability into sourcing decisions can contribute not only to environmental and social objectives but also to products achieving a “better selling price in the market.”
Electrolux Group has separately described procurement as a function that can leverage the company’s global scale to drive structural efficiency and cost leadership, while unlocking greater innovation from suppliers and supporting the development of sustainable products.
