SupplyChain Magazine February 2019 | Page 180

ESSILOR

and screening actions ; responsible sourcing from economically vulnerable populations ; and positive environmental initiatives through sharing best practices and implementing eco-responsible approaches .”

As is the case for any procurement or supply chain professional , managing costs is a key consideration for Zhirnov and his team . To tackle this , Essilor has developed a shrewd strategy to drive down freight costs in the form of regional docking hubs . In essence , this means that all products heading to Asia , for instance , have one point of arrival by air freight . They are then distributed by road and air within the continent with help from local or regional partners . “ The concept is that we are entering one continent by air freight at one point and then we are leveraging our

180

EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Vladimir Zhirnov , who began his career as a part-time sales rep while in college , serves currently as Global Sourcing and Procurement Director of Supply Chain & Transport at Essilor International . Based from Singapore , he helps to deliver value across the organization with global footprint in over 100 countries , 600 entities , and 33 manufacturing plants including wholly owned businesses , joint ventures and partnerships .

Previously in his career , he helped to lead the transportation / freight strategy for Europe . FEBRUARY 2019