In the Media
DEAL OR NO DEAL JCPenney’s ‘landmark’ $950 million deal collapses leaving 120 stores on the chopping block
Michèle Gschwend
Managing Partner, Switzerland
Michèle Gschwend is a seasoned management consultant and supply chain executive with over 20 years’ experience. Having held numerous leadership roles, she combines her deep understanding of senior-level management with functional expertise to help clients fill complex roles. She is particularly astute in assessing potential, and takes a strategic approach to recruiting and developing talent.
Professional Focus
- Over 20 years’ consulting and leadership experience, primarily executive roles in global supply chain management
- Advises boards and executive management of multinational and small- to mid-size companies including family businesses
- Specialised functional expertise in supply chain and procurement
- Strong business expertise in transformation and change management, process optimization and organizational design, strategy and operations management
- Broad industry background ranging from consumer (FMCG) to transportation and industrial
- Published articles on strategic outsourcing, board governance and digitalization
- Fluent in German, English, Spanish and French
Business Expertise
- Senior Client Partner, Consumer and Area Leader, Supply Chain at another of the world’s top executive search firms; member of CEO succession and board practice
- CEO and Owner of Ruoff Factory, a management consulting firm focused on strategy, leadership, supply chain, transformation and change management
- Management Board Europe, Head of Supply Chain Operations at aluminium recycling company Novelis
- Strategy Head, Integrated Supply Chain Europe for Kraft Foods International (now Mondelez International)
- Vice President Europe, Head of Supply Chain at PepsiCo; prior role as Director of Procurement
- Management Board Europe and Vice President, Supply Chain Europe/Asia & Pacific at airline catering firm Gate Gourmet; prior role as Head of Global Supply Chain
- CEO of FutureLog, a procurement, logistics and online platform provider for hospitality services for Swissair Group and Mövenpick Group
- Certified SAP Consultant and Project Lead at PwC
- Marketing and Sales, Assistant to the CEO at Yellow Pages Switzerland
Additional Expertise
- Consumer Products
- Family Businesses
- Food & Beverage
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Retail & Apparel
- Supply Chain & Logistics
- Transportation
Areas of Expertise
Education & Certifications
- Ph.D. in business administration & economics - strategic outsourcing from University of Zurich
- CAS in Coaching for Leadership, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)
- Certified SAP Consultant, SAP Institute in Philadelphia, PA (U.S.)
Affiliations & Awards
- Board Member, Eugster Frismag AG
- Board Member, Motorex (former)
- Acting Chair and Board Member for affiliate companies of Novelis and Gate Gourmet in Switzerland, Germany and Asia (former)
- Advisory Board Member, MBA Supply Chain Management at ETH Zurich (former)
Case Studies
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From Innovation to Execution: Leadership in Power Semiconductor Development
How Boyden placed a strategic SVP to drive e-mobility growth
Empowering Innovation: Appointing a Regional R&D Leader in FMCG
Boyden places a high-impact R&D executive to drive innovation and transformation across a global consumer goods portfolio
Strategic Renewal: Building Leadership to Unlock Growth
Boyden helped a mid-cap European food company overcome operational challenges at its new U.S. facility by recruiting a transformative Head of U.S. Operations, enabling stability, accountability, and long-term growth across its American business.
Thought Leadership
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Boyden Report Series
What’s Next for Industry? AI, Transformation, and the Talent Imperative
Industrial Trends Report: Analysing markets, studies, and trends on how AI, machine learning, and digitalisation are reshaping the industrial sector, with expert insights on talent and leadership from Boyden’s Global Industrial Practice Members.
Industry Insights
China’s Bet on Europe’s Emobility
Chinese carmakers are finding success in the European automotive market via a surge in EV sales and their home country’s dominance in battery manufacturing.
Industry Insights
The Green Steel Challenge
The steel industry is under pressure to rapidly decarbonise. Amidst rising demand from industrials, steel producers will need government support.
Industry Insights
Forestry 2.0
Unprecedented changes in supply and demand are transforming the forest products industry, leading companies to consolidate, diversify and expand the frontier.
News & Events
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In the Media
Big Food Big Moves: Who's next in the big CPG shake-up
Explore how Nestlé, Mars, Unilever, and Kraft Heinz are driving major mergers, acquisitions, and strategic shifts set to reshape the global food and confectionery industry in 2026.
In the Media
Nestlé, Mars, Unilever, Ferrero & Kraft Heinz: The big CPG shake-up continues
Contact Michèle Gschwend today and let's get started