Gautier Gourdy

Technical Sales Representative at WIPELEC, an industrial SME located in Meaux, specializing in chemical etching, electrochemical machining, wire EDM, electroforming, surface treatment, and glass-metal sealing and ceramic-metal brazing since 2021.

My role is to ensure the interface between the engineering department, production workshops, and clients. The parts manufactured at WIPELEC are entirely custom-made and intended for demanding applications in the defense, aerospace, space, medical, and optronics sectors. This reality places the technical dimension at the heart of my daily mission: analyzing client requests' feasibility in direct liaison with production teams, evaluating if specifications can be met in terms of materials, processes, lead times, and cost prices, then ensuring complete project follow-up until delivery.

I am also involved in monitoring production flows, analyzing product non-conformities, and implementing industrial performance improvement measures, particularly regarding delivery rates and backlog reduction. The versatility of the position, between technical, production, and client relations, matches my profile as an industrial buyer transitioning to technical sales, with a genuine appetite for complex manufacturing environments.

POK is a French manufacturer of fire protection systems, specializing in fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, and safety accessories. There, I took charge of the purchasing function autonomously, managing a portfolio ranging from €500K to €2M depending on the period. The scope covered indirect purchases (consumables, tooling, services) and industrial raw materials, from a panel of approximately 30 active suppliers in France, Europe, and Asia.

The environment was structurally complex: no framework agreements were in place, meaning each need involved genuine re-competition. I implemented a systematic active sourcing process, including identifying new suppliers, targeted tenders, comparative analysis of proposals based on price, quality, lead time, and reliability criteria, followed by direct negotiation and formalization of terms. I successfully generated 8% overall savings by combining volume pooling, redefinition of technical specifications with internal teams, and identification of alternative sources for previously single-sourced items.

I also restructured internal order processing procedures by overhauling validation circuits and standardizing order templates, which reduced purchasing delays from 20% backlog to zero.

On the analytical side, I conducted cost structure analyses (BOM, TCO) to correct pricing inconsistencies in the product catalog. I participated in the ERP migration to Axelor for the purchasing module, contributing to configuration, supplier data migration, and acceptance testing. I also supervised a purchasing assistant daily, organizing her work and approving her routine orders.

Toyota Material Handling France is the leader in industrial material handling in France, specializing in forklifts, electric pallet trucks, and storage systems. I managed a fleet of industrial equipment leased to professional clients on a fixed-term contract, handling the entire contractual, regulatory, and operational cycle of the fleet.

My scope covered several aspects. Contractually, I managed contract terminations by preparing equipment returns, negotiating extensions based on client needs, and coordinating material transfers between different sites. Regulation-wise, I oversaw the mandatory Periodic General Inspections for each machine, liaising with authorized control bodies to ensure fleet compliance and prevent unplanned downtime. Operationally, I coordinated equipment relocations according to evolving client needs.

For each technical intervention, whether it was refurbishment after return, repair following an incident, or preventive maintenance, I managed the complete process: requesting quotes from qualified service providers, comparative analysis of proposals, negotiation of terms on price and delivery time, validation, and execution follow-up until acceptance. This aspect allowed me to develop real responsiveness in managing unforeseen events and rigor in controlling maintenance costs.

All tracking was done via the Infor M3 industrial ERP, with regular reporting to internal teams and client contacts. This assignment gave me practical mastery of industrial asset management in a structured environment, with constant challenges related to availability, compliance, and cost control.