Björn Claes

Björn is a passionate researcher and educator with a particular interest in the human factors affecting organizations’ performance in the area operations and supply chain management. His research interests further include related issues in the fields of entrepreneurship and business in controversial contexts. He is a co-founder and former board member of the College of Human Behaviour in Operations Management of the Production and Operations Management Society and associate editor at Supply Chain Forum: An International Journal.

In his teaching, Björn maintains a pragmatic approach to operations and supply chain management issues, emphasizing the need for a cross functional approach towards optimizing companies’ supply chains. His industry experience, acquired in the area of supply chain management but also in international sales and marketing and acquired over a period of nearly a decade, allows him to illustrate the cases and examples discussed in class from different perspectives.

Besides being a Dutch national, Björn consider himself a true European citizen with a global perspective, having lived and worked in five countries, and extensively travelled in many more. He is fluent in Dutch, English and Spanish, and has a good working knowledge of German.

Corporate Experience

• Iberian Physical Distribution and Logistics Projects Manager at Mars Spain, managing the team responsible for the product and costs flows between the company’s 16 European factories and its Iberian warehouses as well as deliveries to clients and quality control. Madrid/Lisbon 2001-2004

• Regional Export Manager at Royal Van Zanten, Plants Division, responsible for the company’s market development in, and export activities to the United States and Canada., The Netherlands, 1998-2000

• Regional Export Manager at Dalsem Horticultural Projects, responsible for the company’s market development in, and export activities to Canada, the UK and emerging markets, The Netherlands 1994-1997