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Mike Wilson

Professor Mike Wilson

Executive Vice President Logistics Manufacturing Services, Executive Vice President Latin America DSV, Honorary Visiting Professor at Cardiff Business School

Overview

Mike Wilson is Global Head of Logistics and Manufacturing for Panalpina, a Swiss based Global Third Party Logistics (3PL) provider with over 14,500 employees across more than 70 countries. Mike has been with the company for almost seven years and during this time, he has taken Panalpina's Logistics division from losses of almost $50m into a growing, profitable business and has spread its service offering into non-traditional Third Party Logistics activities.

Under Mike's leadership, Panalpina has developed a strong logistics and manufacturing footprint and has embraced and invested in innovative new technologies such as 3D printing. He was the inspiration behind The Panalpina Research Centre at Cardiff University, which has developed several award-winning, original research programs across a broad spectrum of supply chain and manufacturing. Mike started his career as an Industrial Engineer in traditional metal and plastic manufacturing as well as in the electronics industry before moving into Operations Management. He became Head of UK Operations for Design to Distribution, the manufacturing subsidiary of Fujitsu/ICL which subsequently became part of Celestica in the mid-1990s - one of the world's largest Electronics Manufacturing Services providers where he ran the $3.5bn European business until 2003 and became part of what was, up until that time, the largest IPO in the electronics industry.

Mike found his way into Third Party Logistics with Exel as President of Technology, which subsequently became DHL. Following some time in Asia, working independently setting up manufacturing and supply chains, he joined Panalpina in 2011. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from Cardiff University.