Ben Szostek

Ben Szostek has over 20 years of experience in procurement and sourcing. Ben currently holds the position of Chief Procurement Officer at Apex Tool Group, LLC since January 2022. Prior to this, they served as the Vice President Global Procurement at Apex Tool Group from July 2019 to February 2022.

Before joining Apex Tool Group, Ben worked at Newell Brands from 2013 to 2019. Ben held positions such as Vice President Procurement - Corporate Direct Materials & VA/VE, Sr. Director Procurement - Raw Materials, Components & Indirect, and Corporate Director Sourcing - Raw Materials & Rubbermaid Commercial Products Lead. In these roles, Ben was responsible for managing sourcing categories, developing sourcing strategies, budgeting, team management, and acquisition integration.

Prior to Newell Brands, Ben worked at Rubbermaid Commercial Products as the Director of Global Sourcing. Ben managed the company's sourcing department, including raw materials, components, finished goods, and indirect sourcing. Ben was responsible for setting budgets, contract negotiations, supplier consolidation, and cost reduction initiatives.

Ben's early career includes roles at Irwin Industrial Tools as Director Sourcing, Senior Sourcing Manager, Sourcing Manager, and Material Flow Specialist. Ben also worked at Advance Watch Company as an Operations Manager.

Throughout their career, Ben has demonstrated a strong focus on strategic sourcing, team management, supplier relationship management, cost optimization, and acquisition integration.

Ben Szostek completed their Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Michigan State University Honors College from 1996 to 2000. Later, they pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Supply Chain Management from UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business, where they studied from 2004 to 2006.