Dheeraj Makkar

Dheeraj Makkar has a diverse work experience spanning over a decade. Dheeraj currently serves as the Head of Procurement at Ikano Group, where they lead the procurement for Ikea retail operations in Southeast Asia and Mexico. Dheeraj 'sresponsibilities include overseeing the sourcing and purchasing activities for various indirect categories such as facility management, marketing, professional services, logistics, and IT.

Prior to joining Ikano Group, Dheeraj worked at A.P. Moller - Maersk as the Area Head of Products VCML. In this role, they led the logistics product portfolio for Southeast Asia and developed strategies for landside transportation, customs brokerage, warehousing depots, and intercontinental rail. Dheeraj also played a key role in driving continuous improvements in systems and processes to support the business agenda.

Dheeraj's work at Ikea involved various roles and responsibilities. As the Category Business Manager in the Supply Chain & Logistics division, they were responsible for steering the logistics business in Northeast Asia and later in Southeast Asia. Dheeraj led the execution of sourcing, operation, and compliance strategies to ensure competitive distribution setups. Dheeraj also managed and developed a team of over 14 individuals.

At Ikea, they also served as a Procurement Manager, where they managed and developed the vendor portfolio for transportation and warehousing setups in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Additionally, Dheeraj worked as a Trade Lane Specialist, Logistics Planner, and Project Manager, handling various aspects of logistics and transportation operations.

Before Ikea, they worked at Cargill Foods & Sudarshan Chemicals as a Foreign Trade Coordinator. In this role, they managed import/export shipments, customs documentation, and L/C administration for cotton and sugar category shipments for North Europe. Dheeraj also ensured compliance with government laws and customs regulations and played a crucial role in managing customer satisfaction.

Overall, Dheeraj Makkar has accumulated extensive experience in procurement, logistics, supply chain management, and international trade throughout their career.

Dheeraj Makkar has a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with a focus on Computer Science from Maharashtra Institute of Technology, which they obtained from 2001 to 2005. Dheeraj later pursued a Master's degree in International Trade from Pune University from 2007 to 2009. In 2008, they completed a Certification Program in "Entrepreneurship in Export Import Business" from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Dheeraj also attended Harvard Business School Online in 2020 to study Disruptive Strategy & Innovation. Additionally, they have obtained certifications such as Leading Maersk 2.0 from A.P. Moller - Maersk in 2021, My Conscious Leadership from Inter IKEA Group in 2017, and Core Critical Competence Development Program from Inter IKEA Group in 2013.