René Westphal

René Westphal currently serves as the Global Lead of Process Excellence & Digital Solutions at KWS Group, a position held since October 2018. In this role, René oversees the KWS Process Model, manages governance for process management and changes, and is responsible for continuous improvement of end-to-end processes. René is actively involved as Chairman of the Process Change Board and the Process Automation Committee, leading Centers of Excellence for lean management, process automation, and data analytics. Previously, René was the Global DBS Leader at Leica Microsystems, focusing on sales and marketing productivity, and held roles including Head of Product Management for compound microscopy. Earlier experience includes leadership positions at Schüco International KG in product management for photovoltaic systems. René holds multiple Executive MBA degrees from prestigious institutions, including ESCP Business School and Texas McCombs School of Business, along with a diploma in Industrial Engineering from Berlin University of Applied Sciences.