Greg Spira
Greg Spira, a principal with Oliver Wight, has a concentration of experience in Demand Management and Integrated Business Planning (IBP). Greg works with companies to implement lasting change by building organizational capability and developing high- performing teams. Greg navigates all levels and functions in an organization to overcome roadblocks and achieve success.
At Mondelez International (one of the world’s largest snack companies) Greg established and led the business forecasting team – architecting the vision, processes, tools, and attracting top talent. Leveraging the IBP process to align planning assumptions, leadership became accountable for coordinated execution of activities to achieve targets. Mondelez achieved a “one number” operating model with financial and operational plans tied to the monthly IBP process.
Prior to that, Greg was IBP Lead for Biscuits. Reporting to the North American Category President, he was responsible for the execution of IBP across the business unit to take decisions, close gaps, and achieve business targets. Mondelez successfully entrenched the IBP process within the business culture, with over 80% of participants confirming that the benefits from IBP significantly outweighed the time and effort invested.
At BlackBerry, Greg was Director, Demand Management where he led a global team responsible for device forecasting. They navigated a rapidly evolving environment with long lead times, short product life cycles, evolving business models, and intense competition. Greg established the rules of engagement between demand and supply, including time fences, consumption rules, and an abnormal demand process, clearly defining accountabilities for planning and execution. They eliminated chronic bias, driving down excess inventory by $300M and saving $50M per quarter in capacity under-utilization expense.
Greg also held roles as a Controller and Information Technology Manager with a mid-sized retail fixture company.
Greg received his MBA and CPA, CMA from McMaster University where he has since been a sessional lecturer.
