Ioannis
Kazantzidis
Operations & Project Leader in regulated manufacturing, driving automation, cross-functional coordination, and digital transformation from the factory floor to the boardroom.
Engineering Meets
Strategy
I'm an operations and project leader in regulated medical-device manufacturing. At Medipac SA, a family-run surgical sutures manufacturer, I lead major equipment investments, coordinate suppliers and cross-functional teams, support validation and qualification processes, and drive digital transformation across business workflows.
My work spans technical execution and business decision-making: from managing a €2M robotic automation investment and troubleshooting industrial vision systems, to building payment-to-logistics automation and aligning finance, quality, and operations around shared deliverables. As a shareholder and board vice-president, I bring an owner-operator perspective to every decision.
Preparing for the International MBA at IE University; awarded the Scholarship for Technology & Innovation. I'm looking to transition toward operations strategy, industrial transformation, or management consulting.
Experience & Education
Professional Experience
Project Manager
Medipac SA
- Led a €2M automation investment with Harro Höfliger for a robotic suture manufacturing system. I owned supplier coordination, FAT follow-up, payment/dispatch timing, and validation documentation (QMP, pFMEA, IQ/OQ) across production, QA, finance, and management.
- Troubleshot Cognex vision inspection systems on the production floor. I worked on ROI calibration, defect simulation, false-reject diagnosis, and process-robust acceptance logic for Tyvek patch verification.
- Designed payment-to-dispatch automation workflows using SWIFT MT940 parsing, Power Automate, and Pylon ERP integration, reducing manual coordination across finance, logistics, and production.
- Coordinated cross-functional projects spanning infrastructure, network renewal, machine safety, and workflow digitization. I bridged technical execution and business decisions across departments.
Mandatory Military Service
Hellenic Army
- Completed 9-month military service in Greece.
Industrial Automation Engineer
Medipac SA
- Joined Medipac in an engineering capacity, focusing on industrial control systems, machine safety logic (emergency stops, guard doors, safety relays), and production system deployment within a GMP-regulated medical-device environment. Promoted to Project Manager within 4 months.
Intern, Industrial Technology Consultant
Technomat SA
- Supported industrial clients with tailored automation hardware solutions, contributing to procurement decisions and gaining exposure to consultative technical sales.
- Worked alongside senior consultants in a consultative sales environment, gaining exposure to client needs analysis.
Education
International MBA
IE University
Madrid, Spain
- Awarded IE Scholarship for Technology & Innovation.
Integrated M.Eng. Electrical & Computer Engineering
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki, Greece
- Master's GPA: 8.3/10. Thesis on mathematical optimization models for multi-period production scheduling in suture manufacturing, implemented in Python using Gurobi/MILP.
- Co-Organizer at TEDxAUTH — managed technical operations and AV infrastructure for a 1,000+ viewer event.
Erasmus Exchange
University of Zaragoza
Teruel, Spain
- Completed coursework in Operating Systems with hands-on work in Linux-based environments.
Skills & Expertise
A multidisciplinary skill set spanning engineering, operations, data, and business strategy.
Operations & Transformation
Driving efficiency in regulated manufacturing environments through automation, process redesign, and digital transformation.
Project & Stakeholder Management
Leading multi-department initiatives in regulated manufacturing, aligning stakeholders, vendors, quality, and production teams around shared deliverables under compliance constraints.
Data & Digital Tools
Applying data-driven methods and digital tools to model, automate, and optimize operational decisions.
Strategic & Business Acumen
Combining technical depth with governance-level exposure — bringing an owner-operator perspective to industrial decisions, investment planning, and organizational development.
Let's Connect
Interested in discussing opportunities in operations, industrial transformation, management consulting, or technology-driven business improvement? I'd love to connect.