Justin Baraga

Senior strategic sourcing leader driving cost optimization and value creation for industrial organizations. Skilled in developing and executing comprehensive sourcing strategies, leading supplier negotiations, and managing complex spend portfolios across direct and indirect categories. Proven record of addressing nearly $5 billion in spend, generating over $200M+ in value, and delivering 15-20% profit improvements through cross-functional initiatives and post-merger integration.

Managing Consultant, Business Transformation at CrossCountry Consulting (2025-01 – Present)

Senior strategic sourcing consultant leading business transformation initiatives

• Generated up to 20% profit improvement for a consumer products company through cross-functional initiative development and execution across Procurement, Operations, Product & Packaging, and Marketing stakeholders.
• Led data-driven 15%+ cost reduction program for an automotive remarketing platform by standardizing operations, improving adoption of critical new technology, standardizing price modeling across numerous North American sites, and applying should-cost modeling techniques.
• Delivered 15% material-cost reduction for an environmental services company through supplier relationship management, vendor consolidation, and RFx design and execution.

Network Partner, Vice President & Senior Project Manager at H&Z Consulting (2018-01 – 2020-12)

Strategic sourcing and business transformation leadership

• Led the North American portion of an extensive international value creation program for an energy/power generation company, achieving a $170M target through strategic sourcing, category management initiatives, and cost-value engineering.
• Executed profit-enhancement program for a specialty chemicals manufacturer, cutting indirect spend by 10% and implementing sourcing governance best practices to ensure compliance and oversight.
• Established sourcing KPI dashboards, supplier scorecards, and quarterly business reviews with corrective action plans, improving supplier performance transparency and accelerating issue resolution.
• Developed a profit enhancement program for a medical device manufacturer, reducing indirect spend by 10% and enhancing supplier performance management frameworks to track and improve vendor outcomes.
• Established H&Z's North American consulting practice, building the team, setting budgets, and forming strategic partnerships, which positioned the firm to win new business and expand its market presence.
• Lead cross-functional teams in post-merger integrations across North America, applying strategic analysis and analytical tools to streamline processes, which improved operational efficiency and accelerated integration timelines.

Network Partner, Vice President & Senior Project Manager at H&Z Consulting (2023-01 – Present)

Continued strategic sourcing and business transformation leadership

Senior Manager, Operations Transformation at PricewaterhouseCoopers (2013-01 – 2018-12)

Operations transformation and value capture for Fortune/Global 500 companies

• Executed value capture projects addressing ~$5B in spend for numerous Fortune/Global 500 companies, delivering hundreds of millions in savings through cost reduction, improved terms, and operational efficiencies.
• Led global procurement transformation and change-management programs for a large industrial client across the US, Europe, and Asia, applying sourcing governance and stakeholder-management practices with MS Office analytics to deliver a unified operating model and improved compliance.
• Designed and implemented a global sourcing governance framework with policies, approval workflows, and risk controls, improving compliance, audit readiness, and decision transparency across regions.
• Partnered with Engineering and Product organizations to embed suppliers early in new product introductions and design-for-cost initiatives, balancing innovation, cost, and supply assurance.
• Developed and delivered supplier negotiation training for a global manufacturer in China, Poland, and the US, enhancing team capabilities.
• Drove ~20% YoY operational-metric improvement for an electric-vehicle manufacturer via process redesign, training, and data analytics.
• Executed value-capture initiatives for a major wireless carrier, delivering significant profit improvement across 20+ categories through spend analysis and cross-functional transformation.
• Managed North American operations for Drozak Consulting's US office, hiring and training staff, overseeing multiple projects, and expanding the client base, which helped position the business for acquisition by PwC.
• Coached and mentored staff, fostering professional development and organizational growth.

Senior Manager, Operations Transformation at PricewaterhouseCoopers (2021-01 – 2023-12)

Continued operations transformation leadership

Managing Director, Client Solutions at LogicSource (2020-01 – 2021-12)

Client procurement operations assessment and procurement solutions design

• Assessed client procurement operations, identifying cost-saving opportunities through category management analysis and outsourcing recommendations, resulting in streamlined processes and reduced expenses.
• Led cross-functional teams to design next-phase procurement solutions, creating client presentations and Excel-based financial models that supported strategic proposals and secured new contracts.
• Oversaw resource allocation across multiple engagements, aligned team assignments to client objectives, and enhanced operational efficiency, leading to faster project delivery.

Marketing, Project and Program Manager at Various (1999-01 – 2011-12)

Progressive senior marketing and project management roles

• Held progressively senior marketing and project-management roles for global manufacturing, packaging, and technology firms, applying stakeholder-engagement and analytical skills to drive project success, which strengthened client relationships.
• Managed cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time and within budget, enhancing operational performance and client satisfaction.
• Developed and executed strategic initiatives to support business growth and market expansion.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Robert Morris University (1995-01 – 1999-05)