Roles Held:
General Manager, VP Operations & Advanced Manufacturing, VP Operational Excellence, Engagement Leader, Manager Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing Specialist – Group Leader, Manufacturing Engineer
Job function(s):
Operations, Manufacturing, Engineering
Current employer: Retired, CFO-New Business Startup
Former employers:
General Electric, SPX, Ingersoll Rand (now-Trane), Northrop Grumman, Eaton, Caterpillar
Manufacturing industry(ies):
Electrification Products, Industrial & Nuclear Pumps/Valves, Oil & Gas, Food Processing Equipment, Aerospace (Space Shuttle Main Engines), Rockets, Missiles, Fighter Aircraft, Manufacturing Research & Development, Heavy Equipment Construction Manufacturing
Years in manufacturing: 35
Specific areas of expertise:
Managing the Development of Manufactured product.
Current or prior experience with mentoring:
Led the development and implementation of several Mentoring and Skill development Programs/courses for Manufacturing Engineers.
Whom would you like to mentor?
I welcome anyone who wants to understand how to succeed in Manufacturing Industry.
Please share a little bit about yourself:
I was born with a curiosity to understand what made things tick…I used to repair TV’s as a hobby in High School. I was attending Vocational School and studying electronics. When I started college, I took a course in Metal Manufacturing and my whole focus changed. I switched my major to Industrial Technology specializing in Manufacturing.
I entered the College Co-op program and was selected as a manufacturing engineer for Caterpillar. I loved being in the shop and helping to produce product for our customers. My interest continued and it allowed me to get a job once I graduated with my MS Industrial Technology with Rocketdyne (Space Shuttle Maine Engine – Manufacturer). I always wanted to be an Astronaut, when I realize the window of opportunity was very narrow, I decided this would be the best option. I might not be able to fly the Shuttle, but I could be part of a team that built it!
I worked hard and was given the opportunities to work on various different programs and started to climb the management ladder. Along the way I was able to learn some valuable skills (Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Design for Manufacturing, and Value Engineering/Value Analysis. These skills helped me excel in lowering the cost of the types of products that we produced. I leveraged my MBA to help me impact the P&L of the various companies that I worked for. I finished my career as Senior Executive with the responsibility of managing 66 plants across the world. I also had the responsibility of managing the design and startup of various factories.