Expert Details
Supply Chain & Manufacturing Operations Leadership, Continuous Improvement (Lean/TPM/World Class Manufacturing), Network Strategy & Manufacturing Footprint Optimization
ID: 740748
Illinois, USA
Expert's career includes more than a decade of combined plant and multi-site management experience, spanning greenfield plant startup and leadership in India, senior technology and commercialization leadership in Europe, and global Lean/TPM program leadership spanning plants worldwide. Expert has held progressively senior supply chain and operations leadership roles within major global confectionery and food companies, including Supply Chain Director responsibilities overseeing multi-plant, multi-brand networks with hundreds of millions of dollars in P&L responsibility, and Director-level global continuous improvement leadership delivering tens of millions of dollars in annual cost savings.
Expert has also served as a senior operational excellence consultant, helping diverse CPG clients design and execute enterprise-wide margin improvement strategies, and most recently served as Vice President of Planning and Logistics for a private equity-held frozen food company, leading demand and supply planning, logistics, and executive S&OP processes. Expert's expertise spans network strategy and sourcing, TPM/Lean deployment, end-to-end demand/supply chain process excellence within ERP environments, and organizational change management. Expert began a career in marine engineering, providing an early technical foundation prior to transitioning into supply chain and manufacturing leadership.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1981 | Degree: B. Tech | Subject: Mechanical/Marine Engineering | Institution: Marine Engineering Research Institite |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2020 to 2021 | Employer: Sara Lee Frozen Bakery | Title: VP Planning and Logistics | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Led demand planning, supply planning, and 3PL logistics functions across a network of 2 bakeries, 5 major 3PL hubs, and co-manufacturing partners for a $700M private equity-held frozen desserts and bread company.• Delivered a year-over-year $6 million (10%) improvement in logistics costs through 3PL and warehousing contract negotiations. • Maintained greater than 98% customer fill rate at least cost throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. • Led the enterprise-wide executive S&OP process, driving key decisions for margin improvement. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2016 to 2024 | Employer: Productivity Inc. | Title: Senior Consultant, Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Operational Excellence | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Provided operational excellence and continuous improvement consulting to diverse CPG clients, building enterprise-wide margin improvement strategies.• Mapped current-state supply chain designs and addressed process/organizational gaps; improved customer service and inventory metrics through SAP-based demand/supply planning process discipline. • Deployed Lean/TPM pillars and value streams across multiple client sites, delivering 10–15% improvement in Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). • Delivered interactive leadership and management training on Lean/TPM operational excellence topics. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2013 to 2015 | Employer: The Hershey Company | Title: Director, Global Operations – Continuous Improvement | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Led enterprise-wide continuous improvement change leadership for a $7B global chocolate company, delivering top-quartile savings exceeding 1.5% of cost of goods sold (approximately $70M/year).• Deployed integrated TPM/World Class Manufacturing (WCM) methodologies across 8 global plants, improving OEE from 65% to over 80% and reducing waste to under 1%. • Led plant-level process and packaging efficiency projects utilizing SPC/DMAIC methodologies, embedding improvements through standard work and shop-floor training. • Established a 3-year enterprise-wide continuous improvement pipeline spanning manufacturing cost, product, and packaging redesign initiatives. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1994 to 2012 | Employer: Mars, Inc. / Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company | Title: Supply Chain Director, Wrigley Confections | Department: |
Responsibilities:• Led integration and delivery of post-acquisition synergies for a network comprising 2 North American plants, 5 contract manufacturers, and 10 co-packers, with $250M P&L responsibility ($800M in sales) across multiple brands.• Instituted demand/supply planning, S&OP, and integrated business processes with SAP integration across an 800-SKU portfolio; improved customer service on key brands to over 98% while reducing inventories by 15%. • Achieved $30M/year in savings through best-cost sourcing, global capacity rationalization, and site closure; executed 3 large repatriation/expansion capital projects totaling $40M. • As Plant Manager, led transformation of a 350-headcount facility, achieving $6M in savings through reorganization and TPM-driven OEE improvement to over 80%. Other roles include: • Director, Global Lean and Productivity (Chicago, 2004 – 2006) • EMEA Senior Manager, Technology and Commercialization (Munich, Germany, 2002-2004) • Plant Manager (Bangalore, India, 1994-2002) |
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Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| TPM & Early Equipment Management Certification (Advanced Project Management) |