If you have a complex and growing organization that needs a proven operations leader with a history of growing revenue, maximizing resources, and reducing waste, then we should meet up.
What I can do for you
I look for operations-intensive companies who would benefit from a significant performance improvement.
I like growing technology driven industries in need of someone who has a talent for taking control and developing processes and teams for the growth. My talent is in identifying and developing great leaders, building talented teams that are strong cross functional groups resulting in sustainable, long lasting business units.
Think about the operation you currently have. Do you ever want to take a step out of the day to day to get a handle on the processes to get them well defined so they can be streamlined? It sounds easy, but it can become impossible because your day-to-day operation gets in the way of making that happen. Your team is not going to make that happen just because you will it to happen. You need someone who has done this several times. Call me. Together we can make your processes and the overall operation of your company healthier.
Leadership
Led teams of progressively larger sizes in each role throughout my career. In my role as Operations Superintendent, I had oversight over a business unit that spanned a 4-state region with 16 large production facilities and more than 1,500 personnel throughout multiple departments. I believe in creating a team built on trust where teams can work independently of direction while keeping involved in the work close enough to provide help at any level of the team where needed. I’m a remover of barriers, tool provider, and simplifier. I’m a true servant leader, but I insist on a culture based on making safety a priority and continuous improvement a source of constant reinvention.
Communication
Anyone can tell you they have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Communication skills are more than being a polished public speaker and competent writer. I am those. Great communication skills in my view as an operations leader include much more. First, having the ability to ensure needed information is visible to those who need it. With the technology available there is no reason this can’t be achieved. Also, to be able to communicate in a manner that gets the right message across to the right audience, at any level of the organization. Finally, establishing teams that can communicate cross-functionally to maintain a network perspective throughout the organization to ensure every team is working toward the same goal efficiently.
Business Strategy
Provide leadership to achieve operational excellence. As an operations leader being a part of developing the organizations strategy is essential. Foreseeing capacity availability, growth strategy, capital planning needs, and asset utilization is an integral part of operations. In the transportation sector this typically included network planning. Creating complex plans around timing and making connections of equipment at the right time so resources dwelled for as short a time as possible and required minimal resources to move.
Operational Improvement
Creating a culture around continuous improvement is nearly as important as building a culture around safety. With demonstrating success firsthand, individual contributors can experience how having personal value in continuous improvement is beneficial to them as well as the company. I’ve had a lot of success creating those cultures and know that finding that mutual payoff for the individual contributor is the most successful way in creating long lasting momentum. CI is something I have passion for, and really enjoy speaking to in groups of employees. Throughout my career I have led many processes improvement projects through problem solving to ensure the most efficient, effective, and safe operations, including development and adherence to key performance measures or KPIs. This includes major restructuring of operations that resulted in a reduction in resources that required little to no financial investment to major multi-million-dollar, multi-year capital improvement projects. One example was a $33M facility expansion with a ROI of 9 months.
Safety Culture
Safety is paramount to all other things. My first director position was a role where I led all environmental, heath, and safety programs including HazMat and High Threat Urban Area initiatives. Managed Occupational Health staff, regulatory reporting compliance, and risk identification and mitigation programs. Worked as liaison with federal agencies (NTSB, FRA, EPA, OSHA) in standards and incident investigation. I led the development of safety action plans and specialized in Safety Management Systems (SMS).
Experience
Vice President Operations
ASM Group, Minneapolis Minnesota
Operations Superintendent
Union Pacific Corportation, St Paul Minnesota
Director Operating Practices
Union Pacific Corportation, St Paul Minnesota
Senior Manager Operations
Union Pacific Corportation, Altoona Wisconsin
Operations Manager
Union Pacific Corportation, St Paul MN, Shakopee MN, North Platte NE, Bill WY, Mitchell NE
Operations Manager
Sky Harbor Air Services, Cheyenne Wyoming
Line Manager
Stevens Aviation, Dayton Ohio
Operations Manager
Shaffer Trucking, Dayton Ohio
Ready to do Some Team Building?
Here are some fun and interactive team building games that you can use. Follow the link and there are files you can download to get everything you need to lead one of these at your next staff meeting our outing or links to a game store where you can purchase more professional looking versions that are packaged so you can set it up with a lot less effort. But feel free to use the free downloads in leu of the box versions. The boxed are not intended to be a source of revenue for this site. I just think they look more professional when I set the games up.
Education
I started my education prior to my career but put it on pause after starting a great job. Later in my career I finished a bachelor’s degree in business while working as an Operations Manager.
BS, Business completed 2016, Bellevue University.
Affiliations
POMS
Production and Operations Management Society
Collage of Operational Excellence
College of Supply Chain Management
IISE
Institute Of Industrial and System Engineers
Society of Logistics and Supply Chain
Society of Analytical and Informational Systems
Society of Artificial Inelegance