De Pere, Wisconsin, United States
I’m a people centric executive operations leader with extensive experience leading large, multi-site food and industrial manufacturing organizations. I’m passionate about developing leaders and building cultures where teams are aligned, engaged, and empowered to speak up, operate safely, and deliver strong business results. Throughout my career, I’ve led organizations through growth, change, and transformation by aligning teams around clear priorities, empowering ownership, implementing disciplined operating systems, and removing barriers striving for supurlative performance. I have brought a continuous improvement mindset that engages every level to challenge the status quo, identify opportunities, and drive data driven problem solving. As a servant leader, I focus on developing people, building high performing teams, translating strategy into action, and collaboratively strengthening organizational capability to deliver sustainable financial performance. I thrive in fast-paced, complex environments and value being part of teams built on trust, accountability, and a shared commitment to improving every day.
Serving as a key member of the executive team, driving cultural alignment and enterprise wide collaboration across legacy and acquired operations in Denmark to enable a seamless integration and unified ways of working while providing strategic and operational leadership for 1,100+ partners across two 24/7 facilities including a greenfield startup, collectively generating $500M+ in revenue. Collaborated on the implementation of Red Zone and SAP integrations with enterprise systems through critical milestones. Led the integration of the operations leadership structure to align with enterprise, coaching leaders through complex transitions while maintaining continuity and engagement, playing a critical role in stabilizing and aligning teams during a period of significant transformation. Strengthened execution by reinforcing core systems to assure “blocking & tackling” is strong within leadership, SOPs, and operating systems ensuring clear prioritization, expectations, accountability, and consistent performance across operations.
Led multi-site manufacturing operations of 800+ members with full P&L accountability across safety, quality, service, cost, and people in Fresh, RTE, and Summer Sausage divisions. Provided clear, strategic actions and focused leadership development to accelerate growth and strengthen capability for superlative performance. Transformed three standalone plants into an one integrated, high performing team by aligning strategy, standardizing execution, and elevating senior leadership. Delivered 9% OEE improvement by advancing TPM based reliability, embedding continuous improvement focus, and strengthening frontline engagement and implemented standardized operating systems including tiered management and KPI/OKR frameworks to improve visibility, accountability, and execution discipline. Successfully relaunched a RTE operation to restore capacity and growth through focused efforts on a people first culture anchored in human safety and food integrity.
Selected for a strategic enterprise role leading cross-functional execution of new product development from concept through commercialization. Co-led a standardized Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) process to improve governance, visibility, and execution discipline. Led a collaborative development of a new commercial product line with $18M revenue potential, aligning Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Sourcing, Testing, and Manufacturing to meet cost, quality, and launch targets while delivering on financial objectives.
Held full P&L accountability for $600M+ in revenue of zero-turn product operations across 320,000 sq. ft. and 700+ team members on three shifts and weekend crews. Provided focus on leadership development. Improved safety performance (TRIR 4.1 → 2.9; recordables down 25%). Led the optimization of a $35M+ shop floor transformation to improve flow and scalability increasing operational efficiency (HPU 12.4 → 9.8) while maintaining 97% schedule attainment. Owned Sales, Inventory, Operations Planning (SIOP) and Ariens Operating System (AOS) execution to ensure alignment between operations, engineering, sales, inventory, and commercial demand.
Led Snow-Thro operations supporting up to 500 employees and 1,200 units per day within a 250,000 sq. ft. facility. Delivered P&L performance, labor planning, capital strategy, and SIOP execution aligned to fiscal and five-year strategic plans. Built a Safety Management System from the ground up reducing recordables from 46 to 15 annually. Created a "Leadership Series" to develop leaders, implement best practices, and align processes. Improved efficiency (HPU 6.3 → 5.0), delivered a project of $1M in annual outsourcing savings, and successfully navigated operations through COVID without shutdown.
- Worked FT while pursuing MBA - Perform all jobs associated with a body shop; painting, welding, mechanical, etc. - Refined trade skills
Led production of specialty and stock wood roof and floor trusses, as well as pole shed beam manufacturing across a 30 acre operation. Leader of 130+ full-time and 15+ part-time team members across two shifts, overseeing training, scheduling, accountability, promotion, and daily production performance. Improved operational efficiency and quality by reducing scrap and rework by approximately 50% through development of a new “cut-back” process. Supported implementation of a new production line that reduced lead times by an estimated 20%. Provided daily production reporting and monthly performance reviews to senior leadership, driving accountability and continuous improvement across safety, quality, and delivery.
Gained unreplaceable experience understanding extruded synthetic decking, rails and components within an operational setting that helped shape my career forward. Worked though college, progressing through and mastering all production roles within the extrusion plant. Gained hands on experience across operations, quality, and process workflows while supporting special projects and continuous improvement initiatives. Developed a strong foundational understanding of manufacturing discipline, teamwork, and operational execution that shaped my leadership approach.