David is an FTE Case Manager with nearly 40 years of operational experience in vehicle, engine, transmission and automotive component manufacturing.  He has extensive training and experience in the deployment of lean principles and has been directly involved in lean transformations.  David has a comprehensive background in operations leadership with an emphasis on processing, industrial engineering, lean manufacturing, quality, material and people systems.  He is quality driven, results oriented, and customer focused.  David has a proven track record of delivering major projects / launches on time and within budget; rapidly moving into the continuous improvement phase.  Areas of expertise include: project management, process improvement, maintenance optimization, team development and engagement, throughput improvement and the implementation of lean principles.

Notable experience and accomplishments:

• Recently led efforts to improve productivity in a vehicle assembly plant by 4.6% & 3.6% in consecutive years while maintaining lean certification and improving the status of the vehicle from top quartile to top 10% in its Harbour SUV category.
• Facilitated DMAIC projects plant-wide that resulted in $3.3M in savings and a unit cost reduction from $441 to $376.
• This included developing the salary staffing plan, hourly hiring cadence, lean implementation and execution of the ramp plan.
• Facilitated a savings of $2M+ by consolidating warehouse space, reducing in-plant supermarket and bringing CARE and ESEP back into the plant.
• Executed a 19.5% reduction in the workforce over an 18 month period, achieving the North American Harbour #1 award for V8 engines.
• Championed the JD Powers Bucket for Features and Controls  resulting in a reduction from 13.4 PPH to 8.6 PPH for the vehicle.
• Team leader for throughput improvement in an underbody system in which net output was improved from 50jph to 60jph in 4 months.
• Implemented 1-pull Andon in a Trim Shop, resulting in a reduction of EPTV from 50 to 16.
• Championed the reduction of fascia scrap from $18.71 to $0.27 in just over 16 months.
• Proposed and implemented an automatic start / stop system for an engine assembly line that saved ~$250K.

Prior to FTE, David worked at General Motors for 39 years and held roles in Lean Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, Plant Engineering, Plant Planning, Maintenance and Manufacturing Operations.  David led various organizations through four new model launches and two brownfield conversions.  David has worked in four vehicle assembly centers, two powertrain plants, one component plant, held various roles at headquarters and worked on location at troubled suppliers.

David holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Kettering University and a Masters of Science in Engineering Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  He received a special achievement award for his work in planned maintenance execution.