Engineer Quality

Gary L. VanderMolen, PE

**** ********* ****** *****, **************, TN 37075-7237 920-***-**** ********@*****.***

Senior-Level Product Development Leader

Engineering & Manufacturing / Program & Product Management / Lean Methods

Customer Voice / DFMA / Quality & Reliability / Integrated Control Systems / Global Teams

Inspired performance manager and operational leader with entrepreneurial agility. Builds and coaches winning

teams in multi-national environments. Simplifies complex issues and synthesizes diverse ideas for innovative

solutions. Led programs and engineering functions for Johnson Electric, Carver, Navistar, TRW, AlliedSignal and

John Deere. Skilled at customer, manufacturing and supplier collaboration to continually improve quality, cost and

timeliness. Disciplined design and analysis skills in analogous mission-critical control systems.

MS Mechanical Engineering, BS Agricultural Engineering - Iowa State University. MBA - Cleveland State University.

Career History

Consultant: Product Development, Performance Management and Quality, 2013.

• Quality and business systems audit and training in industry regulations, standards and practices: TS16949, ISO9001

• Lean and agile product/process development, engineering, program management, product management, DFSS

• QFD, technology roadmaps, product lifecycle management, DMADV/DMAIC, single-piece flow, JIT

• Value-system analysis, genba kanri / gemba kaizen, 8D, QRQC, poka yoke, visual management

Johnson Electric, 2007-2012, $2.3B Automotive and Industrial Products (HongKong-based) Company.

Director of Quality and Reliability, Automotive Products Group, 2010-2012. Responsible for Quality Systems, Customer

Support, Plant Quality, Supplier Quality, and Engineering Labs for global DC Actuator Systems (AS); Powertrain Cooling

(PC) and pass-thru Motor applications. Managed 25 professionals and $3M annual budget at 2 facilities.

• Fulfilled all requirements for earning 1st time Ford Q1 status, especially by resolving significant gaps in

subsupplier management, warranty analysis and resolution, delivery risk management, and problem solving.

• Replaced ($100K/month) quality containments of several chronic HVAC actuator and PC speed controller issues

with verified permanent actions, reduced sorting and scrap by 85%.

Director of Technology and Innovation, Automotive Products Group, 2007-2011. Responsible for R&D, Product

Engineering, Program & Product Management, Supplier Development. Led global AS, PC and Solenoid Global Competence

Centers; also pass-thru motor applications. Managed 75 professionals and $12M annual budget at 3 facilities.

• Drove technical proposals for increased PC business, tripled awarded revenue growth to over $110M in 3 years.

• Launched global Gen III HVAC actuator, replacing current product at $715K/year less cost (16%), 75% quality

improvement, and providing incremental business of $1.8M.

• Instituted in-house replacement for competitive motors in HVAC actuators, 17M units/year at $3.5M annual savings.

Resolved haunting performance and reliability issues. Changed configuration strategy, led early and flawless launch.

• Justified and formed new R&D group, for new bring-to-market innovation focus, $1M/year budget. Changed low-cost

fast-follower group focus during economic meltdown, readied for uptick as value-added technology leader.

Carver Yacht Corp., 2006-2007, $350M yacht design and manufacturing division of $1.5B Genmar Holdings.

Director of Engineering, 2006-2007. Responsible for systems & propulsion engineering, design, prototype and tooling build

and test, quality, supplier quality management, and product data. Instituted new Product Launch Process. Managed 60

professional / technical / craftsman associates and $10M annual budget at 1 facility.

• Improved bottom line impact of new product by $3.2M at Carver Yachts. Changed first-boat “Prototype” philosophy to

“Hull #1” in manufacturing. Provided on-time design releases on both Marquis bridge and open launches.

• Uncovered a $31K/unit material overrun (at 1/week). Resulting pricing errors would have been virtually impossible to

ever recover, masked by offline and unmaintained systems used upstream. Instituted vigorous cost reduction program

recovery for over half of the overrun before launch.

International Truck and Engine Corporation, 1998-2005, $12B design and manufacturing division of Navistar.

Director, Product Center, 2000-2005. Led next generation system development. Supported $1B business, with a $20M

expense and $10M capital annual budget. Led 12-15 truly cross-functional direct staff of Managers (Product / Program /

Marketing Management, Core Engineering, Quality &Reliability, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Service, and Finance) and

controlled 100 associates’ works at 3 facilities. Direct responsibility for major program product development, platform upgrade

programs, quality engineering, continual product and process improvement, customer support, and new technology applications

to meet strategic quality, cost and delivery objectives.

• Developed and launched widely successful new line of integrated bus products (leading to 65% vehicle market share),

including new chassis platforms, multiplexing, and body features bodies within fully matrixed organization for significantly

improved functionality and reduced complexity ($80M investment)

• Built first integrated bus chassis/body product for International Truck, increasing body market share 200%. Customer

started building their own chassis and body product in separate self-owned plants. Led the design and production of first truly

integrated bus product. Included new body features and electronic infrastructure. Provided one-stop shopping that boosted

market share to 65%, dominating competition and increasing revenue to $800M

• Developed new truck product that delivered $6M in incremental profits, prompted by new NHTSA standard banning

student large vans. Exceeded all program goals

• Developed new models for low-floor bus and commercial / government / military platform variants within less than a

year cycle time. Provided feasibility studies and prototype builds for new emissions, hybrids and alternative fuels

Group Manager, Engineering, Cab-in-White and Controls, 1998-2000. Managed 60 employees for cab structures &

hardware (doors, glass, paint, suspension), as well as seats, restraints and primary control systems (for engine, transmission,

steering and brakes), and $8M annual budget.

• Released and launched 9000i heavy duty truck, High Performance (Diamond Spec) medium duty truck and IC bus

products including control systems, suspension and body parts.

Commercial Steering Systems, 1993-1998, automotive steering and suspension division of $10B TRW.

Chief Engineer, Advanced Engineering, 1993-1998. Managed commercial and technical aspects of global steering system

design and development. Released linear output gears, multiple axle and electronic steering systems. Direct supervised 12 (40

group size) at 3 facilities for commercial and technical feasibilities, and design and development of global steering systems.

• Prevented loss of global TRW business by redesigning critical components. European customers were disappointed

with crucial steering control valve performance. Led cross-functional engineering team to design, develop, validate and build a

new system that introduced better sensing and response. Replacement valve earned international and domestic patents. Eliminated

need for expensive system redundancy and retained position as market price leader

• Developed and incorporated new global product/process technologies and strategies, including linear output gears,

multi-axle steering and electronic control steering

• Developed and launched large displacement pump ($2M/year) and adjustable column ($10M/year) families using lean

production techniques

• Conceived, specified and implemented dual circuit emergency steering system ($15M/year) for European market

Bendix Heavy Vehicle Systems, 1986-1993, braking systems division of $16B AlliedSignal.

Staff Engineer, Brake Valves and Systems, 1991-1993. Technical manager for cross-functional and multi-location next

generation air dryer team.

• Developed requirements and specifications for AD-IP air-dryer product family ($40M/year). Launched in 1.25 years

• Defined Concurrent Development process and deployed it worldwide

• TQM/TQS trainer for 120 professional / technical employees and facilitator for 8 employee involvement teams

Project Engineer, Brake Valves and Systems, 1988-1991. Provided design and development support for actuation and

adjustment product lines $30M/year savings. Managed 7-8 professionals

• Implemented foundation brake value improvements resulting in $400K/year savings

• Launched ASA-5 automatic slack adjuster family

• Led tractor and trailer antilock production launch audit teams

Senior Engineer, 1986-1988. Led steering and brake controls engineering. Conducted hydraulic system testing. Led

responsibilities for Ford F and L-Series medium duty product support.

• Implemented tractor/trailer air brake system timing and balance performance improvements for new generation tractor

protection valve. Developed parking brake valve system requirements and upgrade specifications

• Conducted steering application and development including geometry/torque transfer and durability analysis

John Deere, 1980-1986, $20B Agricultural and Construction Equipment Company.

Design/Analysis Engineer, Advanced Hydraulics, 1985-1986. Research & Development leader of new row crop tractor

steering system team.

• Specified and integrated outsourced power steering components to match in-house system requirements

• Conducted experiments and developed requirements for remote selective control valves

Development Engineer, New Vehicles, 1980-1985. Development and launch responsibilities for new 50 Series row crop

and 4-wheel drive tractors.

• Validated and launched row crop mechanical front wheel drive structures and hydraulics

• Lab and field-tested complete row crop and four-wheel drive tractors. Performed body and chassis system harsh

environment testing and design improvements. Developed and implemented production cost improvements

Professional Development

MBA, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH

MSME (Systems), Iowa State University, Ames, IA

BSAE (Power and Machinery), Iowa State University, Ames, IA

TS16949, ISO9001 and ISO14001 Lead Assessor and Certified Trainer (RABQSA 2011 latest)

Professional Mechanical Engineering Licenses: Ohio and Iowa

6-Sigma Green Belt (Six Sigma Qualtec)

Twelve patents issued in systems and control mechanisms

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) current member

American Society of Quality (ASQ) current member

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) current member

Contact this candidate