Entrepreneurial Engineered Products Business Development Leader

G. AUSTIN SCHAFFTER

Springboro, OH ***** Mobile: 937-***-**** ******.*********@*****.***

General Manager Aerospace Industry Engine Components

Entrepreneurial, Customer focused, team-building leader who makes smart decisions and gets the job done, no matter what! My experience is in Aerospace & Defense technical engineered products, and includes multiple functional roles: General Management, Business Development, Program Management, Strategic Planning, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Contracts Management, Finance and Operations. Using High Cognitive Reasoning, I quickly understand root issues, uncover solutions and gain consensus on resolution. I am adept at fixing and improving things, and have been successful in both small and large companies. Customer satisfaction is my core philosophy. Developing and guiding teams to develop strategic and professional relationships with customers is my forte. Growing scale and profitability by satisfying customer needs drives my daily efforts. I am comfortable from the production floor to the boardroom. I have verifiable success in both strategic and tactical sales, and a commitment to do the right thing for customers, employees, company and community.

Experience

National Technical Systems (NTS), Calabasas, CA (sited in Dayton, OH) 2014 - 2015

Private Equity-owned, engineering services company providing outsource testing for medical, defense, space and automotive products, contract engineering, and supply chain management services (350 employees, 25 sites)

Vice President Strategic Accounts

Grew sales 10% and exceeded profit plan by 15% via internal team building and nurturing of key customer executive relationships with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, L-3, GE Engines and Northrop Grumman

Managed implementation of 3 Strategic Plans in 6-months and mentored account development teams of sales, program managers, engineers and technicians across seven sites

Led stategy and authored proposals working with GE on $10M test of 3-D ceramic engine nozzles

In transition due to a major corporate cost-cutting restructuring

Data Device Corp (DDC), Long Island, NY (commuted from Dayton, OH) 2013 - 2014

Private Equity-owned designer and manufacturer of high-reliability complex electronics and electrical power products for aerospace and defense vehicles (300 employees, one site)

Vice President P&L General Manager

Turn-around role with 25 direct reports and $50M P&L; Grew revenues 20% above plan via executive customer relationships at DRS, General Dynamics, IAI, Lockheed Martin, Aurora Flight Sciences, etc

Created 3-5 year 200% strategic growth plan with product road maps and defense vehicle account plans for US DOD, Indonesia, Germany, and Israel

Managed teams of design engineers, field sales, marketing and production employees to improve customer satisfaction with schedules and product performance by 50%

Resigned under mutual agreement with President after the turn-around mission had been achieved

GE Aviation (GEAS), Cincinnati, OH 2007 - 2013

Fortune 50 NYSE company Aerospace & Defense division designing, manufacturing and servicing high-power machines, software controls, power conversion, lighting, and valves (1,200 employees, five (5) sites US / UK)

Vice President SR Director P&L Executive for Strategy, Program Management, Sales, Marketing

Mentored and led up to 50 direct reports in program management, contracts, sales, engineering, quality, and marketing and worked with over 200 matrix reports to achieve 10% CAGR

Analyzed Voice of the Customer inputs and used management by metrics to improve personnel and processes in Strategic Planning, Operations, Program Management, Sales, Marketing, and Contracts

Personally worked with the US Congress and US AFRL to fund $20M of advanced research for electric power components on advanced turbine engines

Program managed $300M of production output at 5 sites to 99% on-time delivery and zero quality defects

Saved the RQ-4 Global Hawk program from cancellation by leading Northrop Grumman, GE and USAF engineering and production teams to understand product deficiencies and to implement performance fixes

Produced 7 Strategic Plans; Transitioned seven major new-design products into production

Developed, planned, authored proposals and executed a $60M capital plan for a Research & Development Center (EPISCENTER) with the City of Dayton, State of Ohio, GE and University of Dayton stakeholders

Resigned to accept a 75% pay package increase at DDC

Smiths Aerospace, London, England (sited in Dayton, OH) 1996 - 2007

FTSE registered, global technology company division designing and manufacturing high power machines, electronic controls, power conversion and cockpit lighting for worldwide applications (900 employees, five sites)

Vice President P&L Executive

Led a team of 50-60 direct reports in all customer oriented activities to achieve 100% customer satisfaction at Northrop Grumman on the X-47B and Q-4 Enterprise programs

Grew core site sales 300% (from $30M to over $100M) by planning and directing new sales pursuits domestically and Internationally, with wins at Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, KAI, STA.

Worked with operations to set up a LEAN assembly cell, reduce product cost by 50%, and win a competitive $10M Sikorsky UH-60 aftermarket logistics program for the US Army

Managed engineering product development and business development pursuit teams and negotiated contracts for $250M worth of new projects and programs (Boeing X-37, X-47, F/A-18, V-22, AH-64D, etc)

Implemented LEAN and Six Sigma changes throughout the factory to move from internal multi-axis CNC machining to outsourcing all machining operations and ultimately to final assembly and test only

GE purchased the executive team and employees of Smiths Aerospace in May 2007

ART Technologies, Hamilton, OH 1995 - 1996

Designer and manufacturer of precision metal stampings, assemblies, coined near net shape ball and tapered roller thrust bearings and blankings for Industrial and Automotive markets (25 people, one site)

Director Sales, Marketing and Business Development

Worked with design engineering and production teams to grow sales of this $5M company by 25% via a new growth strategy and personal account planning

Collaborated with engineering and punch operators to improve process through -put by 100%, improving product quality and lower costs

Operations VP cited me as the reason for more new business than in the prior 25-years

Resigned to take the VP role at Smiths Aerospace

Honeywell (fka Garrett Air Supply), Los Angeles, CA and Dayton, OH

Manufacturer’s Representative and Distributor of technical engineered parts to Aerospace and Defense customers worldwide (200 people and 6 sites)

Senior Branch Manager / Regional Sales Manager 1984 – 1995

Recognized and rewarded for the most new contract wins (7) worth over $10M for multiple principals, including Honeywell turbine engine components, F/A-18 bleed air ducting, AGPU electric system, etc

Reduced a 90% employee turn-over rate to less than 10% by successfully executing an employee relations plan and mentoring field teams across the US

Built and promoted a positive work environment for up to 22 technical sales professionals

The business was shut-down in 1995 under Larry Bossidy’s “#1 or #2, and core” mission philosophy

Skills

Global Mindset

Sales Leadership

Strategic Planning

Cognitive Reasoning / Critical Thinking

Customer engagement

Market / Environment Analysis

Ethics, Trust, Integrity

Manufacturing knowledge

Collaboration / Inclusion

Compassion / Empathy

Government Acquisitions

Building positive customer relationships

Education

MBA, Entrepreneurism and Business Management, University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Los Angeles, CA

BS (cum laude), Aerospace Technologies & Mathematics, Kent State University Kent, OH

Executive Development Program (EDP), Northwestern, Kellogg School of Management Evanston, IL

Strategic Marketing Relationships, UNC / Kenan-Flagler Business School Chapel Hill, NC

Executive Commercial Management, GE executive training Crotonville, NY

Miscellaneous

FAA licensed Pilot: Private, Commercial, Instrument and Multi-engine ratings; Certified Flight Instructor

DOD Clearance level: Secret (DISCO, active)

Board of Directors: Dayton Air Show

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