Senior Director Supply Chain
Resume:
Dave Bostwick
Whiteland, IN ***42
**************@*****.***
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Brigg’s & Stratton – Statesboro, GA
General Manager - 8/15/2006 – 11/16/2010
Senior Director of Manufacturing– 11/17/2010 – 3/30/2025
Nature & Scope of Responsibilities:
Responsibilities
As Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations, I held a strategic leadership position overseeing the daily operations of the Manufacturing functions across the corporation. My primary responsibility was to ensure that all direct reports adhered strictly to company policies, which were designed to facilitate smooth operations with minimal challenges, achieved through proactive daily engagement in preventive measures.
As the Senior Director, I reported directly to the organization's Senior Vice President (SVP). My key responsibilities included driving operational excellence, maintaining product quality, optimizing manufacturing processes, and leading teams across various global plant locations.
I served as a strategic partner to the SVP, focusing on enhancing operational performance and ensuring the alignment of manufacturing and procurement strategies with the company's overall commercial objectives.
My role involved providing consistent leadership across all individual manufacturing sites, including contract manufacturing, to ensure that operations aligned with the company’s business goals and growth strategies. I closely collaborated with the SVP to translate the commercial vision into practical manufacturing strategies that maximize production efficiency, lower costs, and enhance quality.
Additionally, I was responsible for establishing clear operational goals and objectives, driving a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring that operational performance consistently met or exceeded company expectations. My responsibilities also included overseeing the procurement of raw materials and components necessary for manufacturing, providing a stable supply chain, and delivering inputs promptly to meet production schedules.
Through cross-functional collaboration and strategic alignment, I encouraged innovative, forward-thinking approaches to system challenges.
In my role, I collaborate closely with sales, marketing, and supply chain teams to ensure that manufacturing operations align with demand forecasts, customer expectations, and product delivery timelines. This coordination helps to streamline operations and enhance overall efficiency.
Collaboration with the finance team is also a key aspect of my responsibilities. Together, we assess investment needs, evaluate capital expenditures, and track the return on investment (ROI) of manufacturing initiatives, ensuring that financial resources are utilized effectively.
As a critical voice in executive leadership meetings, I provide updates on manufacturing performance, highlighting challenges and opportunities. My insights are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of operations across multiple plants, enabling informed decision-making.
Staying informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices is crucial in my role. I evaluate and implement innovative technologies to enhance manufacturing capabilities, improve efficiency, and reduce production costs. This includes leading the integration of new manufacturing technologies and digital tools to boost agility and competitiveness.
I ensure that our manufacturing processes and products comply with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal quality control measures. This is supported by a robust quality assurance process that maintains product consistency and meets customer expectations.
I liaise with domestic and international third-party manufacturers when necessary, ensuring that all corporate standards, regulatory requirements, and quality processes are upheld. My responsibilities include conducting onsite audits and reviewing potential new members for manufacturing leadership or continuous improvement teams, ensuring accountability for finished goods.
Health, safety, and environmental compliance are strongly emphasized. I lead initiatives to create a safe manufacturing environment while maintaining the highest compliance standards.
Financial management and budgeting are crucial components of my role. I develop and manage the manufacturing and procurement operations budget, ensuring that the division operates within financial parameters while striving for cost-reduction targets and overall profitability. By implementing and monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), I can effectively assess and optimize manufacturing efficiency, quality, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
Cost control measures are also a priority, allowing for the identification of cost-reduction opportunities without compromising quality or safety. Furthermore, I maintain appropriate staffing levels to meet the operational demands and growth objectives of the manufacturing sector.
I lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams of plant managers, engineers, and operational staff. By fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous development, I drive employee engagement initiatives to retain top talent and maintain a motivated workforce.
To improve operational efficiency, I streamline manufacturing processes and implement lean manufacturing practices to minimize waste. My role involves managing the integration of technology and automation systems, which enhances our production capabilities and helps maintain a competitive edge in the market.
I collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize supply chain operations, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality products. Additionally, I champion continuous improvement initiatives, utilizing methodologies such as Six Sigma and Lean to enhance operational efficiency and product quality.
My management approach is collaborative and proactive. I emphasize the effective delegation of responsibilities, recognizing team members' unique contributions, and fostering an environment that leverages their skills to add value. Throughout all initiatives, I emphasize the importance of efficient time management and forward-thinking strategies to achieve our goals.
Kawasaki Motorcycle Corporation, Lincoln, Nebraska
Asst Plant Manager 6/1992 – 6/1993 –
Plant Manager – 6/1993 – 10/1998
General Manager – 10/1996 –4/13/2010
Nature & Scope of Responsibilities
The organization is committed to establishing a clear vision, mission, values, and long-term strategies that promote growth and development. It strongly emphasizes providing continuous guidance and leadership to facilitate transformational change, which aims to significantly impact the organization’s overall results.
Engagement across all levels of the organization is a priority, particularly in communications with top executive management, consumer relations, and among all full-time employees (FTEs). This approach supports a comprehensive increase in activities that align with our strategic objectives.
Additionally, the leadership team is committed to effectively assisting in selecting, organizing, and developing talent within the organization to enhance leadership capabilities and overall performance.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Leadership:
I oversee all contract manufacturing relationships with domestic and international suppliers in this role. This involves occasional travel to meet operational goals and ensure cost efficiency while maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with clients and customers. I focus on meeting company-manufactured specifications through on-time deliveries.
Leading supplier sourcing is a key responsibility. I work closely with the internal product design, procurement, and compliance teams to identify optimal production partners.
I regularly review and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for our suppliers and manufacturing processes to uphold high standards. This practice ensures we consistently meet quality, capacity, and compliance standards.
I oversee and delegate production and capacity planning tasks, aligning our operations with business growth and fluctuations in demand. Additionally, I collaborate closely with the Purchasing and Sales teams on demand planning to optimize inventory levels. This ongoing project requires me to lead the management of our international customers, who rely on my guidance and the quality and service of the SKUs they purchase for their organizations.
Product Development & Engineering Support:
I collaborate closely with the product development team in the Research and Development department to prioritize manufacturability and cost efficiency during the early stages of product development. To align our efforts with customer needs, I review feedback from thousands of customers to understand their preferences for enhancing products.
Additionally, I collaborate with organizational leaders to spearhead cost analysis and margin optimization initiatives within manufacturing and the supply chain. My role also involves coordinating with corporate engineering, where I have a direct reporting line, to oversee tooling, prototyping, and production trials. This ensures that the products produced meet the required design and quality specifications.
Quality Assurance & Compliance:
The role involves collaborating with corporate manufacturing leaders to ensure adherence to compliance measures, quality control procedures, and testing protocols. A key focus is ensuring that all products meet international toy safety standards, such as ASTM, EN 71, and CPC, while also fulfilling customer regulatory compliance requirements. This commitment helps maintain the impressive quality of our parts and equipment.
Additionally, the position entails partnering with Corporate Quality to formulate strategies to continuously improve factory processes, reduce defects, and enhance consumer safety.
Vendor & Partner Management:
Cultivating and maintaining robust relationships with manufacturing partners, raw material suppliers, and logistics providers is essential for the organization's success. This focus on collaboration enhances consumer relations and drives continuous improvement across all support areas.
Key activities include negotiating contracts, pricing, and lead times, which are critical for optimizing cost efficiency and ensuring supply chain reliability. Additionally, leadership plays a vital role in conducting factory audits to verify that suppliers adhere to regulations and meet retailer requirements, further ensuring quality and compliance throughout the supply chain.
Strategic Planning & Operational Excellence:
Developing and implementing an operational roadmap aligned with the company’s growth strategy.
Identifying and mitigating supply chain risks and exposures is crucial for organizations, particularly in the face of geopolitical, financial, and logistical disruptions. By leveraging technology and data analytics, companies can enhance their forecasting capabilities, improve production efficiency, and implement effective cost-reduction strategies. This proactive approach helps in building a more resilient supply chain that can adapt to various challenges.
Operational Leadership & Shared Services Expertise
- Experience in working with and leading cross-functional corporate services teams.
- Proven ability to optimize processes and drive operational efficiency.
- Skilled in budget creation that enhances overall efficiency through assigned KPIs, leading to favorable P&L and high EBITDA profitability.
- Strong capacity to translate business objectives into effective operational strategies.
Strategic Thinking & Executive Collaboration
I consistently collaborate with senior executives and leadership on various corporate initiatives. My strategic thinking skills enable me to align shared services functions with the company's vision and business objectives. I have a proven track record of driving organizational improvements while ensuring operational excellence.
Governance, Compliance & Risk Management
A practical corporate governance framework encompasses a deep understanding of legal compliance and risk management principles. Over the years, I have developed a strong ability to implement internal controls, policies, and frameworks that promote ethical and responsible operations. This is particularly critical in manufacturing products and SKUs, as it ensures that we deliver value to our customers while supporting our growth objectives.
Additionally, I actively participate in executive meetings, collaborating closely with the legal, HR, and IT teams to ensure that compliance standards are consistently upheld across all operations. This intense exposure to legal knowledge enhances our compliance efforts and strengthens our organization's overall integrity.
Relationship Building & Cross-Functional Collaboration
I possess robust skills in collaborating with various departments, leadership tiers, and business units to achieve organizational alignment. I have a proven track record of grasping business needs and converting them into practical operational solutions.
EDUCATION – Western Kentucky University– 8/1985 – 6/1992
Richmond, VA
Master of BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION/GENERAL MANAGEMENT 3.95 GPA UNION COLLEGE – Bachelor of Science– MECHANICAL ENGINEERING – 3.92 GPA
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