COO-Level Lean Manufacturing Operations Excellence

ROBERT WILBERGER

Chief Operating Officer Multi-Site Manufacturing & Operational Excellence Executive

Arizona, USA • 346-***-**** • ***********@*****.***

U.S. ARMY COMBAT VETERAN EXECUTIVE MBA CANDIDATE, ASU W. P. CAREY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

PMI-PgMP (in progress) PMI-PMOCP PMI-CPMAI SAFe-SPC CSM LSSBB CCIM

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Multi-site manufacturing executive and U.S. Army combat veteran with 20+ years building Lean operating systems, strong plant leadership teams, and a culture where safety, quality, and delivery are how the business runs. As head of operations (a COO-level role) for a $160M multi-site engineer-to-order manufacturer, grew output 175% with no new capital, lifted schedule adherence from 72% to 96%, and won a $40M multi-year contract on the strength of the operation. Currently completing an Executive MBA at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business (2028).

Builds the systems that let organizations scale without adding cost: enterprise ERP/MES/WMS deployment, Industry 4.0 modernization, and supply chain resiliency, delivering up to $200M+ in EBITDA impact and $82M+ in verified savings. Trusted to stabilize underperforming operations, accelerate revenue-generating throughput, and prepare organizations for growth, M&A, or exit — published author on operations strategy and transformation leadership.

SELECTED RESULTS

●Multi-site plant leadership across industrial, defense, and engineered-products businesses: three-facility U.S. operations at Stoller USA, a 300-person multi-site operation as head of operations (COO-level) at ESS Metron, and armored-vehicle production programs at General Dynamics and Oshkosh Defense.

●Scaled output 175% with zero CapEx (8 22 units per quarter) and secured a $40M multi-year contract through S&OP and capacity planning at a $160M, 300-employee manufacturer.

●+43% throughput, –37% WIP, first-pass yield 78% 95% through a Lean, analytics-driven performance system.

●Schedule adherence 72% 96%; procurement variance cut 22% and $40M in cost avoidance through supply-chain stabilization.

●$82M+ in verified cost savings as interim COO and operating partner to CEOs and private equity sponsors.

$82M+

Verified cost savings delivered across client portfolio

$425M

Combined P&L ownership across engagements

$40M

Multi-year contract secured via S&OP transformation

96%

Schedule adherence, up from 72%, at $160M manufacturer

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

President / Executive Transformation Partner RWMFG Consulting LLC Phoenix, AZ

Independent transformation and interim-executive practice engaged by CEOs and private equity sponsors to drive operational turnaround, multi-site scalability, and EBITDA acceleration. Operates continuously since founding, including the full-time embedded leadership appointments detailed in the timeline below.

●Lead global multi-site operations scale-ups and restructuring across North America, EU, and APAC, deploying enterprise operating systems that unify engineering, production, supply chain, and field execution.

●Build and govern PMO and execution control systems that align portfolios to strategy, enforce delivery cadence, and drive measurable transformation outcomes.

●Architect enterprise backbone technology deployments — ERP (SAP, Oracle, Epicor), MES, WMS, APS/S&OP — integrated with data governance and performance visibility for decision intelligence.

●Lead Industry 4.0 modernization, integrating robotic assembly, automation, IoT telemetry, and AI-driven analytics to improve reliability, labor efficiency, and equipment utilization.

●Deliver supply chain stabilization and resiliency, correcting long-lead constraints and vendor volatility; generated $82M+ verified cost savings across client portfolio.

●Advise private equity sponsors and boards on operational due diligence, footprint strategy, post-merger integration, and CEO transformation roadmaps.

Engagement & Leadership Timeline

ATSC Inc. — Deputy COO and Transformation Executive Mar 2026 – Sep 2026 • RWMFG engagement

Cross-functional transformation role spanning operations, program management, supply chain, and engineering for a defense and government contractor, presenting directly to the Chairman, COO, and CFO.

Atlas Gunworks — Chief Operating Officer Dec 2025 – Mar 2026 • Full-time appointment

Led enterprise operations for a premium firearms manufacturer, unifying manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and quality into a single operating structure with KPI visibility, CNC and process optimization, and scalable production systems.

Vanguard-NOW — Founder & Chief Executive Jul 2024 – Oct 2025 • Independent venture

Designed an AI-driven enterprise platform unifying ERP, CRM, WMS, HRIS, and LMS into a single decision-making backbone; led corporate strategy, system architecture, and product design, building a proprietary portfolio of 300+ AI use cases spanning finance, operations, legal, and training.

ESS Metron — Head of Operations (COO-level role) Feb 2023 – Jul 2024 • Full-time appointment

Executive leader for a $160M engineer-to-order manufacturer serving hyperscale data center clients. Directed 300 employees across multi-site operations, aligning engineering, supply chain, and production to growth strategy.

●Implemented S&OP and capacity planning, securing a $40M multi-year contract and scaling quarterly output from 8 22 rooms with no CapEx.

●Led Lean transformation and analytics-driven performance system: +43% throughput, –37% WIP, FPY 78% 95%.

●Reduced procurement variance 22% and delivered $40M in cost avoidance through vendor strategy and supply chain stabilization.

●Raised schedule adherence 72% 96% and ensured continuity across engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain portfolios.

Interblock Gaming — Interim Chief Operating Officer May 2022 – Dec 2022 • RWMFG W-2 conversion

Engaged through RWMFG to lead operational transformation and scale North American delivery; converted to W-2 by client request to expand scope and accelerate impact.

Outrider Technologies — Director of Assembly Operations Apr 2021 – Apr 2022 • RWMFG W-2 conversion

Deployed during Series-A scale-up to build autonomous robotics assembly systems and launch execution model; converted to W-2 by client to continue platform scaling.

Amazon (AMZL Operations) — Senior Operations Manager Aug 2020 – Feb 2021 • RWMFG engagement, consulting

Stabilized last-mile delivery operations and recovered peak-season network performance.

API Heat Transfer — Director of Operations Oct 2018 – Mar 2020 • RWMFG engagement, consulting

Founding transformation engagement improving engineered thermal manufacturing performance and supply continuity.

Additional Transformation Engagements 2019 – Present

Short-duration executive deployments across aerospace, power systems, robotics, and precision manufacturing (available upon request).

ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE ROLES

Dinan Motorsports — Sr. Operations Manager Feb 2018 – Oct 2018

Led relocation and integration of Dinan from California to APR's Alabama facility; owned program management, logistics planning, and facility layout, and implemented DFM/DFMA process standards.

Stoller USA — Director of Operations Feb 2017 – Nov 2017

Led U.S. operations across three facilities; executed remediation programs, facility resets, and production system stabilization, restoring plant performance and operational discipline.

Whitefield Plastics — Sr. Operations Manager Jul 2013 – Nov 2015

Owned production, supply chain, and SIOP planning; increased revenue 33% in 12 months by building integrated scheduling, logistics flow, and demand planning structure.

Early Career — Defense & Operations Leadership

Progressive leadership roles across U.S. Army, General Dynamics Land Systems, and Oshkosh Defense overseeing global maintenance, production, and sustainment programs for armored vehicle platforms. Advanced from military operations into site leadership, managing production teams, contractor operations, and government program execution across CONUS and OCONUS.

CORE EXECUTIVE COMPETENCIES

Enterprise & P&L Leadership (17+ yrs)

P&L Ownership ($425M) • EBITDA Growth • Multi-Site Operations • Strategic Planning • Organizational Design • Board/PE Reporting • Risk & Governance

Transformation & PMO (18+ yrs)

PMO Creation & Governance • Portfolio Prioritization • Operational Turnaround • Lean Six Sigma (LSSBB) • Performance Systems (MOS) • KPI/OKR Deployment

Manufacturing & Supply Chain (20+ yrs)

DFM/DFMA • NPI Launch Leadership • Production Scale-Up • Global Supply Chain Strategy • SIOP/IBP • Vendor Strategy • Quality Systems (QMS/AS9100/ISO 9001)

Technology & Industry 4.0 (13+ yrs)

ERP/MES/WMS Integration (SAP, Oracle, Epicor) • Robotics & Automation • IoT Manufacturing • Predictive Analytics • AI Decision Support • Digital Twin

Defense & Compliance (20+ yrs)

Defense & DoD Contracting (ITAR, AS9100, Sustainment) • Quality & Compliance (ISO, UL, NFPA 70E, GLI, OSHA/EHS) • CONUS/OCONUS Program Execution

Consulting & Advisory

Interim COO/VP Ops Engagements • Operational Due Diligence • Turnaround Playbooks • Post-Merger Integration (PMI) • Executive Coaching • Cultural Transformation

EDUCATION

Executive MBA (in progress) — W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University Expected 2028

Bachelor of Applied Science, Interdisciplinary Studies (Organizational Development) — Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ Graduated

Associate of Arts, Business Administration — American Intercontinental University (AIU) Graduated

Global Operations & Supply Chain Leadership Certificate — St. Louis University, Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business Graduated

CERTIFICATIONS

●PgMP (Program Management Professional — PMI, In progress) — Enterprise program and portfolio management aligned to strategic objectives.

●PMOCP (PMO Certified Practitioner — PMI) — Establishing, governing, and optimizing PMOs for portfolio alignment and executive oversight.

●CPMAI (Certified Practitioner in Management of AI — PMI) — Implementing AI-driven solutions for digital transformation and operational redesign.

●SPC (SAFe Program Consultant — SAFe Scaled Agile) — Scaling Agile frameworks for enterprise change adoption and portfolio prioritization.

●CSM (Certified ScrumMaster — Scrum Alliance) — Agile project and program facilitation across cross-functional teams.

●LSSBB (Lean Six Sigma Black Belt — Global Six Sigma Institute) — Statistical and operational excellence for enterprise transformation.

●CCIM (Certified Continuous Improvement Manager — Management & Training Institute) — Organizational redesign and cross-functional process improvement.

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