Project Manager Sales

Alain R. Piette, MBA

**** **** ******* ****, ******, MI 48371 ● Mobile: 248-***-**** ● *****.********@*****.***

Senior Executive Synopsis

An accomplished business strategist with a terrific blend of operational, financial and marketing skills with an excellent record of delivering both sales growth and operational efficiencies. Achieves results in domestic and international settings by anticipating the market needs, removing internal and external constraints and building strong and focused organizations. An energetic leader, who achieves organizational change, accelerates pace of innovation, delivers customer excellence, lean operations and total employee involvement.

• Successful with privately and publically held businesses, startups, plant relocations and turn around conditions (Dupont, Delphi, Sherwin Williams, Kongsberg Automotive, Mexico, US, Africa, Europe)

• A thoughtful team member who plans for success by formulating and communicating a vision, managing P&L related functions, aligning global partnerships and delivering profitable customer relationships.

• Cultivates team creativity and achieves change by means of Technology Mapping, Lean Six Sigma, Constraint Management, Total Productive Maintenance, Cellular Manufacturing and Value Stream Mapping.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Board and C- Level Experience • M&A Experience

• Impeccable Integrity • IP Development

• Aggressive Self Starter • Multi Lingual

• Metric Driven • Applied Creativity & Innovation

• Global Perspective • Direct & Collaborative Style

• Operational Experience • Strategic Partnership Development

• Intellectual Curiosity • Brand Positioning

Noteworthy Career Achievements

• Repositioned the organization to achieve a 2X sales growth in 3 years after the company stagnated for 9 years

• Introduced lean systems as part of a turn-around plan leading to break-even in 7 months, a 4.3% EBIT the first year and exceeding over 21% EBIT every subsequent year

• Grew the sales of a new technology by $27 M while generating gross margins exceeding 60%

• Managed the licensing, the international technology transfer, the manufacturing scale up and customer development resulting in controlling 75% of a new market segment

• Implemented an international growth model, leveraging the $ 200 M in combined business strengths of the North American Company with a leading European supplier, generating new sales in excess of $20 M

• Managed the launch and exit strategy of an advanced technology startup company

• Non Executive Director Assignments: ALEX Pallets Systems Inc., Traxx Mobility Inc, ACG Detroit Board of Directors

Education

Wayne State University: MBA, 2004, BS Management & Finance, IHNUS: Gent, Belgium, Finance

Languages: fluent in English, French, Dutch, Fundamentals of Spanish and German

Awards

2011 Industry Defense Manufacturing Excellence Award

2005-2006 Adams Foundation Fellowship Competition

Corporate Partnership Award at the Michigan Technology Leaders 2006 Symposium

Alain R. Piette, MBA

1524 East Oakwood Road, Oxford, MI 48371 ● Mobile: 248-***-**** ● *****.********@*****.***

SUMMARY OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

SpaceForm Welding Solutions Inc, Madison Heights, MI 2003-present

An advanced R&D technology company set up to commercialize patented processes developed by Delphi Automotive.

• As President & COO Responsible for the spinout, startup and technology transfer from Delphi Central Research. Launched a multi market product introduction resulting in $5.2 million in NASA contracts, increased the equity value by $3 million and negotiated an exit strategy with a strategic partner resulting in $800,000 in cost avoidance. R&D efforts led to the filing of two patent applications. Successfully managed the company when two equity shareholders were in chapter 11 and chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings.

Kongsberg Automotive Inc., Farmington Hills, MI and Reynosa, Mexico 01/2000 – 07/2003

A $1.2 Billion Norwegian based global manufacturer of seat components, gear shifters and truck components.

• As President, North American Operations & Business Development led a creative organizational change and the turnaround activities for a $25 million division after $14 M in losses were accumulated over 9 years. Engineered a turn-around plan leading to brake-even in 7 months, a 4.3% EBIT the first year and exceeding over 21% EBIT every subsequent year. Tripled sales in 3 years. Relocated a manufacturing plant to Mexico in four months with no supply, quality or labor interruptions. Obtained international business contracts to supply Toyota US and Japan.

Foamade Industries, Auburn Hills, MI 10/1995 - 11/1999

Joined this privately held $35 M manufacturer of acoustical and heat sealing products after the company had lost 38% in market share and was in need of operational improvements, new product development and an international expansion.

• Hired as Vice President North American Operations assumed leadership for the organizational excellence, quality deployment, R&D focus, supply chain management and financial restructuring to prepare Foamade Industries as a world-class international competitor. The accomplishments are the improvement of the financial results by 28%, achieving quality certifications in 18 months, introducing Lean concepts and Value Stream Mapping improving quality to less than 8 PPM, improving inventory accuracy by 45%, introducing automation resulting in 76% improvement in key work cells, removal of constraints producing 21% in overall productivity improvements and 100% on time supply.

• Promoted to Vice President International Operations to lead the business development, the identification and formation of international partnerships and identifying M&A targets to meet global customer supply needs. Conceived an international growth model, created Foamade Plasto Automotive Inc. as an international platform, leveraging the $ 200 M in combined business strengths of Foamade Industries and Plasto Automotive S.A., a leading European automotive supplier. Established partnerships with Brazilian and Mexican companies and gained access to new markets with no capital investments. Developed and exported new technologies specifically designed for the European market resulting in 11% in sales growth. Introduced and sold new European technologies resulting in $12 million in new US business contracts

Sherwin Williams, Troy, MI 10/1986 - 09/1995

A $3.5 billion paint and coatings manufacturer.

• As Business Unit Manager assumed the P&L responsibility for a startup that became a $70 M venture to supply highly engineered original equipment coatings. The scope of the activities encompassed strategic planning, technology licensing, R&D, manufacturing, sales, marketing, customer development and M&A negotiations. A new licensed technology controlled 75 % of its market segment; an internal R&D development resulted in a patented technology with sales of $27 M, generating margins exceeding 60%. Build a new laboratory, introduced lean thinking in product development and achieved a 50% time to market reduction.

Alain R. Piette, MBA

1524 East Oakwood Road, Oxford, MI 48371 ● Mobile: 248-***-**** ● *****.********@*****.***

DuPont, Wilmington, DE and Troy, MI, 02/1981-10/1986

A $ 41 billion supplier of automotive plastics, coatings, electronics and textiles.

Director Saturn Account, Account Manager at GM & Ford with responsibilities encompassing the integration of all applicable DuPont product offerings to gain new business contracts. At GM and Ford the responsibilities were the repositioning of DuPont as a changed supplier after the company had lost substantial market share, obtained approvals for two new technologies ensuring continuation of $450M in business and reversed a four year market share decline. Conceived a painted/ injection molded manufacturing project for Saturn, producing over $ 50 million in annual sales.

Inmont Corporation, 02/1976 - 02/1981

A $1 billion automotive coatings, printing inks and container coating manufacturer purchased by BASF

Project Manager Mexico, Venezuela, Executive in Training Detroit, Cincinnati, Canada

Production Superintendent South Africa

Responsibilities as project manager in Central and South America were to lead the infrastructure analysis, project management and plant start-ups in Mexico, and Venezuela

The responsibilities in South Africa were to manage the startup of the green field site to full production which was achieved in 7 months

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