Robert Heideman
Lake Tomahawk,USA
Summary
Dynamic technology leader with over 30 years of experience in research, product engineering, technology management, business development, and acquisitions, culminating in a senior leadership role at A. O. Smith. Expertise in driving innovation and executing strategic initiatives while fostering collaboration with executive teams to achieve ambitious organizational goals. Proven track record of guiding diverse stakeholders through complex challenges, complemented by advisory board roles across a family business, universities, and community organizations. Committed to leveraging extensive industry knowledge to enhance operational efficiency, foster growth, and deliver transformative results in fast-paced environments.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer – Engineering and Technology
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2010 - 01.2025
- Responsible for global engineering and advanced technology development function (800+ people with an annual budget $80+MM ).
- Establish, maintain and execute the company’s global engineering and technology strategy.
- Established corporate process to evaluate new technology-based adjacent business opportunities.
- Identify and acquire potential new business for corporation and technologies/capabilities needed to enter these opportunities.
- Lead due-diligence activities of engineering function, technology assessment, and patent portfolio for acquisitions candidates.
- Improved processes (one in North America and one in China) to select ideas that should be patented or protected via trade secrets.
- Established corporate metrics to measure innovation effectiveness.
- Increased innovation as measured by these metrics over 100% in 5 years.
- Provided leadership mentoring for key SBU leaders in our China and North America operations.
- Participate in annual business strategy development for corporation.
- Established dual-career path (managerial or technical individual contributor)
- Leveraged outside funding from various government organizations to support higher-risk technology development projects.
Vice President – Corporate Technology Center
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2008 - 01.2011
- Redefined role and vision of corporate technology center to drive more value from center's activities.
- Established innovation process and innovation metrics for corporation.
- Reported quarterly on results of innovation metrics and key innovation initiatives to A.O. Smith Board of Directors.
- Established advanced technology development team and product simulation team in Nanjing, China.
- Established relationships and research projects with universities in North America and China.
Director – Materials and Processes
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2005 - 01.2008
- Supervised materials engineers and technicians to identify new materials for use in current and new products.
- Materials evaluated included steel, aluminum, polymers, organic coatings, and inorganic coatings.
- Worked with business unit operation teams to improve manufacturing processes such as metal forming, die castings, welding, injection molding, and spray coatings.
Section Manager – Metallurgy and Prototyping
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2002 - 01.2005
Chairman – External Advisory Board for Materials Engineering Department
University of Wisconsin – Madison
01.2022 - Current
- Lead board to appropriate level of involvement in department
- Lead push to recruit more students into Materials Engineering
- Advise on improving industrial relations to improve funding for research and new facilities.
- Provide assistance in locating permanent jobs and internships to students.
Member – Board of Directors
Angi Energy, Inc.
01.2012 - 01.2014
- Provided mentoring to business leaders which helped business grow top-line sales and profits by more than 100% in less than 3 years.
- Provided mentoring to business leadership to prepare the business for sale.
- Helped sell business for approximately 12x EBITDA in June 2014.
Chairman – Industrial Advisory Board for Water Equipment and Policy I/U CRC
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and Marquette University
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Refined strategy for research center which lead to a 130% member growth in 3 years.
- Developed a process to ensure professors received industrial mentoring for proposed and funded work.
- Mentored University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee professor in leadership of I/U CRC and in research activities.
- Worked with faculty members from both universities to develop quality pre-competitive proposals for I/U CRC thereby increasing the number of proposals submitted for funding from 10 to 27 in 3 years.
- Increased tenured-faculty involvement in center.
- Provided assistance in locating permanent jobs and internships to students involved in center.
Engineering Supervisor – Chemical and Material Laboratory
Kohler Company
01.2001 - 01.2002
Education
Ph.D. - Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Minor
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI01.2015
M.S. - Metallurgical Engineering
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN01.1992
B.S. - Metallurgical Engineering
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI01.1988
Skills
- Technology and product strategy
- Innovation management
- Process improvement
- Stakeholder relations
- Influencing skills
- Organizational leadership
- Strategic visioning
- Relationship and team building
- Financial acumen
- Global perspective
- Personnel skills development
Timeline
Chairman – External Advisory Board for Materials Engineering Department
University of Wisconsin – Madison
01.2022 - Current
Member – Board of Directors
Angi Energy, Inc.
01.2012 - 01.2014
Chairman – Industrial Advisory Board for Water Equipment and Policy I/U CRC
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and Marquette University
01.2012 - 01.2015
Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer – Engineering and Technology
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2010 - 01.2025
Vice President – Corporate Technology Center
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2008 - 01.2011
Director – Materials and Processes
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2005 - 01.2008
Section Manager – Metallurgy and Prototyping
A.O. Smith Corporation
01.2002 - 01.2005
Engineering Supervisor – Chemical and Material Laboratory
Kohler Company
01.2001 - 01.2002
Ph.D. - Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Minor
University of Wisconsin - Madison
M.S. - Metallurgical Engineering
Purdue University
B.S. - Metallurgical Engineering
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Publications
- Jingbo Chang, Guihua Zhou, Erik R Christensen, Robert Heideman, Junhong Chen: Graphene-based sensors for detection of heavy metals in water: A review Chemosensors and Chemoreception. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 04/2014; 406(16). DOI:10.1007/s00216-014-7804-x
- R. Heideman, C. Johnson, S. Kou: Metallurgical analysis of Al/Cu friction stir spot welding. Science and Technology of Welding & Joining 09/2010; 15(7):597-604. DOI:10.1179/136217110X12788589949985
- Dan M. Ionel, Mircea Popescu, Malcolm I. McGilp, T.J.E. Miller, Stephen J. Dellinger, Robert J. Heideman: Computation of Core Losses in Electrical Machines Using Improved Models for Laminated Steel. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 12/2007; 43(6-43):1554 - 1564. DOI:10.1109/TIA.2007.908159
- D.M. Ionel, M. Popescu, S.J. Dellinger, T.J.E. Miller, R.J. Heideman, M.I. McGilp: On the variation with flux and frequency of the core loss coefficients in electrical machines. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 06/2006; 42(3-42):658 - 667. DOI:10.1109/TIA.2006.872941
- D.M. Ionel, M. Popescu, S.J. Dellinger, T.J.E. Miller, R.J. Heideman, M.I. McGilp: Factors Affecting the Accurate Prediction of Iron Losses in Electrical Machines. Electric Machines and Drives, 2005 IEEE International Conference on 06/2005
- Christopher B Smith, Wade Crusan, Jonathan R Hootman, John F Hinrichs, Robert J Heideman, Jeffrey S Noruk: Friction Stir welding in the Automotive Industry
- C. Smith, G. Bendzsak, T. North, J. Hinrichs, J. Noruk, R. Heideman, ‘Heat and Material Flow Modeling of the Friction Stir-welding Process’, International Conference on Computer Technology in Welding (9th; 1999: Detroit, MI), edited by T. Siewert, C. Pollock; Boulder, Boulder, CO: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 2000.
- D. Tice, J. Noruk, R. Heideman, P. Fritz: Materials selection for auto parts. Advanced Materials and Processes 04/1996; 149(5).
- R.J. Heideman, JF. Hinrichs, JS. Noruk, WM. McDonald, Challenges of Welding Aluminum Alloys for Automotive Structures, Proceedings of the International Body Engineering Conference Advanced Technologies and Processes, October 1-3, 1996, vol 25, 1996
Patents
- U.S. Patent 8,035,273: Rotor Assembly having Two Core Portions Each with a Reduced Diameter, October 11, 2011.
- U.S. Patent 7,821,175: Stator Assembly for an Electric Machine and Method of Manufacture, October 26, 2010.
- U.S. Patent 7,709,991: Rotor Assembly for an Electric Machine including a Vibration Limiting Member and Method of Manufacturing the Same, May 4, 2010.
- U.S. Patent 7,468,570: Stator Assembly for an Electric Machine and Method of Manufacture, December 23, 2008.
- U.S. Patent 7,348,706: Stator Assembly for an Electric Machine and Method of Manufacture, March 25, 2008.
- U.S. Patent 7,332,845: Spoke Permanent Magnet Rotor, February 19, 2008.
- U.S. Patent 7,157,827: Spoke Permanent Magnet Rotor, January 2, 2007.
- U.S. Patent 7,148,598: Spoke Permanent Magnet Rotors for Electrical Machines and Method of Manufacture, December 12, 2006.
- U.S. Patent 6,417,596: Apparatus and Method for Attaching a Shaft to an Electric Motor Rotor, July 9, 2002.
- U.S. Patent 6,053,391: Friction Stir Welding Tool, April 25, 2000.
- U.S. Patent 6,013,997: Three Dimensional Tactile Seam Tracking Device, January 11, 2000.
- U.S. Patent 5,865,362: Method of Friction Welding a Support to a Boxed Vehicle Structure, February 2, 1999.
- U.S. Patent 5,369,300: Multilayer Metallization for Silicon Semiconductor Devices Including a Layer Formed of Amorphous Tungsten/Silicon, November 29, 1994
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