Atlassian Products (Confluence, Jira)
Catina Sonner
Rochester,NY
Summary
Results-driven supply chain leader with expertise in strategic sourcing, evaluation, negotiation, process optimization, data analytics, and cross-functional leadership. Seamlessly blending strategic insight with technical acumen to drive collaborative initiatives, reinforcing core values of respect for people and continuous improvement. Skillfully driving safety, quality, cost efficiency, and innovation to achieve organizational success.
Skills
- Strategic Supply Chain Management
- Program & Project Leadership (Agile & Waterfall)
- Digital Transformation & Change Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Crisis Response & Risk Mitigation
- Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement (Kaizen, Six Sigma)
- Global Strategic Alignment & Capital Allocation
- Advanced Manufacturing Process Knowledge (plastics, textiles, SMT, wire harness)
- Product Lifecycle & SaaS Management
- Analytics & Data-Driven Decision Making
- Workflow & Systems Architecture Design
- Strategic Partnership Development
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Accomplishments
- Spearheaded the development of a custom supply planning application integrating Toyota's proprietary platform with AWS Cloud Services and o9 Solutions SaaS. This initiative improved forecast analysis and supplier collaboration, supporting over 5,000 users across 13 locations. My team's efforts were recognized at CES 2025 for "Supply Chain Transformation in the Age of AI."
- Led Toyota North America’s Electronic & Electrical supply continuity strategy during the COVID-19 crisis, enabling limited interruptions to production and contributing to record-breaking 2021 sales and profitability - surpassing GM to become the #1 U.S. automaker for the first time since 1931, while maintaining #1 Global automaker as well.
- Achieved 50% increase in efficiency by introducing a Global SAP based system for production preparation and launch management of supplied parts.
- Spearheaded the launch of a Greenfield Production Facility, overseeing concept development, process benchmarking, and successful execution of an unprecedented simultaneous three-vehicle launch (including the first time for North America to produce a Lexus Vehicle).
- Two-time attendee of an exclusive event (nominated attendance only) for high-performing women within Toyota. Selected to create and lead the only Executive Level breakout session at this event in Washington, D.C.
- Decreased Lexus Paint Line DPV by 15% and VOC by 35% to launch at TKT time
- Eliminated 33% Gap between Headliner (New Technology) and Rear Glass to achieve design specification
- Cost avoidance of ~$200,000 + Realized cost reduction of ~$20/part by leading the prototype tooling development for Camry Headliner
- Achieved 30% capacity increase with expert-level Kaizen abilities reducing changeovers (41min to 25min).
- Instructor and Subject Matter Expert include (not limited to): Capacity and Throughput Analysis / Part Quality Assurance / Design Intent Confirmation / New Model Production Preparation / New Supplier Training / CAD Systems / Part Analysis / Kaizen Activity (continuous improvement) / Leadership / Forecast Demand and Supply Analysis / Application Training and Onboarding / Toyota Business Practices (TBP)
Work History
Principal Engineer – Supply Chain Transformation
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)
08.2022 - 02.2025
- Product Manager in Toyota’s Supply Chain and Fulfillment Transformation Team, a multi-year global digital modernization initiative. Served as the primary liaison between Toyota Purchasing Supplier Development (PSD) and Demand and Supply Management (DSM) for cross-divisional process and decision-making milestones.
- Spearheaded the design, development, and implementation of a custom supply planning application (2WSC) designed to provide automated forecast analysis, enhanced supplier and sub-tier collaboration, and visualization of manufacturing process constraints, ensuring seamless integration with numerous new and existing systems.
- Achieved full system functionality and adoption ahead of the three-year target, successfully navigating complex vendor-related challenges and data security obstacles.
- Led user adoption strategy involving marketing, communication, customer engagement, training, scaling, and sustainability for a system with 400 suppliers, 13 Toyota locations and over 5,000 users. Current roll-out is ahead of schedule with full utilization expected by mid-2025.
- Consulted Japan counterparts to support their benchmarking of the North American system and ensured alignment for a globally connected product.
Principal Engineer - Production Crisis Management
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)
09.2021 - 08.2022
- Applied strong analytical and problem-solving skills to ensure production and supply continuity for all Electronic and Electrical components, overcoming disruptions from global events such as COVID-19, logistics delays, and natural disasters.
- Provided leadership in executive-level negotiations, leveraging data-driven insights to make critical decisions on production planning, quality assessments, risk management, to align regional and global supply strategies.
- Created mid/long term business strategies, collaborating across R&D and production teams, to ensure a competitive supply base and drive improvements in safety, quality, productivity, delivery, lead-time, and cost.
- Department leader for monthly and bi-annual volume management, capacity confirmation, various risk management activities, and team member coaching/assessment of Project Management & Technical Skills.
Senior Engineer - Pre-Production Project Management
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)
01.2020 - 09.2021
- Designed and implemented streamlined supplier data visualizations and early risk detection protocols achieving 99% launch readiness during final audit phase.
- Created curriculum and onboarded over 600 new and existing team members achieving a robust, collaborative, and trustworthy customer-supplier relationship.
- Led and participated in special project teams, internal and external, to develop, enhance, and implement standardized work processes.
- Managed cross-functional teams involving over 150 stakeholders across design, quality, logistics, and suppliers to ensure seamless integration of design changes into production planning.
Senior Engineer, Pre-Production Design & Launch Management
Toyota Motor North America (TMNA)
08.2013 - 01.2020
- Led production preparation for multiple Tier 1 suppliers with specialized focus on high-risk New Technology Implementation, optimizing manufacturing processes through design, quality, and capacity planning while driving continuous improvement initiatives across hundreds of supplier companies.
- Led cross-functional collaboration between Toyota and suppliers at all levels to support multiple simultaneous new model launches, ensuring 100% on-time launch readiness.
- Managed process planning, cost analysis, manufacturability assessments, and tooling/equipment design feedback, integrating warranty considerations and recurrence prevention strategies.
- Conducted over 50 global pre-sourcing supplier evaluations alongside purchasing to assess technical viability and sourcing risks.
- Validated and implemented new laser welding and assembly cell technology for Rear Combination Lamps, managing process planning, equipment setup, quality confirmation, and team member training.
Software
SaaS/PaaS Products (SAP, o9 Solutions, Blue Yonder/OneNetwork, SupplyON, Palantir, E2Open)
Business Intelligence (BI) Tools (PowerBI, Tableau, Sharepoint, Azure, Excel, ChatGPT, CoPilot, etc)
3D CAD modeling (Catia, Creo, SolidWorks, XVL)
Basic Coding (Visual Basic, SQL, Python C)
Cloud Databases (AWS, Oracle, Azure)
Websites
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/catinasonner/
- https://fortune.com/2021/08/02/toyota-cars-chip-shortage-semiconductors/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/gm-dethroned-toyota-almost-century-long-run-top-selling-carmaker-us-rcna10895
- https://www.ces.tech/videos/supply-chain-transformation-in-the-age-of-ai-sponsored-by-toyota/
Certification
- Agile and Scrum Training, Toyota - 2020
- Toyota Business Practices Certification (structured problem-solving process) - 2015
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Limited Working
Italian
Elementary
Affiliations
- Society of Women Engineers
- Rochester Young Professionals
Education
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY2013
Interests
Hiking
Traveling
Reading
Quote
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
– John C. Maxwell
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