David Viera
BRIDGEWATER INTERIORS
Clarkston,Michigan
35
years of professional experience
Senior level manufacturing & operational excellence manager with 25+ years of experience in leadership roles. Highly motivated team builder with a demonstrated ability to establish & exceed P&L/KPI’s using analytical problem solving & continuous improvement principles. Dedicated coach & mentor who is passionate about developing talent for next generation manufacturing demands. Detail oriented solution seeker with a deep understanding of how to develop quality & manufacturing systems, implement them effectively, and regulate as needed, keeping up with dynamic business demands. Proven track record of success in high pressure, fast-paced manufacturing environments across automotive. Proven ability to manage multimillion-dollar monthly budgets and plant teams of up to 10,000 indirect/direct reports.
Work History
Chief Operating Officer
5 Years 9 Months- Lead the company’s objectives: provide the management necessary for the financial and operational structure; drives the company’s operating efficiency; profitability; business goals, and more. Function as a liaison between Bridgewater Interiors and Adient organizations – helping with new business, labor relations, operations, performance management, policy, and financial issues as well as ensuring BWI operates to the ideals of a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
Executive Director OF Adient North American JIT Seating
1 Year 10 Months- Led the department’s seating operations across the U.S. and Mexico in parallel with corporate advance manufacturing and supply chain functions. Additionally, oversaw the company’s 20 North American JIT sites, which included more than 10,000 employees.
- Among the management areas, led the division in gaining over $6 billion in revenue.
Executive Director – Asia Pacific Seating Components
1 Year 11 Months- 23 sites, 45 plants, 3 Tech Centers, 5 JVs with 6 partners in 7 countries
- ~5000 miles, covering 4-time zones.
- Most locations have condensed, vertically integrated, local market focused operations.
- Production Vehicles: 15.9M / Commercial Vehicles: 4.1M
- 3,267 Production Associates and 1,204 Salary within Region
Operations Director – Toyota/Nissan/VW Operations
1 Year 7 Months- 6 Plants (US/Mexico/Canada) - $2.1B Sales / 4,800 Associates
Plant Manager – Bridgewater Interiors Inc. – GM/Cadillac Seating and Overhead Operations
4 YearsManufacturing Quality Director – Toyota/Honda Seating Operations
1 YearManufacturing Quality Director – Ford Seating Operations
7 MonthsContinuous Improvement Director – Ford Seating Operations
1 Year 1 Month- Fiscal Year 2009 - $7.1M Targeted / $7.8M Road mapped as of 2/10/09 (Without Q2 Vehicle Volume Adjustment)
- Consults on BU projects about project direction, financial and quality improvement opportunities, and suitability as a Six Sigma project.
- Provide technical leadership, mentoring and coaching to assigned Lean Six Sigma Black Belts, Green Belts, or other personnel as part of their project management and personal development.
- Drive improvement to our BBP JIT metrics. Coaches Lean Six Sigma Black Belts and leadership in how to convert gaps in performance into process improvement projects with breakthrough results.
- Shares “best practices” throughout the Company and monitors projects for opportunities for cross-collaboration.
- Models the Six Sigma process in individual and group interactions and challenges current thinking and resistance.
Plant Manager – Seating Operations
1 Year 9 Months- Non-Union Workforce: 478 (Two Shifts)
- Direct plant operations, quality, safety, and continuous improvement – reduced the plants conversion cost per EQU by 21% (monthly gap closure of approximately $725k).
- 1st Qtr Avg Conv Cost: $52.81
- 4th Qtr Avg Conv Cost: $41.65
- Implemented Employee Empowerment Teams—employee awareness and participation, idea generation, and buy-in for optimal Factory results in morale and Business Metrics.
- Implemented a Visual Factory—set in 5S standards, color-code practices, and visual boards.
- Fiscal 2007 Plant Metrics – attached.
Plant Manager – Seating & Welding Facilities
3 Years- Non-Union Workforce: 631 / 2 Facilities (Five Shifts)Responsible for the quality improvement turnaround – post X61B (Pathfinder/Xterra/Frontier) seat launch in November 2004.
- Nissan Seating RPPM/AVES
- FY06 Continuous improvement cost reduction activity improvement of 21% (Oct 05 thru Sept 06).
- NYPlan06 CI Savings: $7,983M vs Actual of $10,055M
- Responsible for the analysis the plants or department budget requests and allocates an operating budget. Conferred with administrative personnel and reviews activity, operating and sales reports to determine changes in programs or operations required. Developed and implements capital investment plans. Directed the preparation of directives to a division or department head outlining policy, program or operations changes to be implemented.
- Fiscal 2005 Plant Metrics – attached.
Operations Manager - Seating
5 Months- Non-Union Workforce: 458 / Two Shift Operation
- Responsible for the planning, logistics, process development, implementation, and tracking of an unprecedented (4) four simultaneous launches.
- Operational responsibility for (8) eight production lines – UL Quest, WZW Armada, iWZW Infinity, ZW Titan, and TK Altima vehicle lines (Nissan Canton Assembly Plant).
- Achieved 0-0-100-100-30 for the WZW, ZW, and iWZW 2003/4 Launches.
- Managed $8.5M inventory evaluation – parts procurement, engineering changes, BOM maintenance, and logistics.
Operations Manager – Seating
9 Months- UAW Workforce: 225 / Two Shift Operation
- Operational responsibility for (2) two production lines – U222/8 Navigator/Expedition and Lincoln LS (Ford’s Michigan Truck Plant and Wixom Assembly Plant).
- Launched U222/8 in an eleven-day accelerated launch schedule with (0) zero delivery/quality issues.
- Achieved 0-0-30 for the Lincoln LS 2003 Launch
Materials Group Manager – Ford Business Unit JIT
1 Year 1 Month- Responsible for (7) seven Ford JIT seating plants operationally in North America
- Implemented a standardized reporting for Operations and Financial Budgeting – Fiscal Month Reporting, Quarterly Forecasting, and Annual Profit Plan metric setting.
- Established formal Materials succession planning for Regional and Plant Management.
- Continuous Improvement Champion for the JIT Business Unit leading inventory turns metric.
- Upfront interface with OEM customers (Ford) on key supply chain material initiatives and utilize this information to influence JCI Manufacturing and Commercial strategies.
- Integration with Strategic Purchasing organization and influence Sourcing, Optimizations, and Lead Supplier strategies.
- Implementation of a carrier scorecard to help drive “ontime” delivery performance from our primary carrier base at 98%.
- Accomplishments
- Direct key metric improvements:
- FY2002 FY2001 FY2000
- Ford Business Unit NA Service Rating 97.9 97.2 95.6
- Ford Business Unit NA Vehicle Operations Rating 99.1 98.8 94.5
- Ford Business Unit Inventory Turn Improvement 91.3 82.4 79.3
Materials Manager
1 Year 11 MonthsSenior Production Control Lead
1 Year 6 Months- Materials follow-up/procurement for (Livonia Transmission Facility) MRP system – CMMS Production.
- Provide forecasted 28-day schedule for the 4R70W/AX4S transmission lines.
- Maintain/update purchase part receipt records.
- Disposition of Rejected Material: monitor 72-hour disposition, coordinate open rejects with receiving inspection, and follow-up to ensure timely shipments.
- Administer and monitor Livonia excess transportation charge-back program.
- Daily schedule of 4R70W/AX4S transmission lines based on “Build to Schedule” objectives.
- Initiated “Dock to Dock” inventory evaluation across forty-six component work cells.
Senior Logistics Manager
1 Year 11 Months- Direct and coordinate activities of the production department in subassembly and sequencing.
- Create and review all operator job instructions (ODSs) for each work cell in the facility – concurrent with QS9000 standards.
- Immediate response to Customer concerns using Five Phase Problem Solving Process
- Materials follow-up/expedite to (GM’s Orion Facility) MRP system – IMS Production.
- Supervision over (40) forty employees as a Production Supervisor
- Compliance with labor relations, including discipline, positive reinforcement, and union grievances.
- Accomplishments
- Achieved major improvements in quality and throughput by designing work cells and implementing statistical quality and process control on the shop floor. Set up Just in Time (JIT) stock room in support of instrument panel pull line. Reduced an (8) eight Shift job in material handling to (3) three, resulting in a 50% reduction of staff requirement.
Operations Supervisor
9 Months- Created and maintained synchronous delivery schedules from 54 suppliers to 6 area Kelsey Hayes plants.
- Pricing development to establish efficient routing benchmarks.
- Completion of the facility’s monthly projections for profit/loss cost variance analysis.
- Managed certified load process at cross-docking facility.
- Coordinated window changes with route design analyst, supplier, and KH plant.
- Conducted material requirement changes with KH Material Planners.
- Supervision over (18) eighteen employees as an Operations Supervisor.
- CTI, Customized Transportation, Inc.
Assistant Golf Professional
1 YearEducation
Bachelor of Science
Skills
Supply Chain Management · Diversity & Inclusion · Executive Leadership · Leadership Development · Transformational Leadership · Environmental
Social
and Governance (ESG) · Financial Acumen · Strategic Thinking · Growth Mindset · Continuous Improvement · Business Process Improvement · Global Management · Operations Management · High Performance Teams · Capital Allocation Skills: Stakeholder Relations · Diversity & Inclusion · Executive Leadership · Leadership Development · Transformational Leadership · · Strategic Thinking · Growth Mindset · Continuous Improvement · Business Process Improvement · Management · High Performance Teams · Capital Allocation
Timeline
Chief Operating Officer
BRIDGEWATER INTERIORS
11.2020 - CurrentRead More
Executive Director OF Adient North American JIT Seating
ADIENT
01.2019 - 11.2020Read More
Executive Director – Asia Pacific Seating Components
ADIENT
02.2017 - 01.2019Read More
Operations Director – Toyota/Nissan/VW Operations
ADIENT/JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
07.2015 - 02.2017Read More
Plant Manager – Bridgewater Interiors Inc. – GM/Cadillac Seating and Overhead Operations
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
06.2011 - 06.2015Read More
Manufacturing Quality Director – Toyota/Honda Seating Operations
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
06.2010 - 06.2011Read More
Manufacturing Quality Director – Ford Seating Operations
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
10.2009 - 05.2010Read More
Continuous Improvement Director – Ford Seating Operations
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
10.2008 - 11.2009Read More
Plant Manager – Seating Operations
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
01.2007 - 10.2008Read More
Plant Manager – Seating & Welding Facilities
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
01.2004 - 01.2007Read More
Operations Manager - Seating
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
08.2003 - 01.2004Read More
Operations Manager – Seating
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
11.2002 - 08.2003Read More
Materials Group Manager – Ford Business Unit JIT
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
10.2001 - 11.2002Read More
Materials Manager
JOHNSON CONTROLS INC.
11.1999 - 10.2001Read More
Senior Production Control Lead
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
05.1998 - 11.1999Read More
Senior Logistics Manager
MACKIE AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS
06.1996 - 05.1998Read More
Operations Supervisor
CSX CORPORATION
09.1995 - 06.1996Read More
Assistant Golf Professional
ASPEN VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB
01.1992 - 01.1993Read More
Ferris State University
Bachelor of Science
Read More