Summary
Overview
LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY
CULTURE & TALENT DEVELOPMENT
TURNAROUND & TRANSFORMATION
Affiliations
Certification
TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
MILITARY SERVICE
Websites
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R. Kevin Gallagher

R. Kevin Gallagher

Surprise,AZ

Summary

Executive operations and supply chain leader with 20+ years of experience driving performance across private equity–backed, family-owned, and Fortune 500 food & beverage companies. Highly experienced in scaling PE-backed businesses, managing $1B+ P&Ls, and delivering sustainable results through Lean, Six Sigma, and digital manufacturing tools. Air Force service, instilling discipline, accountability, integrity, and performance under pressure. Recognized for building high-performing teams, driving continuous improvement, and aligning capacity with growth strategies while embedding a safety-first culture.

Overview

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Certification

LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

Integrity-driven, sleeves-up leader who builds trust, inspires resilience, strengthens teams, and delivers results. Guided by military discipline and accountability, I perform effectively in high-stress environments while fostering safe, engaged, and high-performing cultures.

CULTURE & TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Built engaged, resilient, and safety-first cultures by developing leaders, strengthening frontline accountability, and reducing turnover. Designed succession planning frameworks and training programs that elevated internal talent into senior roles while improving retention and team performance.

TURNAROUND & TRANSFORMATION

Proven record of revitalizing underperforming operations and scaling businesses for growth. Drove plant turnarounds that converted negative EBITDA to double-digit profitability, stabilized workforce morale, and accelerated performance through lean manufacturing, automation, and cultural reset initiatives.

Affiliations

• Delivered $3.1M annual savings through Lean/7S and SPC initiatives.

• Commissioned two aseptic bottling lines at 1,200 BPM with integrated MES.

• Directed $345M CAPEX program with 3 greenfield startups and 1 expansion.

• Reduced WIP losses by 29% and optimized transportation, saving $2.2M annually.

• Improved OTIF from 92% to 97% via targeted downtime reduction and process control.

• Built and developed high-performing leadership teams across multi-plant operations, reducing turnover and strengthening culture.

• Leveraged military foundation in discipline, accountability, and integrity to embed a safety-first environment and drive sustainable results across multi-plant operations.

Certification

BSc, Industrial Technology – Southern Illinois University at Carbondale | Leadership at the Peak – Center for Creative Leadership | Commandant's Award for Leadership Excellence – U.S. Military

TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE

ERP: SAP, Oracle | MES & Digital Manufacturing | Lean Six Sigma | SPC | KPI Dashboards

High-Speed Bottling & Blow-Molding (110–1,200 BPM) | Automated Optical Sorting | Advanced Scheduling

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Consultant, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Independent Consultant | Phoenix, AZ 2022–Present

• Advising on staffing, manufacturing process redesign, SOP/SWI implementation, and OEE improvements

Chief Operating Officer | Turkey Hill Dairy 2019–2021

• Reduced WIP losses by 22% and improved OTIF by 16% while embedding Lean/7S practices, generating $3.1M annual savings

Chief Supply Chain Officer | Borden Dairy 2017–2019

• Managed $1B P&L across 13 plants/90 hubs, embedding a safety-first culture

• Enhanced SIOP capacity by 11%, enabling facility closure without service impact and reducing WIP losses by 29%, saving $2.2M annually

Vice President, Supply Chain | Fairlife 2015–2017

• Commissioned two aseptic bottling lines at 1,200 BPM with MES integration

• Increased plant capacity by 120% YOY and improved OTIF from 92% to 97% through downtime reduction and process control

President, Mexico Subsidiary | Wonderful Citrus 2007–2013

• Directed $345M CAPEX program with 3 greenfield startups and 1 expansion

• Managed vertically integrated citrus operations producing 18M+ cartons annually, increasing yield by 24% via automation and Lean/7S

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Site Director | AdvancePierre Foods (2014–2015) – Led daily operations ensuring production efficiency and safety compliance.

Vice President/General Manager | Eagle Family Foods (2005–2007) – Directed business unit operations, driving cost optimization and market positioning.

Plant Manager | The Dannon Company (2001–2005) – Oversaw high-volume yogurt manufacturing with process efficiency improvements.

Engineering Manager | HJ Heinz (1994–2001) – Managed engineering projects and equipment reliability initiatives.

Engineering Reliability Manager | Chinet (1989–1994) – Directed reliability engineering and preventive maintenance.

Project Engineer/Maintenance Supervisor | Frito-Lay (1988–1989) – Supervised engineering projects and maintenance programs.

MILITARY SERVICE

United States Air Force | 9 Years | Strategic Air Command (ICBM Nuclear Weapon Systems Analyst & Crew Chief) | Tactical Air Command (Combat Crew, Combat Instructor, Flight Technical Leader) | Top Secret Security Clearance with Background Investigation

R. Kevin Gallagher