Robert Digman
Louisville,KY
Summary
Motivational leader and organizational problem-solver with advanced supervisory, team building and business analytic skills. Experience stepping into roles and quickly making positive changes to drive company success. Focused on using training, mentoring and morale-building techniques to maximize employee engagement and performance.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Research and Development
MIDEA AMERICA CORP
Louisville, KY
04.2022 - Current
- Lead the technical evaluation and direction of products for introduction to the US market (Dishwashers, Range Hoods, Gas Cooktops, Water Heaters, Water Softeners, Water Filtration)
- Developed research strategies to identify new opportunities for product innovation.
- Executed consumer innovation research and projects for all KWHA products resulting in 5 new to market features
- Advocate for regulatory changes for KWHA division products (AHAM/HVI/UL)
- Evaluated existing products, consumer reviews, and technologies to determine potential improvements or modifications improving product ratings by 20%
- Collaborated with an international team to develop the next generation product platforms
- Provided technical guidance and mentoring to junior engineers.
- Worked side by side with marketing team to develop channel structure and feature sets for new models, as well as marketing key points based on consumer research.
Platform Manager
MIDEA AMERICA CORP
Louisville, KY
10.2016 - 04.2022
- Introduced first Midea own branded dishwasher to the largest US retailer
- Developed 5 unique wash features for the Midea dishwasher
- Created a roadmap for the platform's development, ensuring features were delivered on time and within budget.
- Conducted user acceptance testing of new features prior to release.
- 52 Patent Applications for Dishwashers and other appliances
Director of Fixed Operations/Director of Engineering
CHAS S. WINNER INC.
Cherry Hill, NJ
01.2011 - 09.2016
- Developed and implemented comprehensive strategies to improve operational processes and organizational efficiency.
- Increased customer satisfaction by 41%
- Reduced obsolete inventory by 42%
- Increased overall sales by 32%
- 83% improvement in profit over 2 years
- Directed the organization's daily operations, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Managed budgeting and financial planning processes for the organization.
Plant Manager, Dishwasher Division
BOSCH SIEMENS HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION (B/S/H)
New Bern, NC
05.2009 - 12.2010
- Developed and implemented successful strategies to optimize production efficiency.
- Implemented new technologies and/or systems to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
- Decreased equipment downtime by 15%
- Reduced product quality defects to below 45000ppm
- Reduced scrap and rework by 50%
- Streamlined production output efficiency by 5%
- Coordinated and led cross functional teams with members located in six countries.
Design Engineering Manager, Dishwasher Division
BOSCH SIEMENS HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION (B/S/H)
New Bern, NC
03.2005 - 04.2009
- Led the development team of the #1 dishwashers ranked by Consumer Reports for ten consecutive reports
- Decreased product and production costs by $5M per year for five straight years
- Improved product quality by 67% in 2 years through constant collaboration with quality, purchasing, and manufacturing departments
- Introduced two new product platforms with an international cross-functional team doubling USA factory production
- Sponsored Six Sigma Green and Black Belt Projects resulting in $1.2M in savings.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering -
GMI Engineering and Management Institute (Kettering University)
Skills
- R&D Director
- Operations Director
- Technical leadership
- Innovation management
- International Collaboration
- Coaching/Mentoring
- Product Quality Improvement
- Product Implementation
- New Product Development
- Project Management
- Business Development
- SWOT Analysis
- Proof of Concept Development (POC)
- Consumer Insights
- Pain Point Identification
- Market Analysis
- Cross-Functional Teamwork
Professional Highlights
- Business Growth Generator - Orchestrated 180 turn of a business from being one of the lowest ranked in customer satisfaction into an award-winning program in 1 year, and improved revenue by over 30%.
- Technical Innovation Leader – Led a team of engineers and consumer insights specialists to generate over 100 unique patent filings and launch 4 practical patented innovations to market.
- Diverse Business Leader – Led advanced manufacturing facility of over 200 employees with responsibility over production, quality, purchasing, design engineering, and manufacturing engineering.
- Product Line up Definition – Defined the Midea Branded product line-up for dishwasher launch in the USA and balanced competitive analysis with consumer sentiment and profitability to successfully launch at a major retailer of 40k units in the first year
- Quality Focused Leader – Led Bosch to industry leading quality levels for their dishwasher product and guided the overseas team at Midea with root causes for quality defects.
Languages
- English (native)
- German (familiar)
Timeline
Director of Research and Development
MIDEA AMERICA CORP
04.2022 - Current
Platform Manager
MIDEA AMERICA CORP
10.2016 - 04.2022
Director of Fixed Operations/Director of Engineering
CHAS S. WINNER INC.
01.2011 - 09.2016
Plant Manager, Dishwasher Division
BOSCH SIEMENS HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION (B/S/H)
05.2009 - 12.2010
Design Engineering Manager, Dishwasher Division
BOSCH SIEMENS HOME APPLIANCES CORPORATION (B/S/H)
03.2005 - 04.2009
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering -
GMI Engineering and Management Institute (Kettering University)
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