Samuel Kwa
Loveland,CO
Summary
Strategic technical and business leader with a strong background in sales and engineering. Expertise in risk mitigation, conflict resolution, and customer retention. Proficient in optimizing business processes to enhance efficiency and drive customer satisfaction for stakeholders.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
OEM Sales Manager North America
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
Charlotte, NC
07.2025 - Current
- Developed strategic partnerships with key OEM clients to enhance market presence. Caterpillar, Komatsu, Volvo, CNH, Liebherr and others.
- Developed and implemented sales strategies that expanded market share of OEM product line.
- Managed contract negotiations that secured favorable terms and conditions for key OEM accounts.
- Co-developed and implemented global contracting and pricing strategies that streamlined processes across channels.
- Analyzed market trends to identify growth opportunities within the off-highway tire sector.
- Led cross-functional teams to address client needs and improve service delivery.
- Maintained strong business relationships with existing clients to ensure customer satisfaction and retention.
- Established key performance metrics to measure effectiveness of sales efforts.
Tire Expert
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
Charlotte, NC
01.2022 - Current
- Evaluated risk in product liability litigation as tire expert.
- Provided expertise on tire applications, manufacturing, design, and quality management systems for product liability cases.
- Collaborated with in-house and external legal counsel to address potential liability issues.
Software Development Engineer
Traction Products
Costa Mesa, CA
08.2004 - Current
- Spearheaded development and support of intelligent semi-automatic transmission controller system.
- Engineered and tested advanced transmission systems, ensuring high performance and reliability.
- Executed detailed design implementation and debugging of controllers to enhance system functionality.
- Developed embedded real-time systems in C for MS-DOS, contributing to robust software performance.
- Processed and analyzed vehicle performance data to optimize transmission efficiency.
- Designed and maintained vehicle wiring harnesses and data acquisition systems for optimal operation.
- Acquired expertise in material selection and transmission manufacturing processes.
- Learned diverse fabrication techniques using various tooling methods.
Head of Global Field Services
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
Charlotte, NC
01.2023 - 01.2026
- Established global field service organization, managing four regional teams across multiple continents.
- Implemented standardized policies ensuring consistent service delivery across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
- Developed KPIs to effectively evaluate team performance and enhance outcomes.
- Promoted customer satisfaction by resolving issues with prompt technical resolutions.
- Conducted research and data analysis to support strategic planning and informed decision-making.
- Identified cross-functional business process flows to ensure stakeholder accountability.
- Managed product quality risk assessments to mitigate potential liabilities.
- Defined and managed CAPEX and OPEX budgets for operations.
Sr. Manager OTR Field Engineering
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
Charlotte, NC
01.2021 - 12.2022
- Oversaw engineering team performance, including expatriate resources, to achieve project objectives.
- Facilitated stakeholder awareness at each stage to enhance alignment and communication.
- Developed comprehensive process flows with documentation to ensure clarity and accountability.
Manager OTR Technical Services
Yokohama Development Center America
Charlotte, NC
09.2019 - 12.2020
- Led strategic management of OTR technical services, overseeing three engineers to boost departmental effectiveness.
- Championed quality assurance and product improvement initiatives, driving enhanced product reliability for OTR products.
- Created budgets and action plans, defining metrics to align with business objectives.
- Provided comprehensive technical support and training to customers, dealers, and internal sales teams.
OEM and National Account Manager/Product Manager
Yokohama Tire Corp
Santa Ana, CA
04.2015 - 09.2019
- Achieved over $7 million in net sales with 15% gross profit from top customer in OTR sales organization.
- Executed targeted strategies for key OTR OEM manufacturers, driving significant sales growth.
- Managed product portfolio to maximize return on investment.
- Implemented cross-functional business processes to ensure exceptional customer service.
- Monitored account deficiencies to enhance service and improve customer satisfaction.
- Interfaced with customers and internal departments to guarantee timely product delivery.
- Developed test plans for new products pre-launch, ensuring market readiness.
- Conducted performance and cost benchmarking of competitor products to refine pricing strategies.
Manager of Technical Services
Yokohama Tire Corp
Santa Ana, CA
09.2013 - 04.2015
- Managed and create a strategic plan for Yokohama Tire Warranty team and Consumer Affairs Department.
- Oversaw all warranty business functions, including logistics, physical tire inspections and customer credit processing.
- Managed outsourced tier 1 call center, achieving 10% reduction in abandonment rate.
- Led internal tier 2 escalation team to resolve complex customer issues.
- Drove accuracy within internal warranty database, closing gaps in product performance through analysis.
- Developed departmental managers and staff via budget creation, action plans, and performance metrics.
- Spearheaded automated data entry system, significantly minimizing data entry errors.
- Created comprehensive tire knowledge training program for employees and dealers.
Other Engineering Positions
Yokohama Tire Corporation
Santa Ana, California
03.2006 - 08.2013
- Held mutiple engineering roles across Consumer, Motorsports and Off the Road business verticals.
Member of Technical Staff
Broadband Storage
Irvine, CA
06.2001 - 09.2002
- Designed and optimized software products to enhance functionality and performance.
- Developed C software for VxWorks on XScale and ARM processors, ensuring compatibility across Unix and Windows NT environments.
- Managed NDMP server within high-performance real-time storage system for reliable data management.
Education
M.S - Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA06-2005
Bachelor of Science - Applied Physics
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA12-2000
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA06-2000
Skills
- Global business process flow creation and management
- Cross functional collaboration
- Risk Mitigation
- Customer Retention
- Conflict Resolution
- Quality Management Systems
- Performance metrics development
- Effective communication
- Problem solving
- Big Data analysis techniques
- ERP Systems
- Software design and development
Affiliations
- Tau Beta Pi
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- Society of Physics Students
Hobbies and Interests
- Automotive Enthusiast
- Technology Freak
- Track Junkie
- Weekend Overlander
- Nature and Outdoor Lover
Personal Information
Citizenship: US Citizenship
Languages
Cantonese
Limited
French
Limited
Timeline
OEM Sales Manager North America
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
07.2025 - Current
Head of Global Field Services
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
01.2023 - 01.2026
Tire Expert
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
01.2022 - Current
Sr. Manager OTR Field Engineering
Yokohama Off Highway Tire
01.2021 - 12.2022
Manager OTR Technical Services
Yokohama Development Center America
09.2019 - 12.2020
OEM and National Account Manager/Product Manager
Yokohama Tire Corp
04.2015 - 09.2019
Manager of Technical Services
Yokohama Tire Corp
09.2013 - 04.2015
Other Engineering Positions
Yokohama Tire Corporation
03.2006 - 08.2013
Software Development Engineer
Traction Products
08.2004 - Current
Member of Technical Staff
Broadband Storage
06.2001 - 09.2002
M.S - Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Irvine
Bachelor of Science - Applied Physics
University of California, Irvine
Bachelor of Science - Electrical Engineering
University of California, Irvine