Michael Kienitz

Lead Supply Chain efforts for Signia Aerospace's multiple business units. Driving performance improvement, cost reduction and operational efficiencies.

Responsible for scaling operations, sales and marketing for the leader in autonomous vegetation management; offering customers improved costs, efficiency and reduced environmental impact by providing breakthrough automation technology. IMPACT: Secured funding to scale the business. Scaling operations from development to high volume production. Deployed Robotics as a Service business model with industry leading customers. Created over 20 strategic alliances enabling aggressive growth.

Initially recruited as Head of Global Operations to implement tools, systems, and processes for this outdoor consumer goods manufacturer having recently experienced a period of rapid growth and in the final stages of going public. Subsequently promoted to Senior Vice President and Corporate Officer. Oversaw ~250 employees across all operational activities – manufacturing, quality, planning, sourcing, distribution, and fulfillment. IMPACT: Corporate Officer and member of the executive leadership team that took the company public. Improved gross margin by 6% through improved supply chain strategies and Lean efficiencies. Reduced supply chain risk, shifting manufacturing from China to five new factories in three countries mitigating tariff impact. Reduced fulfillment costs and improved service by expanding North American distribution centers from one to three.

Recruited to elevate the supply chain organization to support the increased demands of this multibillion-dollar multinational company. Led effort to up-level talent, deploy world-class scalable processes, and implement enterprise-wide utilization of supply chain tools leading and organization of up to 500 employees. IMPACT: Drove 12%+ YOY cost reductions for six consecutive years, exceeding organizational goal of $250M of negotiated annual savings. Implemented Lean fulfillment program that reduced overhead by 40%, doubled business volume, and improved customer on-time delivery from 82% to 98%. Reduced supplier quality defect rate by 63%. Transformed corporate SIOP process from a reactive to a proactive/collaborative planning model, with accountability, reducing inventory by $114M. Created a consignment inventory process that reduced corporate inventory by $26M. Realized $263M increase in working capital.

Selected for one-year expat assignment (in Italy) to transform the sourcing organization. Reporting to the Regional President, oversaw 200+ individuals and managed multibillion-dollar in annual expenditures with responsibility for operational P&L. IMPACT: Created the Cost Management team, in addition to up-leveling commodity and supplier management and increasing the focus on supplier quality. Achieved record-level productivity, leading team to exceed gross cost takeout objectives by 20%.

Recruited by the world’s #1 appliance manufacturer to lead an 80-person Global Sourcing Organization and develop/execute the global sourcing strategy for multibillion-dollar annual expenditures. Led initiatives focused on the areas of target cost management, new model launch, supplier quality, and global commodity management to maximize synergies. IMPACT: Led sourcing transformation that optimized supply chain efficiency for this 800-person, $20B global business, which included a 25% improvement in DPM, 80% reduction in supply base, and 25% reduction in costs. Initiated and deployed component architecture and globalization program that resulted in $660M forecasted annual savings. Delivered annual cost reduction of 7.5%, more than double the historical average, through breakthrough cost leadership and alignment of sourcing strategies with technology roadmaps.

Recruited by the VP of Supply Chain to create a commodity management organization from the ground up to leverage the purchasing power of all 14 manufacturing locations, representing billion-dollar annual spend. IMPACT: Elevated Commodity Manager responsibilities to include development and execution of strategic sourcing plans that incorporated business strategy and supplier segmentation into long-term sourcing decisions. Implemented business reviews with 40 high-impact suppliers aligned with strategic issues and expectations. Created commodity teams and aligned all company sites and functions with strategic sourcing plans.

Initially hired to help lead the company through a period of extreme growth and technology development, leading suppliers to meet technology and business requirements. Quickly promoted into management, overseeing a global organization of 100+ employees responsible for spares and services support for the company’s Sort, Assembly, and Test factories. IMPACT: Captured $375M annual savings by creating and leading a consortium or 40+ companies to develop an open architecture for the automated test equipment industry; served on Board of Directors and as CFO for the consortium. Implemented Lean methodologies and expanded department scope, increasing cost savings from $8M to $54M. Reduced spare parts days in inventory from 120 to 55, setting a new benchmark for company factories.