William Teixeira

As Operational Technology (OT) Manager for Latin America, I lead the integration of business strategy, industrial operations, and digital transformation across manufacturing sites, with a strong focus on delivering sustainable value. I also serve as a Digital Catalyst within the factory-focused digital squad, playing a key role in guiding critical tasks, accelerating decisions, and aligning cross-functional efforts. In this role, I support the team by facilitating strategic discussions, setting priorities aligned with business goals, and translating operational needs into feasible digital solutions—while ensuring technical teams understand the business impact of their work. I also act as a mentor, helping the team develop a systems-thinking mindset, strategic prioritization, and a strong results-oriented approach. With a site-centric strategy, I design tailored digital roadmaps, aligning each unit’s digital maturity with operational opportunities and regional priorities. I actively contribute to Lean Digital initiatives, combining lean principles with OT solutions to scale gains in productivity and efficiency across the organization.

As the Digital Manufacturing Manager for Latin America, I'm dedicated to orchestrating a seamless convergence between business requirements, production practices, and digital innovation. My role is multifaceted, encompassing the mapping and comprehension of digital maturity at each site, extrapolating insights to shape the regional landscape and making. Besides working on connecting with lean digital, utilizing lean practices and production system to maximize results and benefits for the entire business. - Key Responsibilities: Digital Maturity Mapping: Engaging closely with individual sites to intricately understand and map their digital maturity, culminating in a comprehensive regional overview. Business Alignment: Connecting business priorities with operational opportunities, identifying and advocating for the best digital solutions tailored to specific needs, and aligning them within a customized digital roadmap. Operational Integration: Strategically merging business priorities with the optimal digital solutions at the right time, whether in the short, medium, or long term, fostering a dynamic and customized digital roadmap per unit. Global interface: Facilitating regional-global team connections, ensuring alignment, and co-creating strategies for advancing digital manufacturing. - Approach and Focus: Site-Centric Connectivity: Employing a site-centric approach to comprehend, address, and extrapolate digital needs, ensuring a nuanced understanding of each site's operational landscape. Digital Roadmap Creation: Crafting bespoke digital roadmaps that align with business priorities, operational opportunities, and digital solutions, fostering a synchronized journey towards digital transformation.

Led the digital transformation focused on process automation and the implementation of cybersecurity within OT (Operational Technology) systems at Row Crops Brazil. I was responsible for developing and executing automation strategies, leading projects of various scales (including investments above 1 million euros) and ensuring the continuity and efficiency of existing systems. Automation Strategy: Developed and implemented roadmaps to enhance automation maturity across operations. Cybersecurity in OT: Integrated security protocols into automated processes, ensuring compliance and protection. Project Management: Led automation projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Efficiency and Maintenance: Supervised continuous improvements to maintain and evolve automated systems. Team Leadership: Mentored and facilitated a multidisciplinary team, fostering collaboration and focus on results. My leadership style is centered on influence, data, and long-term vision, focused on generating sustainable impact and fostering an innovation-driven culture.

Responsible for leading automation initiatives and strategies at plants in Brazil, with a focus on process optimization through Industry 4.0 technologies. I managed a variety of projects, including the implementation of automation systems, integration of new technologies, and mentoring of teams. I was also responsible for managing third-party partnerships and administering systems such as MES, PIMS, and low-level automation systems. Among the main projects I led were the Advanced Manufacturing 2020 initiatives for the Uberlândia, Campo Verde, and Paracatu plants, where we implemented automation and digital tools to optimize processes aligned with Industry 3.0 and 4.0 standards. I was also responsible for the development and implementation of an Automated OEE system, integrating MES and automation to optimize equipment efficiency monitoring. Additionally, I managed automation renewal projects, where we created a strategy for a new automation standard across factories, focusing on network infrastructure and hardware devices such as PLCs, remote systems, and gateways, while standardizing SCADA and PLC logic across all South American plants. My work also included managing the IT/OT interface to improve automation reliability and sustainability, as well as implementing energy management systems and leading Smart Facility initiatives, which included advanced controls and closed-loop systems to further optimize plant operations.

Provided technical support in automation modernization projects, assisting in PLC hardware upgrades, SCADA standardization, and deployment of industrial communication networks and gateways. Participated in commissioning, testing, and validation activities across different systems. Worked alongside IT and OT teams to troubleshoot system connectivity issues and improve automation reliability. Also supported the implementation of energy monitoring solutions and contributed to Smart Facility projects through the configuration of advanced control logic and closed-loop systems. Collaborated on the development and deployment of an Automated OEE system by working on interfaces between MES and shop floor equipment, ensuring accurate data acquisition and integration. Contributed to the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies at manufacturing sites, including the integration of digital tools and support for automation systems. Participated in field activities such as device setup, system configuration, and technical troubleshooting. Supported initiatives like Advanced Manufacturing 2020 at sites in Uberlândia, Campo Verde, and Paracatu, helping to integrate MES, PIMS, SCADA, and automation solutions to align with Industry 3.0 and 4.0 standards.

As a Data & Analytics Analyst, I focused on defining market positioning strategies for the brand's products through detailed data analysis. My main goal was to leverage data-driven insights to enhance and solidify the market positioning of our brand’s offerings. In this role, we pioneered the creation of a digital book via a dashboard, enabling data-driven strategic decisions on whether to advance or halt the development of products. We transformed a 120-page Word document into a dynamic, reliable, and far more detailed dashboard, offering a more efficient and insightful approach to decision-making.

Worked in the Information Technology department with a focus on shop floor–oriented projects in collaboration with the industrial automation team. Actively contributed to initiatives across multiple manufacturing sites in Brazil, with strong involvement in the maintenance area and a goal of driving continuous process improvement. Key responsibilities included identifying automation opportunities, supporting the development and implementation of new systems, and proposing solutions to improve operational efficiency. Utilized the SAP platform as a key tool to manage maintenance routines and optimize workflows, contributing to cost reduction and productivity gains. Activities also involved preparing technical reports, analyzing operational data, and maintaining close communication with engineering, automation, operations, and maintenance teams to ensure proper project alignment and execution. This internship provided a solid foundation in the integration of IT and industrial automation, combining technical knowledge with hands-on experience in dynamic and complex manufacturing environments.

Postgraduate degree focused on empowering leaders and analysts to leverage Data Science (DS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for innovation and strategic decision-making. Proficiency in Machine Learning (ML) (Supervised & Unsupervised), Neural Networks, Generative AI (NLP/Transformers), Big Data Analytics, Data Engineering, and MLOps. Direct application of models in critical areas such as Finance, Marketing, Operations, and Compliance. The core focus is on translating complex models into high-impact business solutions.