Operator first
Operator first. Transformation leader second.
Engineering
Manufacturing
Leadership
Transformation
About me
I'm Tim Wawiernia.
My career has been built inside complex manufacturing environments where performance depends on the interaction between people, equipment, process, capital, technology, and leadership.
I began in engineering and Six Sigma, moved into plant engineering and operations leadership, then into multi-site manufacturing, enterprise automation, operational excellence, innovation, and manufacturing leadership.
Along the way, I have led 24/7 plants, supported large manufacturing networks, managed significant capital programs, developed leaders, improved reliability and throughput, reduced waste and cost, scaled automation, and built operating systems across multiple facilities.
What I bring is not simply a methodology. It is the perspective of someone who has had to make the plan, lead the response, justify the investment, and deliver the result.
Career foundation
From plant floor execution to enterprise leadership.
Foundation
U.S. Navy leadership and Six Sigma Black Belt experience.
Plant Leadership
Engineering and 24/7 plant operations leadership.
Multi-Site Operations
Leadership across multiple plants and large operating networks.
Enterprise Transformation
Enterprise manufacturing, operational excellence, automation, innovation, and transformation.
How I think
The operating problem comes first.
Technology is a tool. Lean is a tool. Six Sigma is a tool. Automation is a tool. Analytics is a tool.
The question is always the same: what is preventing the operation from performing the way the business needs it to perform? From there, the work becomes much clearer.
Education & credentials
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering — Penn State
- Bachelor's degree — University of Detroit Mercy
- Six Sigma Black Belt
- Design for Six Sigma
- Lean manufacturing
- MIT Sloan — Machine Learning in Business
- Michigan Ross leadership development
Personal note
Why project work now?
I have spent my career building and improving manufacturing organizations from the inside.
Project-based, fractional, and advisory work gives me the opportunity to bring that experience to organizations facing an important operating challenge without requiring them to create a permanent role first.
I am especially interested in situations where leadership knows the business needs to improve but needs experienced operating capacity to help turn the problem into action.
Let's talk about the operating problem.
Start with the problem, the business impact, and what is getting in the way. We'll determine whether there is a practical way I can help.
Start a conversation