1. Ann Larsen
25210 Fredrick
Southfield, MI 48033
Phone: (313) 550-2149
annlarsen@comcast.net
RELEVANT
EXPERIENCE FORD MOTOR COMPANY Dearborn, MI
1/08 – Present Ford Lean Supplier Optimization Sr. Specialist- Body Exterior, Powertrain, and Chassis Components
• Collaboration with suppliers who have capacity constraints, manufacturing issues, or need lean
manufacturing support.
• Assessing supplier sites for manufacturing readiness, process standardization, and culture of continuous
improvement.
• Identify efficiency improvements (eliminating waste) and work with suppliers to prioritize projects based on
technical and commercial feasibility.
• Obtain Ford funding for capital investment in supplier projects (restructuring funds).
• Train and mentor less experienced employees as well as suppliers on lean principles and tools including takt
time analysis, performance to takt, work balance, shared equipment loading, level loading, value chain, and
value stream mapping.
• Process expertise: injection molding, painting, chroming, machining, casting, stamping, forging, welding,
and SMT (electronics)
AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS HOLDINGS (ACH) Dearborn, MI
3/04 – 12/07 TQCM Manager for Chassis & Powertrain
• Implemented more than $100M in material cost reductions in two years in ACH Chassis and Powertrain
plants. Focus on design for manufacturing and collaboration with customer (Ford) on specifications that were
overdesigned.
• Worked closely with Product Development and Manufacturing to review system trade-offs and implement
solutions with improved quality and reduced cost.
• Received highest rating three consecutive years (rating was restricted to top 10% of work force).
• Worked with Tier 2 suppliers to help them implement their cost reduction actions.
VISTEON Van Buren Township, MI
06/99 – 02/04 Manager, Steer-by-Wire; Manager, Advanced Driveline; Manager, Advanced Manufacturing
• Developed and launched Steer-by-Wire vehicle with independently controlled wheels.
• Developed and launched Steer-by-Wire vehicle with integrated brake-by-wire.
• Developed proposal and launched Steer-by-Wire vehicle with non-Ford OEM on all electrical platform.
• Awarded 2 patents related to work on Steer-by-Wire for control system of wheels and embedded sensors in
steering columns.
• Developed concept and made prototypes for CVT based differential.
• Managed advanced welding lab and developed several projects with a welding specialist.
• Managed advanced machining lab and launched a number of projects with a machining specialist.
FORD RAWSONVILLE Rawsonville, MI
10/92 – 05/99 Controls Supervisor
• Responsible for all electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic equipment including modifications and upgrades.
Approved all new equipment. Group size varied up to 23 engineers. Performed extensive amount of PLC
programming, primarily on Allen Bradley controllers. Also have extensive experience on Operator
Interfaces, drives, robots, lasers, I/O devices, networks, vision systems, and CNCs.
• Developed the Controls Standard used for the entire Electrical and Fuel Handling (EFHD) division, including
outside the U.S.
• Managed over 900 annual work requests (new models, new equipment, integration, etc.).
• Plant had more than 200 types of programmable devices and spent close to 40% of available controls
engineering time on floor helping electricians troubleshoot.
• Developed plan to train skilled trades and make them more self-sufficient, decreasing engineering
troubleshooting to 20% of time.

2. Ann Larsen
25210 Fredrick
Southfield, MI 48033
Phone: (313) 550-2149
annlarsen@comcast.net
• Negotiated a deal with Allen Bradley to provide a full time technician to the plant, which was the first time
the service wasn’t provided as part of large overhaul and was based on a continuous buy.
• Negotiated a bulk discount on Allen Bradley software so it could be used on personal computers without
requiring individual licenses.
• Converted all Mylar drawings to electronic format and changed all engineers from drawing boards to
AutoCAD.
• “Working” supervisor actively engaged in all major projects including robot integration, laser welding,
CNCs, winders, and injection molding. Obtained certification as a Laser Safety Officer.
GENERAL MOTORS PONTIAC EAST ASSEMBLY PLANT Pontiac, MI
5/89 – 10/92 Controls Engineer
• Worked as a controls engineer at the plant that built GM’s full size pick-up. Primary focus was on controls in
Body Shop, Paint, and cell controllers used by the plant to pass information between upper level systems and
plant floor PLCs.
• Managed Cell Controller network and developed a new interface to reduce the cost of the upper level systems
provided by EDS which saved our plant $16M annually. A special award was given for this accomplishment.
• Installed the plant’s first Optical Character Recognition system to read the embossed VIN plates and attach
them electronically to a carrier so they could be tracked through Body Shop and Paint with a high degree of
accuracy.
• Supported a special project at Flint Stamping plant to help them set up an SPC system.
GENERAL MOTORS WILMINGTON ASSEMBLY PLANT Wilmington, DE
5/84 – 04/89 Co-Op Student
• Performed rotations in Tool Room, Labor Relations, Purchasing, Body Shop, Quality, and Plant Engineering.
• Focus was on Plant Engineering (Controls Engineering).
• Received rating of Outstanding for every rotation.
• Completed a yearlong thesis on the plant’s electrical distribution system and corrected issues with wiring in
many of the Electrical Substations and identified an issue with welding load balance in Body Shop that was
addressed and corrected.
EDUCATION GMI Engineering & Management Institute, Flint, MI
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, 1989
Thesis: An Analysis of the Electric Power Distribution System at the C-P-C Wilmington Plant
Madonna University, Livonia, MI
Master of Business Administration, 2001
AWARDS/ Patent 7,103,518 – Embedded Sensor Steering Shaft
ACTIVITIES Patent 6,901,320 – Friction Compensation in a Vehicle Steering System
Chair of Ford’s Women in Manufacturing Fundraising Effort
TRAINING Ford/GM-Technical
∗ Lean Manufacturing (also teach Lean Manufacturing)
∗ Practical Ergonomics Joint Health and Safety Training
∗ Allen Bradley PLC, Operator Interfaces, and Drives
∗ Laser Safety Officer and Advanced Optics
∗ Robotics, Computer Based Controls
∗ Effective Communications
∗ Facilitator Skills