1. John Montminy
268 Castles Gate Drive, Mooresville, NC 28117
(980) 565-9646; johnincharlotte@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/john-montminy-84b3327
Executive Summary
Results-oriented international leader with over 20 years of progressive management experience in Product and
Process Development and R&D. More than 5 years of experience as Director of Global Technology Management for
a business unit with over 750,000,000 € in total revenues. Extensive knowledge and collaborative experience in
leading cross-functional multi-national teams to implement and execute statistically-based metrics, testing, and
analyses to drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes and product performance.
Highlights
 Strategy Development/Program Management
 Product and manufacturing plant expansions
 Background in manufacture and applications
of high-temperature carbon, graphite,
ceramic, and composite materials
 Process improvement
 New Product Development and
Introduction
 Quality Management Systems
 Lean Six Sigma Project Champion
 Four years abroad in Germany (R&D)
Recent Accomplishments
Business Development:
 Spearheaded development of technologies to secure long-term supply of strategic raw materials from
domestic and international sources (China and Japan).
 Establish and manage international partner relationships on a daily basis.
 Developed new statistically-based process technology strategies to improve product quality and performance.
Project Management:
 Implemented product portfolio simplification strategy to reduce raw material complexity, resulting in a
reduction of working capital > 2,000,000 € in each of 6 manufacturing plants.
 Reduced internal flaw rate of super-size graphite electrodes by more than 90%.
 Spearheaded Consistency and SOP pillars of new "Customer Value Initiative" (CVI) to rebuild product
reputation by reducing product and process variation in order to maintain and grow market share. Efforts lead
to a 50% reduction of claims and SGL overtaking its Japanese competitors to become the "performance
benchmark" in its largest markets.
 Oversight of technology management and equipment selection / installation / start-up of a greenfield plant in
Malaysia to ensure "best in class" manufacturing and gain a stronger foothold in the Asian market.
Innovation and Product & Process Development:
 Responsible for Intellectual Property Portfolio development.
 Invented, developed, and tested new Carbon Fiber Reinforced Carbon (CFRC) materials to reduce size of
high-temperature resistant structures in Electric Arc Furnaces by 75% while maintaining > 90% strength.
 Invented, developed, secured patents for, and introduced new component joining technologies for specialized
high-temperature furnace applications.
 Reduced cost of ladle furnace electrodes by 25% while maintaining equal or better performance.
Organization:
 Staff (direct & indirect): 65
 Operational Budget (direct & indirect): 9,000,000 €
 Orchestrated and executed re-organization of Technology Development and Quality Systems Management
functions into one entity.
 Successfully implemented change from regional product and process specifications into global documents.
 Responsible for technology development and quality systems management for graphite electrode
manufacturing plants in the US, Canada, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Poland, China, and Malaysia.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY – School of Engineering & Applied Science 1990
New York, New York

2. Professional Background and Experience
GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT 07/2009 – Present
SGL Carbon, LLC Charlotte, North Carolina
Member of 6 person Management Committee for Graphite & Carbon Electrode Business Unit directly responsible for day-to-day
operations and P&L of a business with an ROS of 20% and revenues exceeding 750 Million €.
SENIOR MANAGER, DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS (R&D – TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION CENTER) 07/2005 – 07/2009
SGL Carbon GmbH Meitingen, Germany
Led R&D for carbon and graphite electrodes and connecting pins for steelmaking using electric arc furnaces, and other non-ferrous
melting furnaces. Assembled research team, including 3 Ph.D. engineers / scientists, and 3 pilot plant technicians. Developed
carbon composite materials for new applications and managed the Product Development Project and Intellectual Property
portfolios for the Graphite and Carbon Electrode Business Unit. Key Communicator of the Technology & Innovation Center to the
business. (Four-year expatriate assignment in Germany.)
SENIOR PRODUCT & PROCESS DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER 01/2001 – 07/2005
SGL Carbon, LLC Morganton, North Carolina
Provided leadership and technical oversight to the local technical departments of 4 manufacturing facilities in the US and Canada.
Held functional management responsibilities for 4 Technical Managers and 12 Process Engineers. Managed all projects in North
America related to graphite electrode product development and process improvement. Directed SGL testing program to increase
plant productivity by > 20% during a time when total staffing in North America was reduced by > 40%.
QUALITY ENGINEERING MANAGER 06/1999 – 12/2000
GAF Materials Corporation Savannah, Georgia
Led Quality Engineering Department with 6 direct reports. Reduced overhead costs by over 20% through job reclassification and
consolidation in a union environment, while maintaining highest quality audit scores in the corporation. Reduced process variation
by 50% by implementing improved batching procedures and driving Plant Operations to implement “true” SPC; this resulted in
approximately $350,000 in annual raw materials savings for the Commercial Products Division per plant.
APPLIED TECHNOLOGY ENGINEER AND LABORATORY MANAGER 06/1996 – 06/1999
UCAR Carbon Company Incorporated Clarksburg, West Virginia
Managed 10 direct reports. Directed operations, budget, planning / scheduling, and projects for the Analytical and Physical Testing
Laboratories and Central Product Testing Facility. Quadrupled available throughput of $6,000,000 turnover high-temperature fiber
composite insulation product line with less than $200,000 in capital. Led “Halogen Gas Purification Optimization Team” to lower
average total oxidized ash in semi-conductor grade graphite products from 30 PPM to < 10 PPM.
SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER 06/1990 – 06/1996
Westinghouse Savannah River Company Aiken, South Carolina
Provided technical support to Nuclear Materials Processing Division. Maintained a DOE “Q” Clearance (equivalent to DOD Secret
/ Top Secret). Lead Process Engineer for nuclear fuel fabrication and uranium-aluminum / neptunium-oxide salvage operations for
Reactor Materials Department. Recognized facility expert for charge-prep, casting and extrusion operations, high vacuum
systems, and He leak detection. Received Division Total Quality Achievement Award for contributions as Lead Process Engineer /
Technical Liaison for a $26,000,000 expansion project.
Patents & Publications
 US 6,952,438, “Threaded Connection for Carbon and / or Graphite Electrode Columns”
 WO2008145695 (A1), “Composite Fastener for Ceramic Components"
 US 2008/0304537 A1, “Threaded Pin, Carbon Electrode, and Electrode Assembly”
 US 2006/0291525 A1, “Electrode Joint”
 US 2005/0207467 A1, “Threaded Pin for Carbon Electrodes and Electrode Assembly with a Threaded Pin”
 Author and Presenter, “Vibration Resistant Thread Design to Prevent Loosening of Graphite Electrode Joints on an
Electric Arc Furnace”, Carbon 2007 Proceedings.
 Co-author, “Failure Prediction of Coarse Grain Graphite Materials”, Carbon 2009 (poster presentation).
Memberships
 American Carbon Society, Advisory Committee 2010 – 2016 Term