Thomas E. Lawless has over 22 years of experience in senior leadership and operations roles. He has a strong background in lean six sigma, safety, logistics, and change management. Some of his accomplishments include implementing process improvements that led to 15% productivity gains and a 35% reduction in on-floor inventory. He has also successfully led training programs in lean and six sigma, managed large projects, and improved safety performance at multiple plants. Lawless has a proven track record of using process improvement tools to drive results across different industries.

1. THOMAS E. LAWLESS
6005 Stewart Drive #612
Willowbrook, Illinois 60527
Cell (515) 231-8089
tlawless@q.com
OBJECTIVE: Well-rounded operations manager that is a results oriented, experienced lean six
sigma leader, looking for a position using strategic and tactical skills to aggressively create value,
implement change, and improve safety, quality, cost and delivery.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Facilities and Maintenance Manager 2009 to Present
Electro-Motive Diesel La Grange, Illinois
 Senior Management with 24 salaried reports and 127 hourly skilled trades in an organization of 1,400
employees, annual sales in excess of $1.8 Billion and encompassing over 1.5 million square feet.
Implemented total productive maintenance, preventative and predictive maintenance techniques to
reduce downtime. Successfully conducted SMED events to reduce set up time. Founded and sit on the
six sigma steering committee.
BUSINESS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT CONSULTANT 2007 to 2009
Avocus Group LLC. Wheaton, Illinois
 Senior Manager leading a consulting team responsible for global supplier lead time reduction initiative.
Worked with major critical suppliers with waste elimination through value stream mapping, workplace
organization, total productive maintenance, visual management, setup reduction, batch size reduction,
cellular manufacturing, standardized work, kanban and continues improvement.
ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH & SAFETY DIRECTOR 2004 to 2007
SIX SIGMA MASTER BLACK BELT 2005 to 2007
LEAN MANAGER/ CHAMPION 2005 to 2007
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING MANAGER 2006 to 2007
INTERIM PLANT ENGINEER & MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT 2004 to 2006
Electrolux Major Appliances Webster City, Iowa
 Senior level manager responsible for safety, health and environmental issues to include workman
compensation and industrial engineering. Prepared all ISO 14000 procedures relating to areas of
responsibility. Simultaneously managed three staff positions at a union plant with over 2,000 employees,
annual sales in excess of $850 million and encompassing over 1 million square feet. Implemented total
productive maintenance, preventative and predictive maintenance techniques to reduce downtime.
Successfully conducted SMED events to reduce set up time. Part of a four person corporate North
America press safety team. Responsible for development and training of safety, six sigma (Green Belts
and Black Belts), value stream mapping and lean/ Kaizen workshops.
OPERATIONS OFFICER 2003 to 2004
Corps Movement Control Battalion, U.S. Army Iraq
 Trained and managed a movement control Battalion of 377 personnel. Responsible for all rail, highway
and air movements in Iraq, which included more than 2,800 civilian and military trucks daily. Reviewed
safety and integrated into the total movement plan.
DISTRICT SALES MANAGER 1999 to 2003
Klein Tools Ames, Iowa
 Used relationship selling and a focus on customer service to increase business-to-business sales by 10%
from a base of 258 distributors during a recession period by becoming more involved with the end users.
COMPANY COMMANDER – U.S. ARMY 1995 to 1999
1012TH Quartermaster Company Fremont, NE
 Responsible for safety, recruiting, operations and maintenance of more than 200 personnel at three
separate locations. Accountable for $50M in plant facilities and assets, including preventative
maintenance of more than 100 pieces of wheeled vehicles and material handling equipment. Coordinated
logistics and assets management while utilizing U.S. Army Reserve troops during civilian and multi-
functional activities. Used values-based leadership principles to double the size the unit from 85 to more
than 200 personnel within a 2-year period by raising unit morale and increasing community
involvement. Successfully planned and deployed two 100-person units to Germany during Operation
Joint Endeavor coordinating warehouse operations and averaging 125% of standard during deployments.

2. MAINTENANCE SUPERINTENDENT 1990 to 1995
Omaha Steel Castings Omaha, Nebraska
 Senior level manager responsible for maintenance, facilities, safety, health and environmental and
industrial engineering. Managed a staff position at a union foundry with over 500 employees, annual
sales in excess of $50 million and encompassing over 1.5 million square feet. Implemented total
productive maintenance, preventative and predictive maintenance techniques to reduce downtime in the
plant.
EDUCATION
Doctorate in Business Administration (Ph.D.) – Current
Management of Engineering and Technology
North Central University, Arizona
Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) – Honors
Regis University, Denver, Colorado
B.S. in Business Administration – Honors
Bellevue University, Bellevue, Nebraska
Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Six Sigma Partnering, LLC
Master Certificate in Six Sigma
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
Certificate in Lean Six Sigma
Project Management Certificate
Villanova University
Environmental, Health and Safety Courses
Incident Command Course – Kirkwood College
Visible Emissions Evaluation – Eastern Technical Associates
RCRA Hazardous Waste Management – Lion
24 Hour HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste and Emergency Response)
NFPA 70E Harard Risk Analysis; Arc Flash Survey
2004 NFPA 70E & OSHA 1910 Standards for Electrical Safety
CPR and Defibrillator Training – 2006
Ergonomics Courses
Commander’s Safety Course – U.S. Army
Dupont STOP for Employees – Trainer
Dupont STOP for Supervisors – Trainer
Dupont STOP for Ergonomics – Trainer
Dupont Advanced STOP – Trainer
OSHA 30 Hour Course – General Industry
OSHA 501 & 503 Course (qualified to train 10 and 30 hour) – General Industry
MILITARY BACKGROUND
U.S. Army Reserves Retired – Major
Logistics Operations Officer – Operation Iraqi Freedom, Rank – Major
Logistics Company Commander, Captain
Enlisted, U.S. Navy Seabees – Reserves
U.S. Army Schools
Command and General Staff College – Graduate
U.S. Army Logistics Management College – Graduate
Senior Transportation Officer Course
Transportation Officer Advanced Course,
Armor Officer Advanced Course
Military Police Advanced Officer Course,
Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Course
Field Artillery Officer Basic Course

3. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
American Society of Quality – Senior Member (ASQ)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE)
The Association of Operations Management (APICS)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
International Society of Logistics (SOLE)
Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
Lean Champion
OSHA 30 Hour Trained
OSHA 501/ 503 Qualified
SUMMARY OF KEY EXPERIENCE
 22 years of senior leadership and operations experience
 7 years lean and six sigma experience
 17 years safety experience
 13 years logistics experience
 22 years of change management experience
BRIEF SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS
 Strong background in lean six sigma operations and project management accounting for 15%
productivity improvements by improving cycle times and line balancing, 35% reduction of on floor
inventory freeing up 30% floor space in affected areas through waste reduction and faster more
productive setup times.
 Developed and implemented Green Belt and Black Belt training material in a manufacturing plant to
train supervisors, quality technicians and other salaried and hourly personnel in variation reduction and
eliminating waste. Provide toll gate reviews with teams to ensure projects are on time and issues are
discovered.
 Managed several large six sigma projects simultaneously. Conducted 22 kaizen workshops from May to
October 2006 resulting in over $3.6M in conversion cost savings.
 Used six sigma and change management techniques and tools to reduced workman compensation paid
out amounts to $800,000 from $3.8 M annually in 2 years, a 210% reduction.
 Consulted with plants in LAssomption, Canada and St. Cloud, MN to reduce their incident rates more
than 50% in 2006.
 Implemented ergonomically correct designs into existing production lines which assisted in a total case
incident rate (TCIR) reduction from 35% in 2003 to under 1% in 2006 (over 3,000% improvement).
 Changed the culture and developed preventative, predictive and productive/reliability centered
maintenance models to improve a department that was lagging in asset management accountability
resulting in a 10% improvement in equipment uptime.
 Responsible for establishing and maintaining a system for financial and physical asset management in
plant engineering operations. Managed plant engineering department, which recently installed a new
$60 M production line.
 Experienced in budget administration, cost-effective vendor research, negotiation and change
management, monitoring expenditures and preparing financial reports.
 Successful in recruiting, training and managing a large-scale work force including union arbitration,
developing and enforcing EEO, ADA, EPA, OSHA and HAZMAT regulations.
 Increased a military reserve unit from 85 personnel to over 210 in one year through effective change
management initiatives.
 Integrated training and negotiated acceptance within the Corps Movement Control Battalion and theater
units during Operation Iraqi Freedom to use various In Transit Visibility devices, including RFID to
track an average of 170 convoys consisting of over 2,800 vehicles on a daily basis throughout Iraq in
support of 5 U.S. Divisions and a Multinational Division comprising over 180,000 troops.

4.  Increased the use of rail within the theater of operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom by developing
rail nodes in Umm Qasr, Al Hillah, Ad Diwaniya, Baghdad, Taji, Baghdadi, Al Habaniyah, Mosul and
Bayji in Iraq. Coordinated with host nation contractors and the Iraqi Railroad to complete projects
within the time frame and budget required by the military to improve critical supply and sustainment
movement to troops.
 Developed Standard Operation Procedures, initiated the statements of work/contracts and purchasing
requests required to improve rail operations. Developed the rail schedule, integrated tracking procedures
in accordance with the military and the Iraqi Railroad.
 Received Army Bronze Star while serving as Operations Officer for the largest Movement Control
Battalion in the Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom consisting of over 377 active, reserve and
national guard troops and 115 civilian contractors placed at critical nodes within the theater of
operations to achieve visibility of all rail, highway and air movements in Iraq, improving the
commercial and military logistical supply chain.
 Managed a supplier lead time reduction team which implemented over 100 memorandums of
understanding between a global manufacturer and their supply base. Worked with suppliers to reduce
lead time through lean techniques, set up reduction, six sigma and total productive maintenance
techniques to improve throughput.
 Utilized total productive maintenance, six sigma, lean, theory of constraints to analyze and improve a
major manufacturing line. Improved productivity by 360% in less than 6 months.
 Reduced scrap in an operation by 720% in 6 months (from 180k/ month to 25k/ month)