Bio

Dick has over 30 years of operating experience in manufacturing and service businesses in the US and internationally. He has led operations in a wide array of industries including industrial products, energy products and services, environmental services, automotive products and building products and in situations involving turnarounds, rapid growth, and start-ups. As CEO of a family-owned business from 2003 to 2006 with 1,100 employees on three continents in the building products industry, he engineered a shift in marketing strategy that resulted in growth and market share gains in North America, Europe and Asia in a declining market. From 1998 to 2002 he served as CEO of a private company in the automotive industry, and led the integration of several companies, creating a 10-plant operation with 1,300 employees serving the entire NAFTA based automotive industry. For two years prior to that he held the position of VP Global Business Development and Strategy with Tenneco Automotive. During a 19-year career at TRW from 1977 to 1996, Dick turned around several manufacturing businesses and was an early implementer of Just-In-Time manufacturing, employee involvement and team-based management processes, and statistical quality methods. As TRW’s senior executive in Asia, he managed several businesses in the region, achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and building the value of TRW’s brand in the region. Dick is a 1982 graduate of the University of Texas with an MBA degree and a 1976 graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.