For the first time in my career I find myself needing to conduct an active job search. My last employer was owned by a Private Equity firm. It's never a matter of if change will happen, but when it will happen when in that ownership situation. I certainly joined with the knowledge that a disruptive situation could occur. I did so with the knowledge that the opportunity was one I was excited for and had great potential. The company was in solid growth mode, having recently closed on two major acquisitions that doubled the revenue of the company.
Over the course of my career, companies I was with had a number of workforce reductions. The first one was only 14 months into my career and resulted in the closure of the site I was with. Fortunately, I was offered another role at a different site and continued with the company for another 8+ years progressing through the organization. I joined Intel in 2000 just as the dot.com bust was beginning. Intel had never had a layoff in it's history, but by 2001 had instituted a voluntary separation program. I moved onto Speedline Technologies in 2003 feeling it presented a great opportunity to help a company recover after a difficult 3 year period. Two months in, the parent company announced they were seeking a buyer and would close the company if unable to sell. A few months later a Private Equity firm saved us from closure, but the result was a 25% reduction in force. Several more RIF's would happen over the years as the business went through the cyclical ups and down of the semiconductor equipment market. Another 25% RIF occurred after the exit from PE and acquisition by Illinois Tool Works. These RIFs and loss of key contributors taught me the skills to rebound and move forward. Working lean and cutting out the waste was important to insure that the customers were served while maintaining a work environment conducive to retaining the people who remained.
Ultimately, I left for Thermo Fisher to broaden my tool box and learn new skills. Thermo Fisher provided all of what I expected as well as major organization changes that led to me gaining more responsibility. I was lured away by a very promising opportunity at KVH Industries. Despite some successes there, ultimately it wasn't conducive to the level of change I thought was necessary in the Supply Chain organization. When I received the recruiter call on the Astrodyne opportunity, I listened with great interest. Working for a company in the midst of heavy acquisition activity and the opportunity to put my experience to it's fullest test was a challenge I couldn't resist.
My term there was shorter than I expected and hoped for, but I had a great experience while there. I was tasked to work on site transitions and gained General Manager responsibilities for our primary distribution site. The needs of a company in transition such as Astrodyne change rapidly. Those needs ultimately led to my departure as the foundation I helped create provided Supply Chain stability.
With my departure from Astrodyne, I found myself with no place to go on a Monday morning for the 1st time. I met that with excitement as I know that the next opportunity is just around the corner. I love to learn and build on my experience. Entering a new industry or even a new career path is something that greatly intrigues me. The selling of myself and the pace at which going through the process are not what I look forward to, but necessary to resume my career. I remain confident that my overall business acumen, strong ability to drive results, and adaptability will quickly lead to my next opportunity.
For my readers, if you know of someone looking for a dynamic Operations and Supply Chain leader please direct them to me. My resume is available at: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0mEb6Zqlp5RYTJRTzIxUGN0Q3M
Best Regards,
Rick Goyette
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