World’s Inspiring CEOs to Watch in 2022

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FForthepastfew decades,theracefor industrialcompetitive advantagehascentered onfindingnewand abundantlow-cost laborsources.Thenext waveofindustrial productivityincreases isanticipatedtobe fueledbytechnological advancements.Cyberphysicalsystems(CPS) anddynamicdataprocessesthatemployenormous volumesofdatatodrivesmartmachinesdefinethis development,whichsomerefertoasIndustry4.0.

Dr.DeanBartles,awell-knownpersoninthe manufacturingarea,iswell-suitedtodescribethe complexityofproductionandhowitisbeingaltered withtheassistanceofdevelopingtechnology.Heisa seasonedoperationsspecialistwithfourdecadesof manufacturingandtechnologymanagementexperience. HeiscurrentlythePresidentandCEOofthe ManufacturingTechnologyDeploymentGroup,Inc.,a not-for-profitholdingcompanyofboththeNational CenterforDefenseManufacturingandMachining (NCDMM)andAdvancedManufacturingInternational, Inc.(AMI),anewsubsidiaryandsistercompanyto NCDMM.

MTDG

TheManufacturingTechnologyDeploymentGroup (MTDG)isthenot-for-profitholdingcompanyofthe NationalCenterforDefenseManufacturingand Machining(NCDMM)andAdvancedManufacturing International(AMI).

MTDGistransformingtheadvancedmanufacturing industrialbasebydrivinginnovationandaccelerating growth.MTDGisheadquarteredinClearwater,FL.

YearsofExcellency

Since2010,Dr.DeanBartleshasservedasaboard memberforNCDMMbeforejoiningasthePresident andChiefExecutiveOfficerinMay2019.Priortothis, heservedasthePresidentoftheNationalToolingand MachiningAssociationandwaspreviouslytheDirector oftheJohnOlsonAdvancedManufacturingCenterat theUniversityofNewHampshire.Dr.Bartleswasthe foundingExecutiveDirectoroftheDigital ManufacturingandDesignInnovationInstitutein ChicagoandtheChiefManufacturingOfficerofUI LABS.Dr.BartlesworkedforGeneralDynamics Corporationfor30years,wherehewasresponsiblefor settingupandrunningmanufacturingoperationsin Egypt,Turkey,andtheUnitedStates.Between2001 and2014,Dr.BartlesincreasedsalesatGeneral DynamicsCorporationfrom$135milliontoover$600 million.BeforehistimeatGeneralDynamics Corporation,Dr.BartlesworkedforFairchildRepublic Companyasanindustrialengineerforapproximately5 years.

Dr.Bartlesservedasthe2016-2017Presidentofthe NorthAmericanManufacturingResearchInstitute,the 2016PresidentoftheSocietyofManufacturing Engineers,thefoundingChairmanoftheSmart ManufacturingLeadershipCoalition,andtheChairman oftheBoardoftheNationalCenterforDefense ManufacturingandMachining.Deangraduatedfrom IndianaStateUniversity,earningaPhDinTechnology ManagementwithaconcentrationinManufacturing Systems.

Dr.Bartles'skillsinadvancedmanufacturing technologyareasincludedigitalmanufacturing,modelbasedenterprise,industry4.0,smartmanufacturing, advancedrobotics,andbrilliantfactoryconcepts.

GrowingasaLeader

AsDeanseesit,thekeytodevelopingasabusiness leaderishavinghigh-qualitypeopleonyourteamwho

areself-motivatedandhavethenecessaryexperiencefor themarketyou'reseeking.Asaresult,theDepartmentof DefenseisMTDG'sprincipalcustomer,andDeanhasa terrificexecutiveleadershipteamreportingtohimthat hecancountontofindnewmethodstoassistthepower ofdefenseinovercomingmodernmanufacturingissues. “Thisteamhadalotofsuccesswithit,”Deanmentions. Hefindsthatthisoffershimtheopportunitytolookinto otherpossibilities.Heisinthemodeofacquisitionthat heobtained.HepurchasedtheSmartManufacturing LeadershipCoalitioninDecemberof2020.Deanasserts, “I'mnowworkingonanotheracquisitionthatIcan'ttalk aboutjustyet,butI'mcontinuingtodeveloporganically aswellasviaacquisitions.”

MajorChallengesinOperationManagement

Oneofthemostchallengingaspectsofoperation management,accordingtoDean,isdigestingand comprehendingnewtechnologiesastheyarise,aswell

asevaluatingwhichtechnologiesareappropriatefor yourcompanyinordertoincreaseoverallefficiencyand performance.Therearesomanychangesandnewthings happeningsoquicklythatit'stoughtokeepupwith everything.Accordingtohim,itneedssomeonewhocan processalotofdataanddeterminewhichproductsare worthtryingoutfortheircompanyandwhichones shouldbeavoided.

AlwaysBeLearning

Deanconsidersthatcontinuinghiseducationwhilealso progressinginhisworkhasbeenthesinglemost importantaccomplishmentofhisnow40-yearcareer.He says,“EverydegreeI'veachieved,includingmy associates,bachelor'sdegrees,master'sdegrees,and doctorates,haveallbeenearnedwhileworkingfulltime.”Hefurtheraddsthat,asaresult,they'vealways beenpart-timeendeavorsthathehaspursuedinthe eveningsoronweekends.“EverystepI'vetakeninmy

jobhashelpedmetoimprovemy performanceinmyowncareergoals, thankstotheinformationI'vereceivedby dedicatingmyselfandchasingthose academicgoals,”saysDean. Whilesalesmentalkabouttheabbreviation ABC,whichstandsforAlwaysBe Closing,Deanlikestousetheacronym ABL,whichstandsforAlwaysBe Learning.Inhisopinion,thegreatestway tolearnistofollowaplannedcurriculum thatleadstoadiploma,sinceitdrivesyou toacquirenewskillsthatyouwouldnot havelearnedifyouwerelefttoyourown devices.

AdvancementsinManufacturing

ManufacturinghasbeenDean'sentire career Asaresult,hisconcentrationison manufacturing,whichisundergoing substantialtransformation.Itisknownin Germanyasindustry,theFordautomobile, andthefourthindustrialrevolution.Inthe UnitedStates,wetalkaboutsmart manufacturing,intelligentmanufacturing, anddigitalmanufacturing;they'reallthe samething,really,justdifferent buzzwords,butit'stheideaofbeingable tocollectdatafromyourshopfloor machinesandthenunderstandthatdatain ordertoimproveyouroperations.

Datacollectionisanemphasismadeby Dr.Deanthatshouldnotbeoverlooked. Hedescribesdataasdigitalgold,justto showhowtreasureditshouldbe.He believesthatifdataiscollectedandfedto themachinebuildersandmanufacturers,it willchangetheindustry.Boostinguptime whilereducingcostsisoneofthebiggest positivesofdatacollection,andthisalone isreasonenoughtoimplementthistactic aroundtheworld.Dataprovidesdeeper insightsintohowmachinesare performing,likemonitoringproduction statusandunderstandingtheconditionofa

givenmachine.Italsopredictsthemalfunctioningofmachines andoptimizesthedecision-makingprocess.

So,Deanfinds,ifacorporationwantstostartontheirroad towardsmartmanufacturing,thefirststeptheyneedtotakeisto figureouthowtoextractdatafromtheirmachinetools.He furthersayswhenitcomestomachineryandproduction,datais thenewoil.Asaresult,dataisvital.MTDGisassistingsmall andmedium-sizedbusinesseswithconnectingIoTEdgedevices totheiroldlegacymachineryinordertoobtainthekindofdata requiredtomonitorandunderstandwhat'sgoingonthe manufacturingshopfloorandthendecidehowtoenhancethe

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environment,increaseproductivity,andstreamline clients'manufacturingprocesses.

RecognitionforMakingaSignificant Contribution

Deanhasgrownabilitiesthatareproblem identification.Hehasbeenintheindustrylong enoughtoidentifyaproblembeforeitturnsintoa catastrophe.Heseesaprobleminthestandardway: machinesarebuilttocommunicate.Itisclosely linkedtosmartmanufacturing,whichhehasplayeda significantroleinmakingbig.Itisbecausesmart manufacturingdependsonstatisticsthatarepassed onfromonecomputertoanotherthrough communication.Ifthecommunicationbetweenthe machinesisflawless,Dr.Deansuggeststhat productionandmanufacturingwillalsobeofhigher quality.

Deanhasreceivedalotofawards,includingbeing madeafellowofSMEandafellowASME.Butas Deanseesit,hisbestone,hebelieves,istheEugene MerchantAwardfromtheSocietyofManufacturing Engineers,andtheAmericanSocietyofMechanical Engineers.It'sajointsocietyawardandit'sto recognizethecontributionsthatonehasmadetothe manufacturingoperation. “M.EugeneMerchant ManufacturingMedal”ofASME/SME”,TheM. EugeneMerchantManufacturingMedalof ASME/SMEisawardedtoanindividualwhohashad significantinfluenceandresponsibilityforimproving theproductivityandefficiency(eitherbyresearchor byimplementationofresearch)ofthemanufacturing operation.Thisawardwasestablishedin1986in honorofM.EugeneMerchant,whoisrecognizedas apioneerinCNCmachining.”

MoreAssistanceforSmallandMedium-Sized Enterprises

Deandescribeshiscurrentpositionashissecond career.Hehada36-yearsuccessfulcareerinthe militarysector,risingtothepositionofseniorvice presidentwithGeneralDynamicsCorporation,a largedefensecontractorwitha$40billiondefense

business.Whenhewas57yearsold,heleft everythingbehindtoaidnon-profitorganizations.He says,“Alower-payingbutverysatisfyingjobis workingforanon-profit,whereyou'reassistingother smallandmedium-sizedbusinesses.”Hefurther adds,“Igrewupinmyfather'smachineshop,which wasliterallyinourbackyard,anditwasaone-man operation.And,hemadeagoodlifeforhimselfand hisfourchildren.” Fromaveryyoungage,Deanwas introducedtoequipmentandwelding,andnowheis abletogivebackbyworkingwiththesenon-profits andassistingothersmallandmedium-sized businesses.Soforthefuture,Deanishopingto continuedoingthisforanothertenyears.Heis65 yearsoldandyethasplentyofenergyandmotivation tokeepgoing.Headds,“Solongasmyboardof directorsissatisfiedwithmyperformance,Iplanto keepdoingwhatI'mdoingforthenexttenyears.”

AdviceforEmergingLeaders

Dean'sadviceforemergingleadersistofollowA,B, andL.“Alwaysbelearning”.Hesays,“Ican't emphasizethatenoughasithasbeensohelpfulfor mywholecareer.”Healsosuggestsconstantly pursuingacademicpursuitsonthesidethatwillhelp youwiththeexecutionofyourresponsibilitiesat yourjob.Hisotheradviceistobuildastrong networkofprofessionalsocietiesandorganizations whereyoumeetotherprofessionalsinthesame careerthatyou'reinandbegingrowingthatnetwork. Headds,“Inmy36yearsinthedefenseindustry,the networkthatIgrewduringthose36yearswas absolutelyhelpingtogrowstill.”

WrittenbySteveSanchez.