H. R.

(NIK) NIKOUI

Irvine, CA 92620 734-668-2737 (H) 734-747-1766 (C) hnikoui@gmail.com

S ENIOR O PERATIONS M ANAGER

Domestic & International Business Development / Strategic Planning / Partnerships & Alliances
Visionary leader pools expertise in all facets of automotive and manufacturing operations with special emphasis on
Quality Assurance, Performance Measurement and Service Excellenceexpert status within the industry. Integrates
outstanding people skills with solid business savvy to steer multifaceted operations and initiatives leading to measurable
results, such as market penetration, sustained profitability, and ROI. Strong leader and team builderflexible and
focused, with unique analytical problem-solving capacitycommitted to excellence. Available to travel and relocate.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Project Planning and Management

Change Agent, Consultant, and Trainer
Plant and Operations Management
Team Building and Leadership
Critical Problem Resolution
Customer Service & Retention
Automotive/manufacturing operations
Market Penetration/Sustained Profits

ISO 9000/TS19649 Management / TQM

Change and Culture Management Strategies
Budget / Finance Management / P&L
Kaizen, Lean, SPC, Six Sigma
System Development & Process Improvement
Program Development & Management
Analytical Problem Solving
People Skills and Business Savvy

S ELECTED A CHIEVEMENTS

Spearheaded plant/program start-up of GMX270 ($250 million) that included Quality Engineering, TQM,
Program Management, Product Validation and Testing, APQP, PPAP, IT, and Supplier Management.
Pioneered Adopt-A-Plant program from concept to introduction, to define and measure customer
satisfaction, and translate customer feedback to improvement projects and benchmark against competition.
Coordinated ISO/QS-9000 preparation and registration for 16 plants in four countries.
Coached assembly plants in Lorain, St. Louis, Louisville, and Twin Cities to achieve QOS level 6.
Certified Lean Practitioner with hands on implementation/training experience.
Managed and directed Japanese, Mexican, Canadian, Turkish and British business ventures.
Spearheaded Canadian-Japanese joint venture, supplying Ford and Nissan with zero PPM for four years,
resulting in lucrative profits.

M ANAGEMENT E XPERIENCE
VICE PRESIDENT OF MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, 2010 - 2015
MARTINREA INTERNATIONAL INC., TROY, MI (2010 2015)
Selected accomplishments:
Developed new method and process to manufacture double-wall tubing.
Built a new coating operation in Istanbul, Turkey. The automotive coated brake and fuel lines produced at this
plant, are used at all major OEM customers globally.
Developed the Corporate PFMEA, Process Flow, and Control Plan to standardize the manufacturing and quality
control processes for 10 plants.

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H. R. (NIK) NIKOUI
GLOBAL PURCHASING SUPPLIER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, 2006 - 2010
V.O. QUALITY OPERATING SYSTEM LEADER, 2003 2006
PRODUCTION SUPERINTENDENT, 2002 2003
V.O. LEAN MANUFACTURING COACH, 2001 2002
FORD MOTOR COMPANY, Dearborn, MI (2001 2010)
Selected accomplishments:

Achieved highest Quality Operating System (QOS) ratings (6 plants: Aviator, Explorer, Mountaineer, Escape,
E-Van, and Ranger).
Played an integral role in standardizing coaching practice within North American Assembly plants leading to
numerous high Customer Satisfaction ratings (CSI).
Achieved and sustained Q1 ratings for 8 suppliers plants.
Introduced Lean Manufacturing techniques, and utilized SPC and Six Sigma methodologies.
Developed sophisticated system to track and report warranty data as measure of performance, steering plants to
# 1 ranking in their class.
As Production Superintendent, successfully reduced QLS concerns by 30%.
Provided expertise and training in Value Stream Mapping, In Station Process Control, Visual Factory,
Quick Changeover, Error Proofing, Policy Deployment, Total Productive Maintenance, 5S, Continuous
Improvement Work Groups, and Pull System.
Achieved Top 4 Lean/FPS ranking worldwide for Michigan Truck Plant.
Captured and eliminated over $30 million in waste for manufacturing operations.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, 2000 2001
DIRECTOR OF QUALITY, 1999 2000
THE OAKWOOD GROUP, Dearborn, MI (1999 2001)

Selected accomplishments:

Achieved QS-9000 registration for 6 manufacturing plants (stamping, metal forming, powder coating, injection
molding, fabrication & assembly, tool & die).
Upgraded CAD system with automated data transfer.
Formulated and executed corporate-wide Quality Operating System (QOS) to measure and report divisional
performance that reduced downtime by 15% and overtime by 30%; eliminated scrap and rework by combined
38%. Overall increased customer satisfaction by 35% leading to 10% increase in sales.
Championed the introduction of Total Preventative Maintenance Program to repair and upgrade equipment.
DIRECTOR, QUALITY ASSURANCE, 1997 1999
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE QUALITY ASSURANCE, 1990 1997
COLLINS & AIKMAN PLASTICS (formerly Manchester Plastics), Troy, MI

Selected accomplishments:

Spearheaded successful set-up and monitored quality systems in 18 plants within US, Canada, and UK.

Planned and directed Kepner-Tregoes Analytic Trouble Shooting project (9 plants); trained 800+ associates
resulting in 53% decrease in customer complaints and 70% increase in resolved issues.
Led staff training initiatives and spearheaded seamlessly integrated DOE application (100+) capturing $10
million+ in savings. Improved quality issue for Honda, NA, saving over $5 million.
Received several awards for outstanding performance including:
Fords Q1 Quality Award (4 units Canadian and US)
Chryslers Quality Excellence Award
General Motors Targets for Excellence Award (3 units)

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H. R. (NIK) NIKOUI

Supplier of the Year Award from General Motors for three consecutive years.
Developed and implemented Quality and Management systems for two company units in Mexico (4 plants) that
lead to achieving Chryslers QE Award and General Motors TFE.

E DUCATION & C REDENTIALS

Doctor of Philosophy in Management (Concentrations: Leadership and Organizational Change)
Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Master of Science in Business Administration (Major: Quality and Operations Management)
Madonna University, Livonia, MI
Master of Engineering in Industrial Engineering (Major: Operational Research) University of Toronto, Canada
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Sharif (Arya Mehr) University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Certifications & Professional Development
American Society for Quality (ASQ); Certified Manager of Quality & Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE);
Certified Quality Auditor (CQA); Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)
RAB Certified Quality Management System Lead Auditor (QMS-LA)
Registered Professional Engineer (PE)
Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)
Certificate in Lean Manufacturing University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Certificate in System Approach to Quality Improvements Madonna University, Livonia, MI
Japanese Methods for Productivity and Quality (W. Edwards Deming), University of Washington, DC
Total Quality Management University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Design of Experiment using Taguchi Approach University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Teaching
Faculty Practitioner, University of Phoenix since 2002: Operations Management, Organizational Leadership and
Change Management, Project Management, Strategy Formulation and Implementation, Organizational Research and
Process Consultation, Statistics and Research Methods for Managerial Decisions
Professional Affiliation Memberships
American Society for Quality (elected as fellow in 1995) Society of Automotive Engineers Engineering Society of
Detroit Institute for Quality Assurance American Institute for Industrial Engineers Society of Plastics Engineers

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