Charles L. (Chuck) Taylor

 
Chuck Taylor is a “hands-on” change leader with demonstrated ability to work with customers, employees, boards, investors, lenders and buyers to successfully turnaround, revitalize and capture maximum value from people, enterprises and assets.

 Over the past 35 years, Taylor has led turnarounds, strategic restructurings, performance improvements and breakthroughs from the shop floor to the boardroom. He has held senior positions at Nabisco Brands, Ryder Systems, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad, Mercer Management Consultants, Tri Valley Growers, American National Can, ServiceCraft Logistics and Norbridge, Inc.

Taylor has developed, tested and perfected WorkLean™, a proprietary change technology.  WorkLean™ includes a synthesis, of the best of TQM, Reengineering, Breakthrough, Toyota’s Lean Principals, General Electrics Work-Out and Six Sigma.  Examples of using WorkLean™ tools to achieve strategic change, rapid improvements and breakthroughs in complex situations show up time and again in Taylor’s experiences.

Recently, as the CEO for a near bankrupt $70 million 3^rd party logistics services company, Taylor executed a broad financial, organizational and operational turnaround that preserved and enhanced value and resulted in the successful sale of the company to Sumitomo Corporation.

At American National Can Company, a global consumer packaging company, Taylor was responsible for a $1.2 billion budget and 21 worldwide facilities. Using Lean Manufacturing/Logistics and Six Sigma to quickly restructure operations and procurement, costs declined by $28 million and finished goods inventory turns increased from 18 to 22 contributing to a successful IPO.

For Tri-Valley Growers, a distressed international food company, Taylor and his team reduced cost by $17 million and generated $13 million cash by selling or outsourcing non-core assets. The company achieved an operating profit for the first time in five years. General Electric recognized the program as “Best Practice” in change management and Taylor was invited to GE’s Learning Center to share the story with GE Managers and Customers.

At Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad, Taylor led “Breakthrough” initiatives that added over $200 million in profits over three years and converted $39 million of non-essential real estate assets into cash. As a business unit leader, his team grew sales and margins by 10% in a $325 million business unit where sales and profits had declined for over a decade.

Taylor has a BBA in Production and Logistics Management and MBA in Logistics and Finance from the University of Houston and a Graduate Certificate in Finance from Southern Methodist University.