Leading a comprehensive digital transformation to Industry 4.0, achieving a fully paperless operation through advanced automation and connectivity. Innovating the integration of connected machines, real-time material tracking, and the deployment of collaborative robots (cobots) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Focused on delivering secure, efficient, and scalable solutions to drive operational excellence.

Key Achievements & Responsibilities:

• Strategic Team Reorganization: Restructured engineering and maintenance teams to balance ongoing support while prioritizing Research & Development for innovative automation and digital systems.
• End-to-End IIoT Implementation: Designed and deployed a robust, secure solution for machine data collection, encompassing hardware integration, networking, servers, and custom applications, ensuring compliance with strict security protocols.
• MES Implementation: Led the rollout of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to eliminate paperwork and redundant tasks, streamlining workflows and improving operational transparency.
• Automation Design & Deployment: Conducted in-depth research and development to design fully automated processes using cobots for material loading/unloading and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for efficient material transfer across production lines.

Led transformative initiatives within manufacturing operations, introducing digitalisation, automation and Lean Agile methodologies to significantly improve efficiency, capacity and product quality. Revolutionised the development of new manufacturing capabilities, particularly for high security passports, while managing suppliers and multi-million Euro CAPEX budgets.

Key Achievements & Responsibilities:

• Agile Implementation & Lean Methodologies: Successfully implemented Agile methodologies in manufacturing engineering and maintenance teams, driving faster project cycles and enhancing responsiveness to daily operational issues. Focused on continuous improvement and change management to streamline workflows.
• Digital Transformation (Manufacturing 4.0): Orchestrated the digitalization of an entire Galvanic department’s workflow, leveraging IIoT solutions to collect real-time machine data for quality improvements and defect detection through machine learning. This project got second place in a Thales worldwide innovation competition.
• New Product Introduction & Automation: Collaborated closely with After Sales teams to introduce manufacturing capabilities for critical products, such as Swedish, Belgian, Finnish, and British passports. This involved designing automated systems, improving legacy processes, and building custom equipment to meet specific production demands.
• Capacity Expansion & Equipment Development: Managed projects that led to a fourfold increase in manufacturing capacity, from 4M to 14M passports per year, while reducing yield loss from 20% to 5%. Worked with international suppliers to develop new equipment, enabling capacity expansion and new product features.
• Project Management: Oversaw projects from initial planning and investment justification through to full implementation, managing an annual CAPEX of €4M. Successfully deployed over 13 new machines, with a combined investment of approximately €15M, ensuring smooth integration into existing processes and improved operational output.
• Team Leadership: Led a multidisciplinary team of 9 Engineers and 7 Technicians, fostering collaboration and technical expertise while maintaining a strong focus on R&D and the development of innovative systems.
• Automation Strategy: For cobots for loading and unloading materials, as well as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) for internal logistics, to replace manual tasks and enhance process automation. This reduced manual labor and improved material flow across production lines. Main Achievements: Increased production capacity from 4M to 14M passports annually, while maintaining product quality and security standards. Reduced yield loss from 20% to 5% through process optimization and effective change management. Played a pivotal role in the development and deployment of custom automated systems, driving efficiency and product quality improvements across multiple product lines.

Engineering and Maintenance Manager for three production plants: one Smart Cards Manufacturing and two Cards Personalization Service Center. With a team of 5 Engineers and 23 Technicians.

• Definition and implementation of processes for new products industrialization.
• Introduction of new equipment, improvements to processes and methods, with the aim of reducing process time, eliminating material waste and increasing productivity.
• Validation and introduction of new materials or new suppliers with the purpose of reducing costs, developing a second source or improving quality.
• Mindset change in maintenance. From a culture of acceptance that equipment has problems to a culture of measurement, planning, execution and follow-up, based on continuous application of Six Sigma tools.
• This position began with a re-engineering project to refurbish an old production plant, with acquisition of new equipment, introduction and stabilization of new processes.

Main achievements jointly with the company:

• From 1,5M units to 6M units per month on card manufacturing.
• From 900k units to 3M units per month on card personalization.
• Yield loss reduction from 40% to 5%.

Leadership in the standardization of processes in four manufacturing sites distributed across Latin America. This need arose after Axalto’s merger with Gemplus, as a key factor in consolidating the alliance.

• Relocation of facilities, machinery and products.
• Standardisation of smartcard chips.
• New equipment and factories renewal.

Transition to focus on what I’m really good at: Creativity and Machines.

• Boosting capacity and production year by year to meet the growth of the GSM market in South America.
• Lean Manufacturing to improve processes and methods.
• Customized solutions to attend particular demands, e.g: contactless readers for quality control, equipment modifications for special needs.

Leadership of the Maintenance department of a smartcard factory, main achievements:

• Transition from a small enterprise [Cardtech] to an international company [Schlumberger].
• Creating the first preventive maintenance plan and spare parts management system.
• Software development for managing maintenance routines and spare parts inventory.

Hands-on in both facilities and card personalization machines:

• Setup of the new factory and customization center, covering electrical installations, facilities, access control and CCTV.
• IT technical support.
• Installation, configuration, maintenance of equipment for card production.