Tom Bugnitz, CEO of Manufacturer's Edge

Inner Circle Q&A

What book have you given or recommended the most?
I have two: 
     -Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman
     -Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War, Robert Coram

If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
Again, two:
     - Professional drummer
     - Test pilot

How would you describe your leadership style?
Find people smarter than I am, help them understand the mission and vision, be consistent with message, then let them go, make their own decisions, and help them grow.  And make sure we’re laughing a lot.

What are some industry trends that have an impact on your role as a leader?
Manufacturing productivity continues to increase, while automation and IoT trends require higher data and system understanding at all levels.  This is changing the nature of our business and the services we provide to manufacturing companies.

Biography

TOM BUGNITZ

CEO, Manufacturer’s Edge

Board Member, American Small Manufacturer’s Coalition

Since 2012 Tom Bugnitz has been CEO of Manufacturer's Edge, the Colorado Manufacturing Extension Partner of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Tom has over 35 years of broad experience in strategic planning, operations and financial oversight.

Most recently, Tom was a senior executive for a start-up manufacturer of cutting-edge green air-conditioning systems. Prior to that he was founder and president of the Beta Group, Inc., and advised corporate and government clients across the globe for over 25 years in business and technology strategy development. Tom also co-authored a widely-adopted book on business strategy and capital planning for technology. 

Tom started his career in 1974 working on manufacturing systems for American Motors Corporation and Monsanto Company, and for 10 years ran the IT operation for Washington University in St. Louis.  He holds both an MBA and Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from Washington University in St. Louis.

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