Chris Risdon

Chris Risdon has a diverse work experience, with a strong focus on procurement, supply chain operations, and cost reduction. Chris started their career at Ford Motor Company as a Commodity Manager and later served as an Operations Manager and Lean Manufacturing Engineer. At Ford, they led various projects, including Kaizen events, productivity improvements, and the implementation of lean manufacturing practices.

Following their time at Ford, Risdon joined Lockheed Martin as a Senior Manager, where they led design, development, and procurement activities for the JLTV vehicle chassis. Chris managed project budgets, launched new modules, and achieved significant cost savings through Six Sigma projects.

Risdon then worked at Meritor as a Senior Manager Purchasing, leading the casting purchasing team and managing a large spending budget. Chris negotiated favorable contracts, optimized supply chain routes, and implemented value engineering initiatives, resulting in substantial cost reductions and savings.

After Meritor, Risdon served as the Chief Procurement Officer at Buyers Products, where they directed procurement and supply chain operations. Chris managed a significant spend budget and implemented kaizen events, delivering substantial cost savings.

Next, Risdon joined Dexter Axle Company as the Vice President of Procurement. In this role, they led the transition from decentralized tactical purchasing to integrated operations strategic sourcing. Chris also directed a large direct material spend budget and was responsible for improving EBITDA margins.

At Grede Holdings LLC, Risdon currently holds the position of Vice President of Supply Chain Operations. In this role, they lead both supply chain and operations teams, focusing on lowering costs, mitigating risks, and improving EBITDA margins. Chris develops and implements cost-saving solutions, evaluates new technologies, and drives continuous improvement initiatives.

Additionally, Risdon briefly served as a Member of the Board of Directors at AL-KO (Yantai) Machinery Co., Ltd.

Overall, Risdon's work experience showcases their expertise in procurement, supply chain operations, cost reduction, and performance improvement.

Chris Risdon holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Executive Management from The University of Toledo. Additionally, they have completed a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree with a focus on Finance from the same university. Chris also has a certification in Six Sigma Green Belt, although the details of the institution and date of attainment are not provided.