Profiles in Manufacturing
Steve Cook, LFM '98
By Amy MacMillan, LFM-SDM Communications Assistant
January 11, 2006
Profiles in Manufacturing is a new feature that will focus on LFM alumni, and their careers in manufacturing and operations. We'll take a look at how their LFM education helped them advance in their respective companies. In our debut column, we spoke with Steve Cook, Director of Manufacturing for Dell, Inc.'s Tennessee Desktop PC Factory. He graduated LFM in 1998.
1. What's so appealing about manufacturing or operations as a career?
Manufacturing allows you to practice leading large teams much earlier in your career than most other areas of a company. This is a critical skill that you need to learn if you hope to be a senior executive. It also affords you the opportunity to learn the ropes when you are still junior in your career, and the stakes are not quite as high. Manufacturing is also cool. I like to be able to walk out on the factory floor and know that we are making real products that real people will use. I really enjoy the immediate gratification.
2. What have been the steps along your career path? What do you do now?
I spent seven years as an officer in the Navy flying off aircraft carriers. I've been at Dell since graduating from LFM in 1998. I started as a supervisor, helping to ramp up a new factory and line of business for Dell. The position progressed quickly, and within a year I was a 3rd level manager with a team of about 300 people.
I became a senior materials manager for another factory we were just starting to build. In addition to the day-to-day tactical management of this team, I was also tasked with leading a project team which redesigned Dell's inbound supply chain so we could run our factories without warehouses around the world.
Next, I was promoted to Director of Process Engineering for Dell's Austin, Texas campus. Then, I became the Director of Demand/Supply and Supply Chain Engineering for Dell Americas. In this role I worked closely with our sales teams to generate all forecasts and then execute the forecasts balancing supply and shaping demand on a daily basis.
Currently, I am the Director of Manufacturing for our Tennessee desktop PC factory. I manage Dell's largest plant in the United States (by revenue). The total number of employees is about 2,500.
3. How has LFM contributed to your success?
LFM was a transformational experience for me. There is no way I would be where I am today if it were not for LFM. Coming into the program, I knew nothing about the business world or manufacturing. I knew from Navy experiences that I really enjoyed operations and execution, but LFM taught me the language of business and specifically functional/technical skills in operations. It also gave me confidence and helped me tremendously with my communication skills.
4. What are some of the challenges you face in your career, and how does LFM help? (courses, alumni network, etc.)
To be successful in operations you need to be constantly improving your safety, quality, cost, and delivery. At the plant-manager level, it really all comes down to leadership. I use the analytical skills and problem-solving skills LFM taught me every day. Additionally, I keep current with the alumni network and the LFM Operating Committee so that I can stay abreast of the most recent advances.
5. What career opportunities do you see in the coming decades for managers with strong engineering backgrounds?
There are few people in industry who can bridge the divide between engineering and business. Having both a technical degree and business degree from MIT is a huge advantage as you try to rally cross-functional teams to solve complex technical problems which face most businesses today.
6. What advice would you have for prospective LFM applicants?
It is a great program if you are really serious about growing a senior level business career by starting with a foundation in operations. More than ever, companies need strong, execution-oriented leaders at all levels. LFM will prepare you for these challenges.