About Testimonials Experience AI Assistant Approach Beyond Contact
Nikolay Nedev

Nikolay Nedev

I walk into struggling operations and build teams that run on their own.

Open to the right opportunity — Available Q3 2026

$24M
Revenue Growth Unlocked
3.1M
Hours Injury-Free
550+
Employees Led
6
Sites P&L Leadership
Scale Fast Integrate Acquisitions Turn Around Distressed Ops
PE-backed or founder-led manufacturing companies ($50M–$500M revenue)

I see potential that others miss

Twenty years ago, I walked onto my first factory floor as a young graduate engineer. Today, I've led 550+ employees across six manufacturing sites, delivered $24M in revenue growth, and achieved 3.1 million work hours without a recordable injury.

What sets me apart: Most operations leaders optimize processes. I optimize people AND processes. My teams consistently outperform because I invest in developing leaders, not just managing metrics.

When I consolidated three Mölnlycke plants into two during the pandemic, my team exceeded safety stock targets by 70% — while knowing their own jobs were ending.

That's what trust and authentic leadership produce.

The thread connecting it all: I see potential that others miss — in broken operations, in struggling teams, and in leaders who haven't yet found their voice. Then I build the systems and culture that unlock it.

My Methodology

How I Actually Transform Operations

Most turnarounds fail because leaders treat symptoms. I diagnose the system — finding the specific constraints that limit the entire operation — and focus all available resources there. Process, People, and Information working simultaneously.

The result is rapid, measurable, sustainable improvement on the bottom line. Using your existing resources.

Process — Find the Constraint

Identify and eliminate the specific bottleneck limiting the entire system. Everything else is waste until that constraint is resolved.

People — Unlock What You Already Have

Most underperforming operations have a talent utilization problem, not a talent problem. Engagement unlocks the 20–30% no process tool can deliver.

Information — Data Without Paralysis

The right KPIs, layered for every level of the organization — enabling swift, confident decisions at the floor and in the boardroom.

Value Creation Track Record

Measurable results across Fortune 500 and PE-backed companies

$24M
Revenue Growth Unlocked
PDC Machines — 1 Year
Removed the bottlenecks
everyone else accepted
$2.3M
Inventory Reduction
Henry Schein — 180 Days
Post-acquisition discipline,
not just cost cutting
3.1M
Hours TRIR-Free
Caterpillar — World-Class Safety
550 people went home safe every day
70%
Safety Stock Overachievement
Mölnlycke — Plant Consolidation
Team outperformed knowing
their jobs were ending
80%
Warranty Cost Reduction
Caterpillar — In-Process Controls
Quality at the source,
not inspection at the end
6 Sites
Multi-Site P&L Leadership
Transaxle — VP Operations
One vision across five states

Areas of Expertise

Deep experience across operational disciplines

PE Value Creation

Turnarounds & Restructuring

M&A Integration

Multi-Site Operations

Greenfield Startups

Lean / Six Sigma

Supply Chain / SIOP

ISO

ISO 13485 / FDA / cGMP

Leadership Development

Cross-Border Manufacturing

P&L Management

Data-Driven Analytics

Industries

Five sectors, one consistent approach to operational transformation

Medical Devices
Automotive
Machinery Manufacturing
Hydrogen / Clean Energy
Remanufacturing

Education & Credentials

Academic foundation and professional certifications

MS, Operations Research

Georgia Institute of Technology

MBA, International Business

Texas A&M International University

BS, Industrial Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Executive M&A Program

Columbia Business School

Six Sigma Black Belt

Certified Practitioner — Caterpillar

What People Say

360° perspectives — from direct reports to C-suite leaders

Senior Leader

"I have the pleasure of working with Nikolay at one of our key Henry Schein facilities, where he is a highly effective and trusted Site Leader. Stepping into the role after the company's founder, Nikolay successfully guided the organization through a complex integration and restructuring phase with a steady and thoughtful approach. Nikolay combines strong analytical thinking with a pragmatic leadership style, bringing clarity and structure to challenging situations. He has also built a strong and collaborative team around him, fostering an environment of trust and accountability. I highly recommend him if you are looking to drive meaningful change in your operations."

PZ
Paolo Zanetti
VP, General Manager
Henry Schein
Senior Leader

"Nikolay is a very professional and diligent leader. His capacity to analyze complex operational challenges and make the right conclusions — paired with quick and assertive decision-making — helped our team greatly to succeed and continuously improve. During our time together at Caterpillar, Nikolay consistently delivered strong results in safety, quality, and productivity while managing large teams and budgets. He is also a servant leader, multilingual, and genuinely caring person, which creates high engagement in his direct reports and teams. I would recommend Nikolay for any senior operations leadership role without hesitation."

LH
Luis Hernandez Garcia
Senior Managing Director
Caterpillar
Senior Leader

"His strong leadership skills, his ability to connect with people at all levels of the company, his strong commitment, his work ethic, his knowledge of manufacturing best practices, his bright mind and his focus on results definitely impressed everyone and made the difference with the challenges of starting up a new facility in the medical device industry."

RC
Raul Carreras
Sr VP of Operations
Medline Industries
Senior Leader

"I was impressed with Nikolay's manufacturing expertise and ability to drive change, together with his broader leadership skills. He was very collaborative and nice to work with. I would definitely recommend him as a senior manufacturing leader."

NN
Nir Naor
CFO
Mölnlycke Health Care
Senior Leader

"I found him to be a passionate leader, not hesitant to search for and implement solutions for the improvement of our drivetrain remanufacturing production process. His positive energy shined through, as he mentored his team, always genuine, and willing to be hands on with them."

DG
David Gordon
CFO
Transaxle
Peer

"Nikolay is a true gentleman and a fantastic leader. He joined at a time of extensive growth and he was able to setup a team that met and surpassed production expectations in the middle of a Global Supply Chain crisis. Any company will be lucky to have Nikolay."

FR
Freddy Reyes Falck
VP of Engineering
PDC Machines
Direct Report

"Nikolay is one of the finest gentlemen I've had the pleasure to report to in my 30+ year career. I offer my highest recommendation on his skills as a leader and a motivator of people. His job knowledge in manufacturing is second to none."

CC
Clifford Chuba
Logistics Manager
PDC Machines
Direct Report

"Few people have the opportunity to work with a director who is also a coach and mentor. Nikolay was able to build a very strong team that supported the growth of our company. We accomplished record breaking production goals, despite worldwide supply issues threatening to challenge our progress."

MB
Michelle Bondi
Operations Supervisor
PDC Machines

Career Journey

20+ years of progressive leadership across industries

Director of Operations

US Endodontics (Henry Schein)2023 – Present
Leading post-acquisition integration. Reduced inventory by $2.3M in 180 days. Full P&L — $70M+ revenue, 100+ employees.
Private medical device manufacturer acquired by Henry Schein; full P&L responsibility, $70M+ in annual revenue; 100+ employees
  • Appointed to lead post-acquisition integration into Henry Schein's global manufacturing network; accountable for production, engineering, planning, supply chain, and customer service
  • Stabilized operations within 180 days post-acquisition, strengthening QMS and establishing operational discipline across all functions
  • Reduced WIP and inventory by $2.3M through organizational redesign and lean execution
  • Delivered 26% scrap reduction and improved on-time delivery to 98%+ while supporting 12% YoY revenue growth

Operations Consultant / Interim Executive

Nugait Solutions2022 – 2023
Crisis management for automotive OEMs. Reduced BMW supplier backorders by 47%. Stabilized Vitesco through production controls.
Independent consulting serving automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in distress
  • Deployed as crisis resolution expert across distressed manufacturing sites; rebuilt production controls, material flow, and supply chain discipline in high-urgency, no-margin-for-error environments
  • Restored production schedule adherence for Vitesco (Tier-1 supplier) within 4 weeks by implementing PFEP
  • Reduced backorders at BMW Tier-1 supplier by 47% through PFEP and plant layout optimization

Director of Manufacturing

PDC Machines (PE-Backed)2022
Unlocked $24M revenue growth. Increased throughput 60% despite supply chain crisis. Hydrogen systems manufacturing.
PE-backed hydrogen systems manufacturer; 4 facilities, 150+ employees, high-growth environment. (Position eliminated in market-driven site consolidation from 4 to 1 — unrelated to performance)
  • Unlocked $24M YoY revenue growth by restructuring manufacturing organization and introducing team-lead system
  • Increased throughput by 60% while navigating severe global supply chain constraints
  • Improved labor efficiency by 32% in six months through standard work, coaching, and CI deployment
  • Built high-performing team that delivered record-breaking production during pandemic challenges

Vice President of Operations

Transaxle (PE-Backed)2020 – 2021
6-site P&L leadership. Transformed manufacturing model, achieved 14% productivity improvement.
PE-backed remanufacturer; 6 sites across 5 states, 160+ employees
  • Executive accountability for operations, maintenance, EHS, warehousing, and quality across 6 manufacturing sites
  • Transformed remanufacturing from cell-based to production-line, improving efficiency 6% in 2 months
  • Built CI-driven culture delivering 14% annual productivity and capacity improvements
  • Sponsored facility expansions increasing production capacity by 20%

Director of Manufacturing

Mölnlycke Health Care2019 – 2020
Head of U.S. Manufacturing. Consolidated 3 plants to 2 during COVID. Team exceeded targets by 70%.
Swedish medical device company; Head of U.S. Manufacturing, 3 facilities, 200+ employees, Officer responsibility
  • Full P&L accountability for U.S. manufacturing operations supporting $300M+ in annual revenue
  • Consolidated 3 plants into 2 during COVID-19 with minimal supply chain disruption
  • Negotiated severance packages for 100% of affected employees — including temporary workers — maintaining full team engagement throughout closure
  • Team exceeded safety stock targets by 70% while knowing their jobs were ending; former employees returned on their own time to train the receiving facility
  • Delivered $520K annual savings through materials cost reduction and waste elimination

Plant Manager

Medline Industries2017 – 2019
Led greenfield startup. Built 300+ employee organization. Full production achieved in 6 months.
Greenfield startup; 250K sq. ft. medical device manufacturing & distribution, 300+ employees
  • Led complete greenfield plant startup: site selection through full production ramp-up in six months
  • Recruited and developed organization of 300+ employees; established collaborative culture from day one
  • Engineered warehouse layout increasing storage density by 80%; achieved 94% inventory accuracy

Operations Manager → Facilities Engineering Manager

Caterpillar Inc.2005 – 2017
12-year career with 5 promotions. Led 550+ employees. Achieved 3.1M hours injury-free. International assignment in Mexico.
12-year career: 5 promotions, international assignment, scope from engineer to 550+ employee P&L
  • OPERATIONS MANAGER / FACILITIES ENGINEERING MANAGER (2011-2017):
  • Led 550+ employees; $42M OPEX, $13M CAPEX; achieved 3.1M hours TRIR-free
  • Directed two US-to-Mexico product line transitions ($20M and $25M) achieving zero supply disruption at launch
  • Reduced warranty costs up to 80% through in-process quality controls; improved margins despite volume decline
  • Generated $1.1M in P&L improvement through a novel scrap metal separation and recycling program
  • Achieved 3.1M consecutive injury-free work hours across 550-person manufacturing workforce — the defining cultural legacy of the assignment
  • SIX SIGMA BLACK BELT / PROJECT ENGINEER (2005-2011):
  • Delivered $2.2M+ annual savings; NPI improvements added $900K YoY sales
  • Developed discrete event simulation modeling strategy deployed over Caterpillar's global manufacturing network
  • Designed comprehensive transportation model identifying $7M in inventory holding cost savings
The Person Behind the Executive

Beyond the P&L

Every company I've joined, I've walked into chaos and built order. I didn't learn that in business school. I learned it building a life from scratch in a country where nothing was handed to me.

2 Countries
Built a life from nothing — twice
10 Years
Crossing into Mexico daily to lead in Spanish
4 Languages
Fluency earned, not inherited
Strong Marriage
My real track record in commitment

Have a Conversation

Curious about my experience? Chat with my AI assistant.

Nikolay

Nikolay's Assistant

Powered by Claude AI
Nikolay
Hi! I'm here to answer questions about Nikolay's experience, expertise, and career journey. What would you like to know?

Let's Connect

Open to COO, VP of Operations, and Consulting / Interim Executive opportunities

Location

Johnson City, TN
Open to relocation