David Mikels Email & Phone Number

Frisco, Tx, Us

Lead all project planning and financial analysis for proposed and accepted projects. • Oversee all aspects of project planning and financial analysis for proposed and approved projects, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and profitability targets.• Lead negotiations and manage contractual relationships with permitting authorities, suppliers, and subcontractors to secure favorable terms and ensure project compliance.• Strategically manage project schedules, balancing vendor availability, weather impacts to timing, client expectations, and supplier relationships to optimize timelines and resources.• Foster strong partnerships with stakeholders to enhance operational efficiency and achieve project success.

Established and developed an engine/vehicle fabrication and performance engineering consulting firm that specialized in fuel injection and calibration development for racing, marine, and high-performance street using OEM and aftermarket controllers. • Worked with and consulted for automotive performance leaders such as Edelbrock, Holley, Katech, Lingenfelter, Harrop, Hennessey, Pratt & Miller, Hypertech, and APR, including building performance partnerships between the companies. • Expanded US market presence for multiple companies by consulting on performance parts development and go-to-market strategies.• Oversaw the design, development, and delivery of engine packages for Pratt & Miller’s C6RS program, including leading all hardware development and calibrations.• Managed powertrain development and calibration for multiple blockbuster movies, including calibration of the “Bumblebee” Chevrolet Camaro for the first Transformers movie (2007) and all powertrain calibration for the Need for Speed movie (2014).

Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Jp

Spearhead the design and development of functional parts/accessories as the group lead engineer, with a focus on conducting detailed analysis of customer requests to develop innovative, customer-oriented products/solutions that drive customer delight and retention.• Collaborate cross-functionally with diverse internal stakeholders (including planning, marketing, purchasing, and Toyota Technical Center) and suppliers to streamline and accelerate the product lifecycle for parts development.• Apply strong knowledge of the Toyota Production System (TPS) and associated business practices (including nemawashi) to foster strategic alignment between all stakeholders and drive effective product innovation and change management efforts.

Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, Jp

Served in a multi-faceted engineering and program leadership role with responsibility for developing the 2GR-FKS (PFI and DFI) V6 engine for high-volume programs while ensuring compliance with quality and regulatory requirements. • Guided and supervised a 7-member technical team in managing the end-to-end product/program lifecycle for engine development while collaborating with global engineering, manufacturing, and program management teams to streamline program execution. • Integrated Kaizen and TPS Lean manufacturing practices to optimize new product development, product lifecycle management, and change management efforts in line with internal production and quality targets. • Performed continuous analysis and verification of product hardware and software to ensure compliance with program budget, scope, and quality requirements while mentoring and supporting teams to build a collaborative, continuous improvement-focused culture.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Played a critical global leadership role with ownership of all strategic product planning, performance engineering, production operations management, and process/metrics development for the Drive Quality function. • Led the development and implementation of robust, data-driven quality standards, metrics, and vehicle technical specifications (VTS) for all product lines and offerings worldwide.• Conducted customer focus studies across global markets to generate critical insights based on consumer demand and translated customer feedback into detailed, clearly defined metrics and engineering specifications for global Drive Quality standards.• Engaged with engineering centers in the US, Brazil, Europe, South Korea, China, India, Australia, and Mexico to effectively prioritize and manage competing product development tasks and facilitate seamless implementation of new standards and specifications.• Redesigned and optimized the VTS tracking tool to facilitate effective, real-time monitoring and tracking of VTS across all stages of the design and production lifecycles.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Directed strategic initiatives (including redefinition of VTS specifications, process improvements, and issue identification and resolution) to optimize product design/development, performance engineering, and production operations activities. • Owned the entire project lifecycle (including project scope, budgets, requirements, and timelines) for operational improvements at each development milestone, resulting in timely delivery of high-quality results. • Drove cross-functional collaboration on design efforts between the platform, powertrain engine, and transmission development teams, resulting in the teams consistently exceeding VTS requirements for quality. • Supported issue identification, root cause analysis, and problem-solving efforts to improve 2.0L turbo performance, resulting in the development and delivery of innovative performance enhancement solutions.

Detroit, Michigan, Us

Provided strategic direction, operational oversight, and technical expertise to a cross-functional team of engine, transmission, and platform engineers in developing and improving GENIV and GENV V8 engine V8 engine operations and powertrain functions.• Strategized and executed all powertrain integration operations for the Cadillac V-Series, next-generation Full Size Truck and powertrain program in addition to managing all day-to-day activities for Drive Quality engineers.• Trained, mentored, and coached engineers on GM product design and development processes, metrics, and standards to ensure operational excellence, quality, and compliance across all stages of the product lifecycle. • Fostered product innovation and creative problem-solving by leading the product development team to devise and implement a power-hop fix that resulted in 2 patents as well as a tool method solution for analysis. • Delivered training and mentorship to the team on the GoFast initiative, which enabled the team to drive a 40% reduction in emissions and a 70% reduction in calibration on the powertrain diagnostics application.