Tom Prater Email & Phone Number

Wentzville, Missouri

Faced with challenging family demands, left position at L3 Communications to return to St. Louis and family members in need. In search for a new career challenge, selected to lead and introduce a new quality initiative focused on GM’s customer. Plan and execute proactive planning activities such as PFMEA cross-functional team involvement. Developed Product Quality Standards (PQS), Best Practice Supplier, and CPSC (Control Plan Special Characteristics); developed and executed a Standardized Work Task List. Address quality issues and coordinate initiatives to correct and meet corporate goals and standards.• Developed Sufficiency Plans to meet established VOC Targets for Assigned Components and Systems.• Team member for the Voice of Customer Bucket Team.• Play a pivotal role in GM’s Change Management Process.• Recognized by resource teams and suppliers as problem solver support resource.• Participate in ISO Audits as required.• Lead the Part Trial Review Process documenting material and product concerns.• Organize and facilitate all supplier visits to the manufacturing facility.• Communicate lessons learned.

Manage all aspects of business operations to include identifying, creating and exploiting competitive advantages for the purpose of profitable revenue generation. Grew top line revenue from $600K to over $1.2 million in 2012.

Managed all projects and initiatives to grow and successfully execute Airlift aviation programs such as the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) program, C-130 Moderation programs, rotary wing programs and related foreign military sales / direct commercial sales. Identified, created, and exploited all of competitive advantages of L-3 for the purpose of profitable revenue generation and future positioning of the Airlift business area.

VP Business Operations (November 2007 to July 2009)VP Mission Management and Reference Product (August 2005 to July 2009)Director Mission Management (August 2001 to July 2005)Program Manager (October 2000 to July 2001)Advanced rapidly to positions of increased leadership and revenue oversight.• Recipient of the President’s Award in 2006 for turning around a declining business segment and producing continued annual growth propelling revenue 200% despite a declining defense market.• Increased average product portfolio’s margin 15%; reduced material costs through consolidation of supply chain and global sourcing initiatives, and relocated labor intensive production to a lower cost facility. • Generated incremental revenue of $10M and profit of $5M through formulation and implementation of a new strategy focused on growing revenue in adjacent, higher margin market segments. • Slashed annual operating costs over $3.5M and reduced defect levels in key product lines through lean manufacturing and six sigma initiatives. • Introduced new product platforms to support growth that included the design and development of a common line of advanced weapon management compute boxes projected to generate sales of over $100M.

Advanced to various engineering and project management positions with increased responsibility. Led engineering activities supporting development of avionics hardware and software for fighter aircraft. Developed estimates, schedules, staffing plans, and tracking metrics. Provided technical leadership to a cross-functional team of systems engineers, design assurance and quality engineers, and contract managers through the requirements definition, design and development, test, and production manufacturing phases. Ensured systems engineering performance adhered to cost and schedule and oversaw supplier management related to performance to cost and schedule.