Coaching for operational excellence

Andrew Bissot

Advice from a manager early in his career has stayed with Andrew Bissot, Americas Director of Manufacturing Excellence, for many years. To paraphrase, he shared, ‘never be bored in the workplace as nothing good will ever come from that’ and fortunately for Andrew, boredom has never been an issue.

Andrew Bissot joined Outokumpu in June 2016 with responsibility for developing a strategy for reliability-centered maintenance for the Americas. He was tasked with determining whether the company has the right operational strategies in place for long-term growth and sustainability of its assets.

He soon took a new role heading Manufacturing Excellence for the Americas business area. Andrew and his data-driven team of eight work across the organization, coaching and recommending solutions and new tools for problem-solving to boost effectiveness and efficiency for peak performance.

What fuels the success of Andrew and his team? “It may be the overall support and culture found throughout the Americas’ organization. There is a real openness, starting with a leadership team that encourages employees to experiment with new ways of working. Understanding that is sometimes the best way to learn – and absorbing the lessons, even if long and taxing, are well worth it for individuals and the organization,” Andrew shares.

 

Continuous improvement is sustainable

“My satisfaction comes from giving my colleagues the tools they need to be successful. In return, seeing their success passed on with enthusiasm and energy ensures that the organic culture of continuous improvement is sustainable,” says Andrew.

Anyone in the metals industry will tell you, it can be tough. For Andrew, who says there is something about the industry that gets into your blood, it’s personal and emotional. On especially challenging days, it is this love of the industry and desire to make the team even better that keeps him looking for that next big challenge. It certainly keeps boredom at bay.

Andrew Bissot has been with the company since June 2016 and joins over 1,000 other professionals proudly manufacturing stainless steel in Calvert, Alabama.

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