Manager Plant

Innocent Chikunya

**** ******** ****** ** *******, Florida 33596 USA

Cell: 813-***-**** Email: mdsncz@r.postjobfree.com

PLANT MANAGER

Experienced Plant Manager recognized throughout career for being a visionary process leader leveraging in-depth knowledge of management and the metallurgical landscape to significantly increase revenue and operational efficiencies. Repeatedly produced sustainable revenue and EBITA growth in rapidly changing markets. Proven achievements in manufacturing and process environments, experience with Secondary Lead Smelting, Automotive batteries, Ceramics and Mineral processing. Extensive business background managing plants in international and multicultural environments

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GOPHER RESOURCE, TAMPA FLORIDA 2008 TO 2012

Managed and oversaw the operation of a highly regulated title V secondary lead smelting and refining facility. Spearheaded the transition of the company from a 70-employee facility to a 200-employee state of the art plant. Established a formidable organizational culture that has positioned Gopher Resource (Tampa) as the world leader in secondary lead metal processing and refining. Unique knowledge of operational readiness in a complex and highly regulated lead industry in the USA. Transitioned the largest secondary lead smelting and Refining complex in the world from a Greenfield project to full production. Had full responsibility for organizational design and process parameterization and documentation to ensure a smooth start-up of the plant. Commissioned a 400 ton a day lead smelting Reverberatory furnace, a 80 ton a day blast furnace and a 50 000 a day raw materials processing center.

Operations Manager/ Director 2008 – 2012

• Responsibilities included environmental management, Safety, Production, Finance, Engineering and Human Resources Management

• Successfully worked with the EPA region 4 and the DEP to get relevant permits for the new plant as whilst managing existing operating permits.

• Able to instill a vision to achieve company goals and surpass production expectations while maintaining quality, safety and customer service integrity.

• Experienced in operations restructuring to address capacity and business growth, reduce costs and improve service.

• Commissioned a state of the art battery breaking facility and a 400-ton a day Reverberatory furnace for lead smelting.

• Built a formidable multi cultural team that successfully commissioned the new plant, guided by a solid strategic vision that involved ‘blue ocean’ aspects.

• Successfully managed all aspects of environmental sustainability in accordance with regulatory permits in air, water and hazardous waste to attain zero notice of violations. Communicated with the EPA frequently.

• Implemented ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 successfully.

• Experience dealing with OSHA and successfully managed all aspects of safety according to OSHA standards.

CHLORIDE ZIMBABWE (A Division of ART Corporation)

Harare, Zimbabwe, 2004 – 2006

Plant General Manager 2004 - 2006

Built a distinguished, three-year record of progressive achievement and advancement with this US$70 million integrated automotive battery manufacturer and Lead recycling plant; the largest automotive battery manufacturer in Zimbabwe. Promoted from an Operations Manager position.

Led management team in identifying and correcting critical problems; reduced and streamlined overhead expenses, strengthened product gross margins, overhauled and improved operating processes and systems, resolved quality and warranty issues, and differentiated product lines.

• Ramped division from lowest ranking profits in company, to number one in 2005.

• Managed a Rotary furnace for secondary lead smelting

• Experience with managing unionized plants.

• Experience managing annual plant outages and ensuring outages are on time and on budget

• Successfully managed a battery assembling plant to produce year over year profitability

• Delivered year-over-year revenue growth and increased share of market in major accounts and strategically important regions like Mozambique, Namibia and Angola.

• Facilitated and guided departmental leaders in formulating a new vision and strategic direction that successfully repositioned division as a differentiated competitor in the market, adding value to ART Corporation and earning prominent role in mainstream corporate strategy.

• Led management team in identifying and correcting critical problems; reduced and streamlined overhead expenses, strengthened product gross margins, overhauled and improved operating processes and systems, resolved quality and warranty issues, and differentiated product lines.

CLAY PRODUCTS LTD (A division of Anglo American Corporation)

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 2000 – 2003

Managed a US$ 12 million dollar Refractory High Temperature materials, Earthenware and bathroom ceramics manufacturer. Promoted from Production Manager within 12 months of joining.

Plant Manager 2000-2003

Promoted from a production Manager position to take full control of the P&L, led management team consisting of Finance Manager, Human Resources Manager, Marketing Manager and Production Manager.

• Successfully steered the company from a perennial loss maker to above 20% return on sales through renewed focus on pricing, cost containment/reduction, sourcing and plant efficiency improvement.

• Managed two top hat Kilns and 10 ten down draft kilns for firing refractory bricks.

• Managed three 100-ton clay extrusion machines.

• Spearheaded the establishment of an export market into neighboring countries of Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa leading to a 25% increase in turnover.

• Cultivated and built relationships with public and private institutions to align with national goals and obtain government buy-in, streamlining measures and channels in which to conduct business

• Introduced continuous casting techniques and adapted solutions to specific requirements resulting in 10% cost reductions and 3.5% reduction in manufacturing cycle time.

• Introduced new product line (Super duty refractory bricks) to complement existing product offering leading to a 0.5% increase in revenue.

BINDURA NICKEL CORPORATION (A division of Anglo American Corporation)

Bindura, Zimbabwe, 1996 – 2000

Successfully supported mineral processing and projects for the concentrator department of this US$100 million nickel mine and refinery.

Senior Process Engineer 1996 - 2000

• Experience in Mineral processing and Smelting of Nickel ore

• Managed processes for recovery improvement

• Successfully managed a concentrator plant with four ball mills and a froth flotation plant

• Experience with submerged electric arc furnaces and Pierce Smith Convertors

• Commissioned flash flotation cells to modernize methodology, improving plant recoveries by 2%

• Analyzed metallurgical data of a greenfield concentrator plant to facilitate the opening of a new platinum mine

• Experience with metallurgical accounting

PRIOR EXPERIENCE

Held a functional leadership position of Plant Metallurgist at a nickel concentrator including two years as a Graduate Trainee.

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

Board Member for Rotary of East Tampa

Member of the Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce

Executive Member of the Tampa Economic Development Committee

Master of Science in Managing Sustainable Enterprises (2011)

University of South Florida, Tampa, USA

Master of Business Administration (Spring 2008)

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, Waco, Texas, USA

Bachelor of Science Honors in Metallurgical Engineering (1996)

UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE, Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa

Professional Training and Development

THREE DIMENSIONAL MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, Redding and Ass. Harare, Zimbabwe

DYNAMICS OF SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT, SMI Inc. Waco, Texas, USA

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