Experts & Advisors
Joe Ghesquiere
Senior Managing Director
Joe Ghesquiere is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura based in Chicago, focused on building out the Operations Performance Improvement practice. His extensive functional expertise is in operational turnaround, cost take-out, revenue enhancement, organizational design, and footprint optimization. Joe has 25 years of experience in manufacturing and industrials, gained through both enterprise and consulting roles.
Prior to joining Ankura, Joe spent over a decade in operational performance improvement at two global consulting firms, where he most recently held the position of managing director. During this time, he served on the senior leadership team for both Corporate Transformation Services and Private Equity Performance Improvement. Joe began his career as an aerospace engineer at Lockheed Martin, serving in design, manufacturing, project management, business development, and strategic planning roles.
Experience
His notable experiences include:
- Driving the operational turnaround for a $6 billion global pharmaceuticals manufacturer, resulting in $105 million of the $520 million in annualized savings for the broader transformation.
- Establishing a pricing center of excellence for an ingredients manufacturer experiencing record inflation, resulting in an incremental 2% of gross margin on key accounts.
- Leading the remediation of a tier 1 automotive supplier in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to avoid a production line stoppage and reach contractual inventory levels.
- Managing the enterprise transformation for a $1.6 billion global aerospace & defense distributor, which included an organizational redesign, footprint optimization, and the operational turnaround of several distribution centers delivering $60 million in annualized savings.
- Leading the operational turn-around of two manufacturing plants for a $2 billion commercial aircraft cabin manufacturer, resulting in 36% direct labor savings through rework reductions and process efficiencies, as well as avoiding $3 million in penalties by achieving on-time deliveries.
- Education
- MBA, Finance, Southern Methodist University
- BS, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University
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