Bret Kauffman

Participating Faculty, Operations & Information Systems
Bret  Kauffman Headshot

Biography

Hello!

In addition to my role as a participating professor, I am currently Master Data Lead for the Sabic Specialties Business. The Sabic Corporation acquired GE Plastics in 2007. Our company produces a wide variety of engineered thermoplastic resins and compounds, in other words, plastic pellets. We have a portfolio of over 100,000 different varieties that are used in the automotive, medical, industrial, electronic, and consumer industries. My role is in support of our global supply chain, which extends to approximately one hundred manufacturing locations and warehouses. Specifically I am a "subject matter expert" in the area of supply chain, responsible for data governance and process integrity in both planning and manufacturing.

Prior to this I was in a project management role focused on the global rollout of SAP throughout our company. This project went "live" in October of 2016. Prior to this I served as the global leader for our Sales and Operations Planning Process, the process whereby our company balances customer demand, manufacturing capacity and inventory with a goal of meeting customer service targets while minimizing inventory and working capital.

I earned my MBA at Union College (now Clarkson University) and my undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Buffalo. Upon graduation I joined the GE Manufacturing Management program and progressed through a series of assignments in Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania before coming back to New York. In 1998 I was nominated and subsequently graduated from GE's Experienced Information Management Leadership Program at which point I joined the GE Plastics business.

As an alumnus I maintained a close relationship with Union (Clarkson) and in 2005 was offered a position as an adjunct professor. I have taught numerous classes in Operations Management, Project Management, Supply Chain and Quality and thoroughly enjoy the time I can spend with students. My style is one that leverages information from the textbook and relates it to the realism of our current business environment.

On the personal side, my wife and I have been married for over 30 years, we have two grown children, love to travel, and spend an inordinate amount of time exploring Manhattan.

Contact

Email:
bkauffma@clarkson.edu

Office Phone Number: 518/631-9910

Office Location: Capital Region Campus

Clarkson Box Number: Capital Region Campus

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