ManufacturingExecutive. Advisor. Leader.
Thirty years helping manufacturing organizations improve operational performance through practical leadership, disciplined execution, and continuous improvement.
Executive Biography
For more than 30 years, Jon K. Lyons has helped manufacturing organizations improve operational performance, strengthen leadership capability, and create measurable business value. Throughout his career, he has served in senior leadership roles including Vice President of Manufacturing, Vice President of Operations, Plant Manager, Director of Operations, and Director of Quality, leading manufacturing operations across publicly traded companies, privately held manufacturers, and private equity-owned businesses.
Jon has led operations in a broad range of manufacturing environments, including building products, insulation, plastics, telecommunications, industrial equipment, adhesives, and engineered products. His experience spans operational turnarounds, plant leadership, Lean transformation, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), quality systems, inventory optimization, operational diagnostics, and leadership development.
Known for combining analytical problem solving with practical shop-floor leadership, Jon focuses on building sustainable operating systems that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement. His approach emphasizes understanding root causes, developing capable leaders, strengthening daily management systems, and creating lasting operational stability rather than pursuing short-term improvements.
Throughout his career, Jon has helped organizations improve profitability, increase manufacturing output, reduce inventory, strengthen quality performance, improve operational reliability, and build more effective manufacturing organizations. His leadership has contributed to improvements including increasing EBIT from 0% to 5%, improving profitability from -3% to 15%, reducing inventory from $29 million to $12 million, increasing production output fivefold in a high-reliability manufacturing environment, reducing the cost of poor quality by 50%, and improving manufacturing efficiency by 17%.
Today, through Jon K. Lyons Advisory, Jon works with manufacturing companies, private equity portfolio companies, and executive leadership teams to improve operational performance through advisory services, operational diagnostics, manufacturing performance improvement, operational due diligence, post-acquisition stabilization, interim leadership, and execution support.
Whether engaged as an advisor, interim executive, operating partner, project leader, or trusted member of a client's leadership team, Jon believes that lasting manufacturing improvement comes from capable leadership, disciplined execution, and strong operating systems—not isolated improvement projects. His goal is to help organizations solve meaningful operational challenges while building the capabilities that deliver measurable business results long after an engagement has ended.
Leadership Philosophy
I believe lasting operational improvement comes from strong leadership, disciplined execution, and management systems that enable people to succeed. Sustainable results are achieved by developing capable leaders, engaging employees closest to the work, and making decisions grounded in accurate data rather than assumptions.
Throughout my career, I have focused on building manufacturing organizations that are customer-focused, employee-led, and data-driven. I believe the people closest to the work are often best positioned to identify problems and improve processes when they are given clear expectations, the right information, and the authority to act. Effective leaders create systems that align those efforts with customer needs and business objectives, enabling continuous improvement to become part of the organization's daily operation rather than a series of isolated initiatives.
My objective has never been simply to complete an improvement project. It is to help organizations build the leadership capability, operating systems, and culture needed to continue improving long after an engagement has ended.
Career Highlights
Manufacturing leadership roles across publicly traded, privately held, and private equity-owned manufacturing companies.
Decades of shop-floor execution.
Plant Operations
Executive Leadership
Private Equity Advisory
Managed high-volume automotive and industrial plants, establishing baseline stability, safety metrics, and rigorous TPM execution.
Directed multi-site manufacturing operations as VP, aligning corporate strategy with daily throughput targets and P&L performance.
Delivered rapid operational due diligence and interim management to secure portfolio EBITDA improvements for mid-market sponsors.
Secure operational stability.
Initiate a confidential discussion regarding operational diagnostics, due diligence, or interim leadership needs.