MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) has named Buckley Brinkman to serve as the organization’s executive director and chief executive officer.
In this role, Brinkman will oversee the operations and management of WMEP, a nonprofit consulting organization that provides services to help Wisconsin’s small and midsize manufacturers grow and succeed. He will also lead WMEP’s advocacy efforts on behalf of state manufacturers, which include research studies, educational programs and initiatives to promote competitiveness, exports and sustainability.
“WMEP has a proven track record in providing services that deliver exceptional results to Wisconsin manufacturers,” Brinkman said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to build on the success of this terrific organization, and lead efforts to achieve our mission to make Wisconsin the best manufacturing economy in the world.”
Brinkman brings more than 25 years of transformational manufacturing leadership to WMEP, with a breadth of experience in helping companies drive growth, world-class competitiveness and performance excellence. Experienced in lean, Six Sigma, supply chain management and turnaround planning, he has led efforts to save dozens of operations in the U.S. by finding new ways to compete.
Throughout his career, Brinkman has provided executive leadership to companies ranging from $5 million to more than $4 billion in sales. He is credited with reviving the North American operations of the world’s largest playing card company, leading the turnaround of a prominent trade bindery and catalyzing the profit turnaround of a recycled paperboard mill.
Brinkman has served as president and chief operating officer of U.S. Music Corp., an Illinois-based musical instrument manufacturer, and as chief operating officer of Minneapolis-based Manchester Companies, where he received the Turnaround of the Year award for his work with a medical device manufacturer. Most recently, he served as president of Vallon, LLC, a Minneapolis-based interim executive placement firm. Brinkman is an industry thought leader who has authored several white papers on innovation, corporate culture, business strategy and other topics.
“We’re very pleased to have Buckley Brinkman on board and wish him the best as he takes the helm of WMEP,” said Mike Erwin, chair of WMEP’s board of directors and president of Menomonee Falls-based Tailored Label Products, Inc. “He is an enthusiastic and energetic proponent of manufacturing who will be a tremendous asset to the organization.”
A Wisconsin native, Brinkman holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. He is the founder and moderator of the Forge Alliance, a networking and educational group for manufacturing executives. He also serves on the board of directors of Safe Passage for Children, a nonprofit corporation that trains volunteers and business leaders to be advocates for children in foster care, child protection and public adoption programs.
Brinkman fills the position vacated by Mike Klonsinski, who left WMEP in January to become deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
ABOUT WMEP
WMEP is a private, nonprofit organization committed to the growth and success of Wisconsin manufacturers. A leader in Next Generation Manufacturing, WMEP brings best practices to Wisconsin firms to help them achieve world-class performance through innovation and transformation. Since 1998, WMEP has helped to generate more than $1 billion in economic impact and create and save more than 13,000 state manufacturing jobs, according to results documented by customers. WMEP receives financial support from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. WMEP also partners with many public and private organizations to serve Wisconsin manufacturers. For more information, visit http://www.wmep.org.
Contact: WMEP: Linda Abbott, 608.826.6215, abbott@chorus.net
