Melissa Shofner

Melissa is an Associate Director who specializes in Operational Excellence for Hilco Performance Solutions. She has a proven track record of driving significant transformation initiatives by simplifying processes, reducing costs, and digitizing paper-based workflows across various industries including retail distribution centers, furniture and food manufacturing, also transportation sectors such as aerospace and rail.
Select accomplishments from her career include:

• As the Head of Continuous Improvement for Mechanical Operations at Canadian National Rail, optimized the flow in these facilities by leading Kaizen events, implementing standardized work, KPI dashboards, and workplace organization for over 40 mechanical teams.
• Served as the Director of Performance and Continuous Improvement for an Aerospace OEM, contributing to both MRO and aircraft seat manufacturing. Led over 300 Kaizen events and assisted in consolidating operations, resulting in over $2 million in savings.
• As the Director of Project Management for a $90 million middle-sized construction management organization, directly oversaw 9 Senior Managers and over 75 project managers across five offices. Throughout her tenure, she consolidated accounts, standardized project flow, and training the workforce, leading to a 33% reduction in rework and a decrease in turnover of 20%.
• In collaboration with Emory University, ASQ, and Lean Solutions, delivered three Lean Six Sigma Green Belt programs, training over 100 managers in two organizations. These projects delivered over $6 million in savings.
• Worked as a Regional Industrial Engineer for CVS/Pharmacy, delivering over $4 million in savings by consolidating distribution centers, organizing and implementing a Pick to Light system, and starting a new DC in Texas. Savings for these projects included establishing labor standards and standard work instructions and eliminating non-value-added processes.

She is an experienced professional with a degree in Industrial Engineering and is currently pursuing an MBA, which she expects to complete in 2025. Her certifications include Lean certifications in Yellow Belt, Green Belt, and Black Belt. She is also certified in ISO 9001:2000 and General Manufacturing Practice for the pharmaceutical industry. She has experience and expertise working in both Union and non-union locations to support change management and optimize standardization.