From the Battlefield
sat down with John Wittig, a former Navy Nuclear Instructor, whom Orion
recently matched with a career at Cytec, a specialty chemicals and materials
technology company.
John received his B.S. in Math and Physics from Xavier
University in Cincinnati, OH, and then went on to earn his Ph.D. in Physics from
the University of Cincinnati. After completing his Ph.D., he joined the Navy as
an Officer to train Naval Nuclear Operators in safe operations of naval nuclear
reactors and emergency procedures and analysis in Charleston, SC, at the Navy
Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC).
Near the end of John’s tour of duty, he attended a Distinguished
Candidate Conference in Baltimore, MD, hosted by Orion International. At
the conference John met Cytec’s Cluster 2 Manufacturing Director, a former Navy
Nuclear Officer himself, which would later steer John down the path to
employment. “It was through the amazing guidance provided by the entire
Orion team that I had the confidence to be myself and present the best version
of my abilities during the interview,” John states.
After the Distinguished Candidate Conference, John was
offered a site visit to meet the Site Manager and Quality Manager. From
there, John was offered the position of Quality Engineer, which he readily
accepted.
Just six weeks into his new position, John was offered the
role of Labor Strike Contingency Manager. “I had learned from Orion that you
should never turn down a work assignment, and so I accepted the offer
immediately,” he states.
John was tasked with performing all safety related
investigations presenting findings and corrective actions to site and union
leadership. He was rewarded with the Power of One operations leadership team
recognition for his ability to diffuse very tense situations through keeping a
cool head and allowing data and facts to drive outcomes versus emotions.
After the labor union contract was ratified, John was
offered a position as a Production Area Leader for a relatively small business
unit. He had held this position for three weeks when both the site and
operations managers left for an executive leadership team meeting in mid-March
2014. Showing great leadership, John stepped in and ran the site. He managed to
run the largest business unit, quickly putting together a two-part plan to
focus resources on tackling the major engineering issues Cytec faced, as well
as building a bridge to re-engage and re-energize the labor force.
John is proud to report that as of February 2015, the site
has experienced six consecutive months of a greater than 90% delivery
performance and the first month in recorded site history when they have been
able to beat the labor cost budget. It was because of his leadership and
success that John was offered the position of FengXian (Shanghai, China) Plant
Manager.
For John, the most rewarding aspect of his career is the
team that he has built around him to support his vision. “The business unit is
far too complicated for one person to do everything. My success could only
be achieved by having the right people in the correct roles that trust me and
are willing to follow me through a very difficult time,” John explains.
John attributes his success to the time he spent as a leader
in the military. “I learned many valuable lessons about leading people and how
to build relationships with people that are completely different from you,
which was essential to my success,” he states.
For others transitioning from the military, the best advice
John offers is to be honest with yourself, and don’t be afraid to be aggressive
towards getting what you want. “If an opportunity presents itself, never
hesitate to step up and seize the moment,” John advises. “I have found that you
will never be punished for taking on the difficult assignments that no one else
is willing to do.”
Click here to learn more
about careers available to transitioning veterans.
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