QRM Foundation Implementing QRM for Time-Based Competitiveness

Registration Date/Time:
9/15/2026 07:45am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 9/15/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time
• 9/16/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time
• 9/17/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time

• Instructors

  James Rink

  Director, QRM Center

  Dr. Rink brings over 35 years of experience in manufacturing, advanced technology, and operational excellence. Throughout his career, he has led global teams in China, Europe, the US, Mexico, and India, driving collaboration, enhancing manufacturing competitiveness, and achieving exceptional results. His tenure at Caterpillar spanned 31 years, concluding in roles as General Manager and Multi-site Operations Manager. Over the past five years, he has successfully managed his own consulting firm, Integrity 360 Leadership, delivering strategic manufacturing insights to companies such as Oshkosh, McNeilus Truck, and L&T Technology Services (LTTS).
  
  Additionally, Jim has served as an adjunct faculty member at Bradley University, teaching manufacturing processes, and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Colllege of Business' Organizational Leadership department at Lewis University.
  
  Jim has a diverse educational background, holding a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an MBA from Northern Illinois University, and a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship from Governors State University.
  
  

  Beyond his professional achievements, Jim is actively involved in his community, serving on the advisory board for the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the Unviersity of Wisconsin–Madison, and holding director roles on his local Workforce Investment Board and regional economic devleopment organization.

  Vince Clark

  Vince Clark is an accomplished manufacturing leader with more than 30 years of experience driving operational excellence across global organizations. He brings a proven record of leading large, complex operations in industries ranging from consumer products to heavy equipment and mining.
  
  Vince spent over two decades with Caterpillar Inc., progressing through roles that included Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Factory Product Manager, Global Manufacturing Engineering Director, and Operations Director. He led organizations with hundreds of employees, managed large-scale global engineering teams, and oversaw complex operations, including Caterpillar’s Ultra Class Mining Shovels and off-highway trucks, developing deep expertise in low-volume, high-mix production environments.
  
  Following his time with Caterpillar, Vince held senior leadership roles with Enerpac, Briggs & Stratton, and Andis Company, where he most recently served as Business Unit Director. Across these organizations, he managed operations of more than 600 employees, oversaw annual capital project portfolios exceeding $60 million, and consistently delivered measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
  
  A certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Vince is recognized for his ability to combine Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and lead-time reduction principles with a people-centered leadership style, delivering both cultural change and bottom-line results. He holds a BS and MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and an MBA from Millikin University. As an instructor with the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), Vince brings a wealth of real-world expertise to help companies reduce lead times, improve responsiveness, and thrive in today’s competitive manufacturing landscape.

• Program Director

  James Rink