What does it take to evolve from an electrical engineer into a global operations executive leading teams across multiple countries? In this episode, Marcos Pustilnik shares lessons from a remarkable career spanning engineering, operations, supply chain management, operational excellence, and executive leadership. Growing up in Brazil and later studying engineering in the United States, Marcos developed a unique perspective on leadership, culture, accountability, and business performance. Throughout the conversation, Marcos explains how engineering thinking shaped his approach to leadership, why understanding profitability is critical for operations professionals, and how the best leaders use KPIs to drive improvement—not fear. We also discuss: ✅ Leadership lessons from managing teams across Latin America and the United States✅ The transition from engineering to operations and executive leadership✅ Operational Excellence (OpEx), Lean Thinking, and Continuous Improvement✅ How to use KPIs effectively to improve business performance✅ Supply chain strategy and customer-focused innovation✅ The importance of courage, humility, and accountability in leadership✅ Why face-to-face interaction still matters in the age of remote work✅ Building trust across cultures and global organizations✅ Career advice for engineers who want greater business impact✅ The future of work, technology, and organizational culture Whether you're an engineer, operations manager, plant leader, executive, or aspiring business leader, this episode is packed with practical insights on improving performance, developing people, and creating sustainable growth. Connect with Marcos here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcos-pustilnik-63b9471/ 💬 What KPI or leadership lesson has had the biggest impact on your career? Let us know in the comments. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with manufacturing, operations, engineering, and business leaders. #Leadership #OperationalExcellence #EngineeringLeadership #Manufacturing #LeanManagement #ContinuousImprovement #SupplyChain #OperationsManagement #BusinessLeadership #KPI #LeanManufacturing #ExecutiveLeadership #Management #IndustrialEngineering #CareerGrowth We hope you enjoyed this episode! - Hank and the Chain Mountain podcast team :) Website Link: www.chainmtn.com Connect with Hank: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-ackerman-8143bb2/ Listen to Chain Mountain on these podcast platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3A3vwENbZnUnkGh00AxLNqApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chain-mountain/id1836133366Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/bd33179f-6574-4953-a428-9113f740a49c/chain-mountain #Podcast #Podcastshow #foryou #ChainMountain#Explorepage #Business #BusinessOwner #Entrepreneur #ReturnRate #SupplyChain #manufacturing #Businessoperations
