John Gratz
Principal Consultant (Founder)
John is a respected leader who is dedicated to safety, compliance, quality, performance, and continuous improvement. His career of over 40 years has spanned four major business types: engineered system supply, engineering consulting, industrial manufacturing, and management consulting. Industries have included renewable energy, chemical, petrochemical, automotive, aerospace, and others. In addition to managing Clearing Pathways, John collaborates with clients to achieve step-change improvements in business performance. His passions include M&A integrations, capital management, operational excellence, and business transformation.
Prior to Clearing Pathways, John served as a member of the Leadership Team, Site Manager, and the Director of Capital Projects & Operational Excellence for Epsilyte LLC. His efforts included integration of acquired manufacturing sites to drive Epsilyte to a one company approach. Before Epsilyte, John served in management roles with Flint Hills Resources (a Koch Industries company), Honeywell UOP, and other engineering and manufacturing companies. As a consultant, John’s engagements have included Air Products & Chemicals (APCI), BASF, DuPont, Engelhard Corporation (EC), General Motors, ICI Americas, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Teledyne CAE, and more.
Relevant Experience
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system implementation
- Enterprise Asset & Financial Management (EAM) system implementation
- Business transformation and value creation
- Business process reengineering and IT-automation
- Capital project management programs
- Project Management Offices (PMOs)
- Divestiture, transition, integration, turnaround, and startup
- Business Alliance Environments
- Document & Knowledge Management including Lessons Learned
- IT and e-business project implementation methodologies
Education & Training
- Six Sigma Green Belt – Honeywell UOP
- Process Master – Business Process Reengineering – Hammer & Company
- MS Civil Engineering – University of Pittsburgh
- BS Biology & Business Administration minor – Grove City College
- Comprehensive annual training by employers, American Management Association, and others