From the first time he stepped into an automotive plant more than 30 years ago to now, Byron Green ‘86 hasn’t changed his reason for getting into manufacturing -- the people.

Green, now Vice President of Manufacturing for the North American Region at Whirlpool Corporation, said even though the scope of his job has changed, his passion for people hasn’t.

“From the first time I walked onto a line, I knew this was what I was born to do. I hit the ground leading a line of 45 people all older than me,” Green said. “I loved it for a number of reasons. There are measurables. Every minute you need to get a vehicle off the line, while keeping your people safe. You understand what is at stake.

“All the pressure to get that done bonds you to the people who are there. The number of people working together, it’s like a small city. Getting that small city to produce products in the most efficient way has always been fascinating to me.”

Green was previously Vice President – Head of U.S. and Canadian Vehicle Assembly and Manufacturing Engineering, FCA – North America. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of vehicle production and manufacturing engineering functions for U.S., Canada and Mexico FCA assembly plants.

On the production side, Green’s duties included overseeing a workforce of over 30,000, who produce more than 2.3 million vehicles annually using world class manufacturing principles. His engineering duties extend to also include Mexico and international operations, and encompass advanced program planning and investment; process design activities; and program management/production launch activities. He previously served as Vice President – Manufacturing Engineering.

Green joined Chrysler in 1998 as Paint Center Manager at St. Louis Assembly Plant and has held a number of positions within Manufacturing including Vice President of Truck and Activity Vehicle Assembly Operations and Plant Manager at Jefferson North Assembly Plant.

Prior to working for Chrysler, Green spent several years in Manufacturing and Manufacturing Engineering with General Motors and Ford Motor Company.

Green was named Black Engineer of the Year in 2004 and one of the Top 100 Black Engineers in Technology in 2007.

“The thing that I loved then when I was young and what I love now are exactly the same. It’s not so much the challenge for what we do every day but the people,” Green said. “It’s the culmination of a task that’s being done by a large number of people and at the same time needing to accomplish one or two or three very important tasks.

“Being under that pressure, it bonds you. Every day is very different. I have the opportunity to interact with those team and impact the teammates, their lives and their careers. That has always drove me when I was young and that’s what drives me today. It’s the people that matter.”

It wasn’t Green’s first plan to go to Kettering University (then General Motors Institute). He was from the East Coast and wanted to go to the Naval Academy.

He worked hard to get there, but when his poor vision disqualified him as a naval aviator he needed another plan. Green figured he would then join the Marines. However, his interest was piqued when he learned about the opportunity to work while studying at Kettering.

After writing three essays and preparing the application, he ended up throwing it in the trash but his mother mailed it in. And he was accepted.

“It wasn’t something I had ever envisioned I wanted to be in the automotive industry, but after going to a Baltimore plant for an interview I knew it was a good fit,” Green said. “While at Kettering and in my co-op I grew up really fast. I learned to be on my own because my sponsor location was in Ypsilanti, Mich. It was my first time away from home. It taught me about perseverance and collaboration.”

Kettering taught Green to work hard, but he learned that the hard work is well worth it in the end.

It taught him discipline.

“My time at Kettering taught me that I had to work hard to get things done. There are no short cuts,” Green said. “I learned the importance of collaboration and working with others. Being part of a team was critical when coming into the workforce. I understood at a young age how you have to work within groups that make up an organization.”

Green learned that his role mattered in the big picture. Remaining flexible and innovative was an important lesson he learned throughout his career.

His time at Kettering and his 30 years plus in the industry have taught Green a lot of valuable lessons.

“One big lesson I can think of is the pain of procrastination is far worse than the pain of discipline. If you put the discipline into doing things right the first time it will really pay off for you in a successful manner,” Green said.

If Green could only give one piece of advice it would go back to why he loves his job in the first place -- the people.

“People matter. People are important. Develop your skillset to communicate with others and listen to others. Those relationships you make will impact you more than you can imagine,” he said. “My career goals were never extravagant. I never dreamed of becoming a manager, senior manager or vice president. But for me no matter what level I held within a company I was able to stay humble. There are people along the way that helped me.

“You have a responsibility to help others along the way. Be a mentor or a coach to others. Take the time. That’s my challenge. There’s always people willing to listen.”