Manufacturing, Mentorship, and Moving Around with Adam Gushwa-Williams

In this episode of See Yourself IN, host Casey Harrison explores the dynamic world of Indiana’s advanced industries with Adam Gushwa-Williams, the manufacturing manager at Rolls-Royce. Adam shares his inspiring journey from growing up in Elkhart, Indiana, to overseeing $220 million of turbine machining output at Rolls-Royce. The conversation delves into Adam’s transition from college to career, the significance of mentorship, and his passion for supply chain management and advanced manufacturing.

5 Key Takeaways:

Value of Real-World Experience: Adam’s journey highlights how internships and real-world work experience can significantly shape career choices and confirm career paths, as seen from his roles at UPS and various internships.

Impact of Mentorship: Mentors played a crucial role in Adam's career, from guiding him towards Rolls Royce to helping him navigate different roles within the company. Mentorship can provide valuable guidance and open doors to new opportunities.

Diverse Career Opportunities: Advanced manufacturing and supply chain roles offer a wide range of opportunities, from operations and logistics to planning and procurement. The variety within these fields can keep the work dynamic and fulfilling.

Embracing Failure and Reflection: Adam emphasizes that failure plus reflection equals progress. Learning from setbacks and continuously reflecting on experiences are essential for growth and success.

Passion and Purpose in Work: Adam’s enthusiasm for his work and commitment to mentorship underscore the importance of finding joy and purpose in one’s career, and how that passion can drive personal and professional success.

For more resources on the jobs, companies, and opportunities in Indiana, visit
https://www.cicpindiana.com/syi/  

Transcript

Casey: Welcome to today's episode of See Yourself IN, where you'll learn about cool jobs, people, and companies in Indiana. You'll also hear about skills that will help you find success. And most importantly, we hope they inspire you to dream big. I'm Casey Harrison, your host. On today's show, we're going to dive into Indiana's advanced industries and why they're important.

We'll talk about the skills that are transferable across jobs and industries and determine some of the best ways to begin exploring these great opportunities. Our guest on today's episode is Adam Gushwa-Williams, manufacturing manager at Rolls-Royce, where he's responsible for $220 Million of turbine machining output.

He's an innovative problem solver who believes in servant leadership to propel every individual on his team. And he's just getting started. Adam, welcome to See Yourself IN. 

Adam: Thank you very much. Glad to be here. 

Casey: We're so excited to have you here today. So we start every episode by having our guests talk about their Indiana journey. So I'll ask you, are you from Indiana? 

Adam: I am. I am. I am a lifelong Hoosier. Grew up in Elkhart, Indiana. Enjoyed my childhood there and then really. As I was looking kind of for colleges, knew I wanted to stay around the Indiana, I didn't want to go external too far. So I found IUPUI and stuck with that. Of course, got my degree in bachelors in science, majored in supply chain and accounting, and stuck around after. There's plenty of opportunities, and I think we'll get into that a little bit later, of different companies in the area, cost of living. It's a great place to start a life, so. Certainly stuck around since my time in Elkhart. 

Casey: Well, we bonded pretty quickly because we're both IUPUI Jags, but now it's IU Indianapolis, so we'll, we'll try not to default to IUPUI.

Let's talk a little bit about, so coming from graduating in Elkhart, deciding to pursue college in Indiana, was college always the goal after graduation? 

Adam: It was. It was definitely on the horizon for me. Now, I will say my studies as a high school student sometimes struggled a little bit in different areas, so going to college definitely on the radar for me.

It's just, I didn't really know where I wanted to go necessarily in terms of career aspirations after. I grew up thinking I was gonna be a chef, love cooking, but that wasn't necessarily the right area for me. It looked like Indianapolis, IUPUI, again, an area of lots of opportunity. IUPUI got the gift to go there, and I think it worked quite well for them.

Casey: Yeah, well, so let's talk a little bit about that. I mean, you went to IUPUI. When you got there, were you clear on supply chain? 

Adam: It wasn't until I really started a lot of the gen ed classes that I took, and then there was areas of different logistical classes as well that I started taking, and I think what really solidified it for me was my experiences outside of IUPUI.

So, like most Jags, a lot of us do work externally, as we're going to school, and I had the opportunity to work at UPS at the time. Midnight shift, loading trucks, nothing too fancy, nothing too crazy, but something about seeing my impact on a daily basis, just from the simplest of jobs of accurately loading a truck to the best of my ability, really solidified, hey, this is an industry I think I'd really enjoy.

And so really stuck around, had a couple of different opportunities at UPS, worked at a host of different internships within different industries as well. And I think that's one of the best things of, Indiana does have a broad industry base. There's a lot of different opportunities that we have to go different places, which I navigated a lot of those while in school.

And then being able to apply a lot of that knowledge back to my teachings and more of the academic nature of things, combining internship, combining work experience with a lot of that, again, kind of solidified supply chain's the route I wanted to go now. I will say accounting actually was on my horizon as well still love numbers love finance.

I'm a bit of a day trader myself so it's nothing that I'm too far away from but the difference of the two, one's a bit more numbers focused I did do an internship for accounting actually and there's just something missing, right? Being out on the shop floor, being close to the product itself, and that's why I stayed with supply chain.

Casey: What I love about you sharing just your trajectory is that you were applying things you were learning in real time. And I think often when I was back in school, and maybe even for people listening, it resonates that when you're in college you feel like you're just working for the degree, but the reality is, is that you're not.

You're collecting all this data so that when you have a degree, you can figure out what you like and how you want to implement it. And so I love, I love hearing your story and we're not done hearing it. So congratulations are actually in order Adam was recently promoted to serve as the manufacturing manager at Rolls-Royce. So let's go back a little bit. What is Rolls-Royce for those who may not be familiar? 

Adam: Generally, we think Rolls-Royce, and we think of the awesome luxury brand cars. Rolls-Royce does not make cars. They sold their license to BMW. We actually manufacture power. So our slogan is pioneering power that matters.

And that really, for me, is jet engines, especially in the defense markets. Kind of what the hub of Indy's actually for. We're segmented into three different business units. Like I said, defense, and I'll talk a little bit more about that. civil and then our power systems. But on the defense side, some of our key really applications are V 22, C 130, and then lift system for F 35 are kind of our bread and butter products for our Indy site.

Really, those engines have been flying around for a while. They've really kept us going a lot of our legacy platforms. But one of the most exciting things about Rolls right now, especially in the defense realm, is a lot of the new work we've been awarded. So, we have a big program, B-52 re-engineering that we're looking to do.

As well as our Florida contract actually got awarded our way as well. So these are programs that are really going to be the basis of manufacturing within Indy. There's been a lot of investment to our Indy sites. Almost 500 million in a project condor. That's really taken us this far and it's going to continue to be work that we do in the next, you know, 20, 30 years. So , it's exciting time at Rolls. 

Casey: Oh, to say the least, how did you get connected at Rolls-Royce and maybe talk a little bit about your career pathway since you've been there? 

Adam: Connection at Rolls was an interesting one. And I think we'll talk a bit later again, advice, but a lot of it came from my mentor.

So as one of my internships, I was doing, it was my. Junior year at IUPUI, and I worked at a place called Express Scripts. I met one of my closest friends, closest mentors, a really good figure for me, Andrew, there. And he helped really broaden my horizon, helped me look in different areas that, you know, I may not have initially thought of would be an opportunity for me.

And that's where Rolls-Royce came up. So I'll do a bit of a plug. The Supply Chain Club at IUPUI actually had Rolls on site and a speaker at that time and thought it'd be a wonderful area to go into, ended up applying and got the job. So I started off on our graduate rotation program for purchasing.

I didn't spend a lot of time in purchasing before, it was all supply chain logistics kind of focused roles. So it was a new area for me. And I thought that'd be a good challenge. Within Rolls, I met another mentor, Mark Linville, fantastic individual, helped, continues to help me today, guide me in different areas.

And I remember taking the job at, at Rolls and six months prior, actually, before I actually got started, I get a call on a, on a monthly basis, Mark checking in on me, making sure everything was fantastic. I knew from that point, Rolls is a place that definitely cares about its individuals and worked out well.

So from the grad program, I did three rotations. One in purchasing, and I worked a lot of supplier negotiations for about six months. And I quickly learned purchasing wasn't the right area for me. So I made my way back out to manufacturing operations again through another connection, another mentor.

And I worked at our crosspoint facility, again, in turbines manufacturing. I haven't seen the get away from turbines after that, that endeavor, but I definitely enjoy it. And from that point on, again, I kind of knew operations is where I want to be. Close to the shop floor, loved it. And that was more of a planning role.

So do we have machines? Do we have people, raw material coming in and out of the facility? And then ended my rotation in our Indy site here as a production leader for turbines machining. And that really became the foundation for where I'm at today. So production leader for turbines, learned a lot about our processes, our people, how we're machining different things, and was able to move into again, production plan control manager role from there.

So I had a team of seven amazing planners, really made me look good enough to get promoted to my next job here of manufacturing manager. So understood the planning side of the business. understood a bit of that footprint, more team leader kind of role. And I think it positioned me fantastically for manufacturing manager where really, I mean, it's a host of things that changes on a daily basis, but it requires a lot of critical thinking, problem solving integration with the team around me.

So our quality, our engineering, our production team that I'm close to, and then our planning teams, we call our team of four. And it's what really makes the manufacturing floor run and run proficiently. So. That's where I'm at now. It's been a quick journey. It's been about four years now at Rolls-Royce, and the opportunity that they've given me to move around, develop the proper experiences to be where I'm at today and hopefully go where I want to go in the future has been fantastic.

Casey: It's so important for people listening too, because I think, first of all, your story is a testament that you're not always going to love it. But that's okay, because the more you know what you don't like, the more savvy you can be about finding what you do like. But I also think it's really important to hear at Rolls-Royce that that's such a large company that's such a well known company, but they're so invested in their people. I think I continue to hear that from you. I mean, people have helped you leverage this opportunity and now it sounds like as a manufacturing manager that you're in a role where you can pay that forward to other people. 

Adam: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And that's the game plan. That's the biggest thing that I like about the job is being able to influence and help and coach the amount of folks that we have.

We have fantastic young talent just like myself came in on the grad program. That actually work on my team now. So being able to be close to their growth and development, do a little bit of giving back, right? So the same stuff that Rolls gave to me is an invaluable experience and it keeps me around. I enjoy that part the most.

Casey: Well, you shared what you like about the job. Let's zoom out a little bit because there are people listening, wondering, how do you find out that you love supply chain? And so I'm curious, like, what is it about the supply chain, the advanced manufacturing and logistics industry that you're so passionate about?

Adam: I think there's three main things. And the first one I kind of briefly touched on at the beginning was the impact. So there's a lot of different roles within supply chain and being able to be manufacturing close to the product, seeing how it gets made, being a part of that process. I can see on a daily basis, either I won or lost.

And it's very clear whether I won or lost and being able to make an impact again along that journey. is something that I, I get a lot of in manufacturing field. So very close to me on that one. And then the uniqueness. So one particular to Rolls-Royce is we make a very cool product. Turbines, machines, really first through fourth stage, blazing vanes.

I know no one knows really what exactly that is, but they are the kind of critical components of jet engines. They're what makes a Rolls-Royce engine a Rolls-Royce engine. Sometimes I describe it as. It's like putting an ice cube in an oven and trying to get it not to melt. It is really what a blade manufacturing kind of lends itself to.

So it's not an easy process. It requires a lot of specialization, a lot of knowledge, especially from our fantastic engineers on the floor. And being a part of that journey, watching that capability when you know not everyone can do it is awesome. And finally, breadth of experience. So, again, I touched base earlier on, I had a role in procurement, logistics, supply chain, ERP compliance.

There's so many roles within the manufacturing landscape that if you don't like one, you got the opportunity to move around. Or if you think you've mastered one, right, I've done a good job in operations, soon enough I do want to move into something different, whether it could be, your program side or planning side, you know, you have that opportunity.

So you're never bored. You're always challenged. And that to me, again, it was very important when I was thinking of different areas that I wanted to go in. 

Casey: I love that you touch on the, the different departments and just the breadth of the organization, because I think It's also important to remember that you can be a finance person and find a space at Rolls-Royce, or you can be into communications or human resources and there still be a spot for you at Rolls-Royce.

So it's fantastic to hear just how collaboratively your team works together. What I think I've enjoyed most about just getting to know you is how genuine you are about both the work and getting so excited about the products, but also in just supporting people around you. And so I'm really curious about how you stay energized to not only do the work and execute at a level of excellence because not melting an ice cube in an oven is no easy feat, but you're also constantly investing in those around you.

Adam: And it started, I think, early on what made me, me. I think like, like a lot of folks, I definitely grew up in a more underprivileged situation, not the best family kind of situation that I ended up in. But I used a lot of that as motivation in starting off my time at IUPUI, taking a lot of the different roles that I had to take to really financially support myself while in school.

And one of the things while I had these external family problems was the mentorship and leadership that I had from other individuals filling in some of that gap in guidance that I had. I mean, necessarily didn't have in a traditional sense. And it was very important for my growth and development. So what motivates me is being able to give a lot of that back.

And I've done a lot of mentorship within my family in the same situation, some of my brothers. as well as individuals at work. My first experience actually was HelloFresh. I was a team leader, had a lot of fantastic individuals, and I could relate very closely with these people in what their situation was, in how I could help them navigate both for their professional and personal lives, and seeing the impact that I had on so many individuals is what makes the job so satisfying. So, having the same platform and experience at Rolls, now in a position of senior leadership, lends itself quite well to being able to mentor, understand individuals in both their professional and personal lives. And I find the most satisfaction in that. 

Yes, the process is cool.Yes, the parts we make are awesome. Pay is fantastic, but really watching the individuals grow and develop and the impact that I can have on their lives is great. And I think that is, that's what kind of what keeps me driving. So my mission is to retire at 45. Okay. At that point in time, I want to go back, become a part time professor at IUPUI actually, and do a lot more integration with a community, a lot more mentoring some of the young talent around. 

Casey: He's unstoppable. I mean, I think you'll get there. We are wrapping up on our time today, but before we go, we like to close each episode asking the person, you, our guest, to share three recommendations or three lessons that you've learned on your career journey that those listening can maybe consider while they're actively in there. So I will yield the floor. 

Adam: I usually have six. I'm going to stick to three for the sake of it. 

Casey: They'll have to find you in real life for the other three. 

Adam: Yes, there we go. But the first here is taking initiative, but at the same time being able to accept guidance. So a lot of times I'll have interns or grads on the team and it's, you know, how can we help?

How can we support? And really what I like to see is individuals, you know, take full ownership, go in, don't be afraid to fail and make a mistake along the way because you're certainly learning from it still, but having that initiative just to go and do, and then sure you may get hung up on a thing or two, being able to accept some guidance thereafter to kind of help you finish your journey, I think is a very big one.

And a lot of our leadership, a lot of folks see that. So when they're looking for different roles or everything else, they remember that from you. I always say you want to be a mutual benefit to the business as well as the business to you and being able to marry those up together. The second one is enjoy the journey.

Like I said, my journey's been quick, but it's been very fruitful in the amount of experiences that I've had. The kind of metaphor I always use is the view from the mountaintop is fantastic. But the journey there, the climb up, being able to be a part of a lot of the self reflection on that climb up is the best part of the experience, so don't miss it.

Don't always kind of focus on, here's my end goal, this is where I want to be, this is the title I want to have, this is the salary I want to get. Enjoy the journey that takes you there, because that's the majority of it, right? And being able to enjoy that's fantastic. And finally, my last one, I'll admit I did steal.

So I mentioned I'm a big into finances, one of my favorite books is Principles by Ray Dalio. Great read if you haven't read through it, but he uses an equation and it's pain plus reflection equals progress. Now that's a little harsh for me. So I changed it just a tad and I have failure plus reflection equals progress or success.

And I think just like I said, enjoying that journey, but being able to look back, learn on different experiences along that journey, being able to look at your failures and say, this is what I can do differently. gives you the keys to a successful roadmap for the future. 

Casey: I mean, you'll have to find Adam to hear the other three, cause I'm sure they're worth hearing.

But before we close out today, I just have to say, when we were talking to your supervisor about inviting you to be on, they said that everything that you touch turns to gold. And I think after this conversation, that that is absolutely the case. So thank you for joining us. 

Adam: Absolutely. Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure. 

Casey: We're so glad that you were able to join us to learn about Indiana's advanced industries and how you can start or enhance your career journey. Until next time, we hope that you'll be able to see yourself in the unlimited opportunities in Indiana.