Don is a founding principal of NEXT LEVEL Partners^®, LLC. He founded the firm with the vision to leverage his more than 30 years as an exceptional leader of Lean enterprises and a top practitioner of Lean Business System implementations to help clients consistently deliver outstanding results. 

Prior to founding NEXT LEVEL Partners^®, LLC, Don served as Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Gilbarco Veeder Root, a $700+mm Danaher Company providing goods and services to the retail and commercial petroleum market. 

In the first year following Danaher’s acquisition of Gilbarco, he played a key role in leading the integration of Gilbarco and Veeder Root, delivering 25%+ improvements in quality, lead time, unit cost and working capital turns while also doubling profitability at Gilbarco’s flagship North American operation. Don’s progressively responsible positions were in the Hand Tool Group, President of Joslyn Electronic Systems, and President of Pacific Scientific Electro Kinetics. As Vice President of Operations for Danaher Power Solutions, Don led the consolidation of Danaher Business System {“DBS”) implementation for five independent power quality companies.

Don’s earlier career includes eleven years in the aerospace industry holding progressively responsible positions in manufacturing operations management for the New England Airfoil Products division of Howmet Corporation, and International Nickel. 

Don earned his BS in Industrial Technology & Manufacturing Management from Central Connecticut State University.