Jim Rink is serving as Manufacturing Practice Director in Residence, working with Jenny Patzlaff in Supply Chain & Manufacturing.
Jim has taught noncredit manufacturing courses in UW–Madison’s College of Engineering for the last few years. When he was offered the opportunity to become a Practice Director in Residence at UWEBC, he was drawn to the chance to expand its supply chain programming to include more manufacturing.
Jim also brings 40 years of industry experience, including 31 years at Caterpillar Inc. He began close to the work as a manufacturing systems engineer supporting machining, welding, and assembling operations and went on to lead manufacturing organizations as a General Manager and Multi-Site Operations Manager. His career has given him a deep appreciation for how broad manufacturing really is, from food and biotechnology to electronics, aerospace, and automotive production.
“Manufacturing is incredibly diverse. We cut, machine, weld, and assemble components, but we also make food and cheese, biotechnology products, electronics, aerospace components, and automobiles. That diversity is one of the things I love most about manufacturing.”
Jim Rink
What made you excited about becoming a Practice Director in Residence with UWEBC?
Jim was drawn to the opportunity to bring a manufacturer’s perspective to UWEBC. He has spent his career around people who make things and has a deep appreciation for the role manufacturing plays in our companies and communities. He sees the Practice Director in Residence role as an opportunity to bring people together, create connections, and strengthen the manufacturing community.
What makes the UWEBC community different?
Jim values UWEBC’s focus on companies and the people who work within them. The professional development programs he leads create opportunities for individuals to learn and grow throughout their careers. UWEBC extends that learning to companies, creating opportunities for people to learn from one another, share ideas and experiences, and connect with resources across UW–Madison. He is especially looking forward to seeing those connections take shape at this year’s Annual Conference.
What’s the most common challenge you see in organizations?
Jim sees the human side of change as one of the most overlooked challenges in implementing projects. Organizations often put considerable thought into the technical side of a project while underestimating how much change they are asking of the people involved. They may overlook the scale of the change, what people need in order to adapt, or how their day-to-day work will be affected. Jim believes projects are more likely to succeed when organizations implement change with their people rather than to them.
What’s changing most rapidly in manufacturing?
Manufacturing spans many industries, so the pace and nature of change vary. What Jim finds especially interesting is how accessible powerful technologies have become. Connected devices and sensors can generate enormous amounts of data, AI can help people interpret that information and troubleshoot problems, and technologies such as 3D scanning and printing allow people to do work that once required significant time, specialized resources, and large budgets.
For experienced leaders, that creates both an opportunity and a challenge. Experience is valuable, but it can also shape assumptions about what is possible. Jim believes keeping pace requires curiosity, a willingness to question those assumptions, and giving people room to experiment with technologies and ideas that may not have been practical even a few years ago.
What kinds of questions or challenges are you most excited to explore with our members?
Jim is eager to hear how members are experimenting with technology, especially AI and automation. He enjoys the unexpected stories that emerge from those conversations, such as an HR professional who used AI to build a factory scheduling system or a manufacturing expert who explores advanced machining as a hobby. To Jim, these examples show what happens when people are curious and willing to try something new.
He wants to learn what members are building, what problems they are trying to solve, and how their interests outside work influence what they do on the factory floor. Those conversations often reveal connections: someone else working on a similar problem, an idea from another industry, or a UW–Madison resource that could help. Jim enjoys making those connections and seeing where they lead.
What kinds of conversations are you most excited to lead or participate in?
Jim is focused on expanding UWEBC’s manufacturing programming in response to member interest. Members have asked for more opportunities to learn from one another about manufacturing operations and connect with UW–Madison expertise. Jim was particularly excited to host the new manufacturing track at the UWEBC Annual Conference and build on the momentum of Wisconsin Drives Manufacturing at Lambeau Field.
The track brought together leaders who run operations, lead manufacturing or plant engineering, or help shape their organization’s technology roadmap for a working day focused on preparing operations for the future. Conversations explored workforce needs, production technology, and how manufacturers are preparing for what comes next, with a practical focus on making next year’s plan work on this year’s floor.
We look forward to continuing to learn from Jim as he brings decades of experience and a practical, business-focused approach to manufacturing to the UWEBC community.