When asked what advice he would give to a newcomer to the industry, Jon Amos, a 37-year-old systems engineering manager at John Crane, says, “Go to Gemba. Don’t investigate a shop floor issue from your desk. Go and see the issue.”
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Amos became a newcomer to the industry himself after being laid off from an asphalt company in 2010 and taking a job at a local pump company, which eventually led him to John Crane. There, according to nominator Jim Wasser, Amos has made a lot of positive changes, led by example and played a big part in the launch of new products.
“Jon is extremely thorough and takes the time to fully explain an issue before suggesting solutions. He understands who his stakeholders are and how they are impacted by his decisions,” Wasser said. “Jon has successfully mentored many engineers within his relatively short career, which has resulted in high-performing John Crane engineers.”
Amos is always working on growing his knowledge and experience in both internal and external seminars on industry topics and equipment to help him solve new challenges and problems. Indeed, Amos says what he likes best about the industry is its constant supply of new things to fix; “different process conditions, OEMs and end users mean that every project is a new set of challenges and a new learning experience.”
Going forward, Amos says he is excited to see how the industry responds and adapts to environmental concerns and regulations.
“The pandemic has reinforced my view that the industry is robust,” Amos said. “Despite the challenges everyone faced, there was still demand for equipment and companies had to find ways to produce.”
What’s on your bucket list?
“I would love to go to space and experience zero gravity and see the earth from another perspective.”
See all of this year's finalists by clicking here.