Our Leadership

Phil McIntyre

Managing Director, Client Development and Marketing

Phil McIntyre's career spans more than 34 years in manufacturing, supply chain, and business leadership. He's well-accomplished and has worked with companies around the world in a multitude of industry verticals, contributing to organizations at all levels in Engagement Design and Leadership, Cost Management, Due Diligence, Leadership Coaching and Development, Performance Facilitation, and Project and Change Management.

Phil holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University and a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University.

Cara Thompson

Managing Director, Operations

Cara Thompson has worked for Milliken & Company for more than 20 years, starting as a Product and Process Improvement Engineer in Milliken’s chemical business. She rose through the ranks as a Department Production Manager, Senior Production Manager, Process Improvement Leader, and then as Plant Leader for two chemical sites.

Since joining Performance Solutions by Milliken in 2014, Cara has worked with clients around the world, representing the food and beverage, chemical, and packaging industries. She became the Managing Director, Client Operations, in 2017. Cara also leads Milliken's Performance System Steering Team as the Director, Corporate Milliken Performance System. In this dual role, Cara provides a broad perspective in systems-based thinking and employee engagement cultures that sustainably deliver business results.

Cara holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Operations Management from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University in Clemson, S.C.

Nick Bailey

Director of Operations, Europe and Asia

Nick Bailey is an experienced leader with a background in operations, manufacturing, and engineering. Over his 27-year career at Milliken, he has worked in a number of businesses, learning something new at each step.

Nick was part of Milliken’s initial foray into systematic improvement methodologies and helped design the Milliken Performance System. He was given the opportunity to implement that methodology in two Milliken locations as the site manager, and both site teams were recognized with the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) Excellent Plant Awards.

Nick has a Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and is a certified JIPM Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) instructor.

Dede Ericson

Director of Client Engagement

Dede Ericson began her career in 1994 with American Bag Corporation, a subsidiary of Milliken & Company. There, she spent eight years in a range of roles, from Process Engineer to Production Manager to Process Improvement Leader.

Prior to joining Performance Solutions by Milliken, Dede worked as a Sales Manager and North American Market Manager in Milliken's Chemical Business. Dede currently serves as Director of Client Engagement, leading a team of practitioners that assist clients in multiple markets.

Dede holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

Mark Love

Director of Client Engagement

Mark Love has worked across many Milliken locations and businesses for the past 28 years. He started his career supporting manufacturing sites as a maintenance reliability and facilities engineer. In 1995, Mark was the Performance System Leader and supported two model sites. He transitioned to Production Leader and then became Plant Manager of the Newton site in Hartwell, Georgia.

In 2009, Mark started working with Performance Solutions by Milliken as a practitioner. Currently, Mark is a Director of Client Engagement and supports a range of clients to help them achieve goals through performance system implementation.

Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Georgia Southern University.

Chris Poole

Director of Client Development,(EMEA)

Chris Poole serves as the Director of Client Development for EMEA clients. Chris has a track record of delivering tailored, high-quality operational excellence programs. He's an expert in all aspects of policy deployment, leadership development, organizational alignment, and focused problem-solving methodologies.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Technology and Management Sciences from the University of Bradford and is a certified Change Management Practitioner, Master Black Belt, and TPM Instructor.

Jordan Workman

Global Business Director

Jordan Workman leads a team focused on partnerships and strategy within the manufacturing and supply chain functions of multi-national clients. Clients served span a variety of industries, including agri-business, pulp and paper, packaging, medical, pharma, chemical, food and beverage, mining, and specialty plastics.

Prior to joining Performance Solutions by Milliken, Jordan was employed by Owens Corning for almost a decade, where he last served as Marketing Director for a global business unit responsible for creating and executing the go-to-market strategy that aligned commercial, supply chain, and operational capabilities. He also served as Business Development Leader for Owens Corning, leading a team of managers based in Shanghai. He brings a wealth of knowledge on how to bridge cross-cultural differences and drive performance in the journey to business excellence.

Jordan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from West Virginia University.

Nicole Yeskey

Director of Marketing

Nicole Yeske serves as Director of Marketing and joins the team to spearhead additional growth within the marketing division at Performance Solutions by Milliken. She brings a strong marketing background as well as a dedication to analytics and innovation. As Marketing Director, she is responsible for planning, implementing, and overseeing marketing strategy and execution.

Prior to joining Performance Solutions by Milliken, Nicole held several progressive marketing roles at Gordian, the world’s leading construction cost data, software, and service provider, including Product Marketing and Digital and eCommerce Management. She began her career at Dell Computers as a Consumer Products Marketing Manager responsible for point-of-sale merchandising and large campaigns.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from Michigan State University.