Conrad Zumhagen

Certifiable innovation zealot and car enthusiast, with a management background in the OEM automotive supplier & plastics industries.

Conrad became an independent contractor & resource in 1998, bringing over 30 years of management experience and achievements to clients - primarily those in the automotive and plastics industries.

In his corporate career, he led profitable growth via innovation in strategy, market, product, and
business process development, and is now helping clients in these areas, focusing on catalyzing and driving innovation.

Clients have included international manufacturers of materials, components, systems & services (with annual sales of $20 million to $30 billion), business owners, investors, and technology providers.

He has demonstrated skills in differentiating organizations, products and services—matching them to markets and anticipated customers’ needs.

Previously with Johnson Controls, Inc. as Executive Director, Product Planning and New Product Development, he led teams that developed innovative seating systems.
He played a key role in expanding JCI’s interior business beyond seating by developing and negotiating a joint venture (Intertec Systems) that established JCI in the instrument panel business.
During JCI’s later acquisition of Prince Corp., he formed and led a combined team to win a global competition to become Chrysler’s new instrument panel supplier, with significant business awarded.
As General Manager of JCI’s Engineered Plastics Division, he leveraged its strengths in blow molding, energy management design, structural and underhood components to grow revenues, while improving financial performance, quality, safety, operational efficiency and labor relations in its three manufacturing facilities.

At Magna’s Decoma Plastics group as V.P., Marketing and Technology, he led new business development and the units comprising the marketing, design & engineering, product & process development, production tooling and composites manufacturing groups. Resultant programs for bumper systems and energy absorbers, fenders and body panels contributed to significant growth in sales and earnings.

At Ashland Chemical Company as Director of Commercial Development, he led the business groups involved with composite resin systems for SMC and RTM applications—as well as the commercialization of new resin systems that created Structural RIM and a new industry segment.

During twelve years at GE Plastics (now SABIC Innovative Polymers), he contributed to their achieving world leadership in engineering thermoplastics, centered on the automotive market. He was a key factor in establishing the supplier industry’s first Detroit area applications development center, and four of the six applications still considered as their breakthroughs.
He also led a pioneering international automotive industry team that created and translated applications with OEM customers worldwide. Positions included Manager, Automotive Marketing & Sales, General Manager, Lexan Marketing Dept. and Manager, Strategy Development.

Prior to joining GE, he was a manufacturing development Engineer at Polaroid Corp.'s Camera Division, bringing new camera components from design to production.

He began his professional career with Allied Chemical Corporation’s Plastics Division, with positions in research, engineering and applications development in Morristown, NJ and Detroit, MI.

Conrad is recognized in the industry for his leadership of growth through innovation and commercialization—resulting in many industry firsts, including engineering thermoplastic bumper systems, exterior body panels, headlamps and instrument panels, as well as innovations in automotive seating and other interior systems.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in plastics technology from Lowell Technological Institute (now the University of Massachusetts - Lowell), and furthered his business education via several company and university-sponsored accelerated management programs.

He has served on the board of directors of two privately held companies in the plastics industry, and is a member of APA, SAE, and SPE - where he serves as a Blue Ribbon Judge for their annual Automotive Innovation Awards competition.