ES

Erin Sawyer

Venture Capitalist | Global Supply Chain Expert | Automotive Industry Disrupter | Electric Vehicle Technology

Greater Phoenix Area

Invests in

Stages:

Locations:

  • Min Investment:

    $100,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $1,000,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $500,000.00

Skills

Kanban
System Design
Automation
Cross-functional Team Leadership
Competitive Analysis
Six Sigma
Lean Manufacturing
Product Development
Engineering Management
Value Stream Mapping
Product Management
DMAIC
Strategy
Management Consulting
Automotive
Process Engineering
Management
Manufacturing
Process Improvement
Running

Education

Work Experience

2024

  • Board Observer

    2024

2023

  • Board of Advisors

    2023

  • Venture Partner

    2022

    Invests in early-stage climate tech companies such as electricity, mobility, construction, and embodied carbon. Advises portfolio companies to help scale their business in the areas of supply chain and manufacturing.

  • Mom

    2018 - 2022

    Designer of two human lives.

2016 - 2018

  • Vice President of Supply Chain

    2016 - 2018

    Responsible for developing a global supply chain that supports Wrightspeed's mission to provide the world’s most efficient range-extended electric vehicle powertrain for the next-generation of commercial fleets. Established domestic and international supply chain partnerships that ensure stable supply and effective costs. Built and managed a high performance supply chain team that evaluates, selects, develops and qualifies suppliers for electrical, mechanical parts and sub-assemblies. Reported directly to CEO.

2014 - 2015

  • Group Manager, Global Supply - Core Technologies

    2014 - 2015

    Responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies in a large scale manufacturing environment. Identified and evaluated new / increased sources of global supply that support capacity expansions, new manufacturing plans, new product launches, and sustainability objectives. Managed and coached a team of 25 buyers, commodity managers, and purchasing managers to utilize advanced negotiation and purchasing techniques to deliver aggressive cost reduction objectives. Reported directly to VP of Supply Chain.

2010 - 2014

  • Manager

    2013 - 2014

    Led major profit improvement initiatives and projects in strategic sourcing, process improvement, and organizational transformation for Fortune 500 clients across multiple industries including specialty apparel retail, large multi-brand CPG, and global manufacturing.

  • Associate

    2010 - 2012

  • New Product Launch Lead Buyer, US Light Truck/SUV

    2006 - 2009

    Performed strategic sourcing of turbocharger products in a high volume, automotive manufacturing environment. Negotiated aggressive supplier cost reductions and met production quality and capacity targets for 50+ global suppliers across N. America, Europe, and Asia.

  • Program Manager, GM/Isuzu Team

    2004 - 2006

    Managed new product launches of turbochargers for large OEM automotive customers. Led a cross-functional team of engineering, manufacturing, and sales representatives to develop new products to meet customer quality, schedule, and cost requirements.

2001 - 2003

  • Mechanical Engineer

    2001 - 2003

    Various roles in Engineering R&D organization, designing and testing turbocharged diesel engines for Light and Medium-Duty truck applications.

1999 - 1999

  • Mechanical Engineer

    1999 - 1999

    Designed and tested new automatic transmissions for Light-Duty truck and SUV applications.