Alumni Profile: John Hoffman BSME'94

The "Alumni Profile" feature makes its debut in this second edition of e-Quad with a story on John Hoffman (BSME'94). John Hoffman is a native of Ottawa, Ohio. He obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1994 and an MBA from Clemson University in 2004. He is employed by Cooper Industries.

I joined Cooper Industries in 1994 in the Manufacturing Training Program with initial assignments at the Cooper Automotive plant in Brampton, Ontario, and the Wagner Brake plant in Stratford, Ontario. I then worked as a project manager in Vaughan, Ontario, until May of 1996 when I was promoted to Technical Services Manager responsible for engineering and maintenance. I accepted a promotion to Production Manager in May of 1998 and relocated my family to Waukesha, Wisconsin. In this position I was responsible for all production-related activities. In 2000, I accepted a promotion to Manager - Manufacturing Engineering in Greenwood, South Carolina, with responsibilities in the Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Maintenance departments. I was named China - Joint Venture - Manager in 2004 and relocated my family to Shanghai, China. I am now focused on developing a high voltage capacitor manufacturing facility. The manufacturing facility is a key "launching pad" for Cooper Power Systems into China.

This photo is a group shot of a local vendor and other Cooper Power Systems executives. The local vendor is helping fabricate some of the accessory components to a high voltage capacitor. "Relationships" to Chinese vendors are in some cases more important than price and quality. It is paramount to keep excellent working relationships and know the difference between negotiating and insulting.

Please tell us anything you would like about your family and personal interests: My wife Lucinda and I met when I was working in Brampton, Ontario (near Toronto). We have two children: our daughter, Courtney, is six years old and our son, Andrew, is five years old.
	This is a picture of my family. My wife's name is Lucinda. My daughter Courtney is six and my son Andrew is five.

What things do you remember most about your days as a student in the University?
Like most University of Cincinnati alumni, I still follow Bearcat Basketball. I remember all the fun and student camaraderie associated with NCAA College Basketball. The University of Cincinnati is a great place to feel the excitement in bitter rivalries, disappointment in tough losses, and elation in close victories. I have great memories of Bearcat Basketball whenever I get to watch the Cincinnati Bearcats on television.

What was your favorite experience(s) or memory(ies) from the College of Engineering?
During my years in the College of Engineering, I found myself consistently in the middle of the grading bell-curves. I especially remember struggling in "Fluid Dynamics." At the peak of my frustration, I asked the professor why I needed to understand such details with regards to fluids. Paraphrasing the response:

This statement has been one of the finest lessons I have ever learned. I barely passed "Fluid Dynamics" and certainly do not plan to make any career moves to focus in this field. However, that one lesson learned has helped me to balance work and personal life. It also has helped me make career decisions that have had little job security but large job advancement.

Where did you co-op as a student? Were those experiences helpful to you? What do you think of the co-op program now that you are in industry?
I completed my co-op program through Dow Chemical. My experiences were key in my development as an engineer and as a manager.

A co-op program is an excellent way for students to take an "in-class" education and use that knowledge for "hands-on" experiences. However, I believe the main advantage in a co-op program is the professional mentoring. Mentoring occurs when students are placed in a working environment and expected to perform. The mentors for co-op students are found in direct supervisors, peer group engineers, and other functional group employees.

Students in co-op programs are given the opportunity to be mentored by the leaders and future leaders of their co-op company. This opportunity leaves a lasting impression. Students who excel in co-op programs begin to learn and emulate the personal qualities that enhance leadership skills.

What led you to accept a position in China? Was it an opportunity that suddenly arose or something you wanted to do for many years?
I have seen the manufacturing environment throughout the United States focus on improving costs domestically while expanding globally. Opportunities to excel within companies are usually associated with business growth. Therefore, the electives that I enrolled into while going through my MBA were almost always associated with International Business.

Cooper Power Systems is a manufacturer of high and medium voltage power distribution equipment. The customers of Cooper Power Systems are interested in improving, maintaining, or modifying power distribution. The opportunity for Cooper Power Systems in China is relatively exciting due to the constant increases in demand for electricity throughout the entire country.

My opportunity for an international assignment came in 2003 when my direct manager understood my interest in international business and asked for a business model to enter the Chinese market. My family and I relocated to China within a year to fulfill many of the action items laid out in my business model. The events that led my career to China progressed from (1) understanding that my environment was changing to (2) educating myself to prepare for the change to (3) communicating my desire to move internationally to (4) being given the opportunity to act upon my desires.

From your perspective as engineer in a global economy experiencing life abroad, what advice what you give to students in engineering today?
China is an exciting place to work for an engineer. Industrial growth is occurring at a rate that I could have never imagined. Multinational companies from all over the world seem to be focused on servicing this new market of consumers in China. The capital costs to enter the market and risks associated with the investments are large. However, the rewards for finding a product that is desired by even a small percentage of the population are gigantic. Engineers and managers that take part in this risk / reward process learn fundamentals in successful organizations, feel the excitement associated with growing something important, and reap the career benefits of going through the experience.

The career paths and opportunities for engineers are not the same as they were a decade ago. Engineers can now act as ambassadors to industrially expanding areas of the world by trading manufacturing abilities for access into global markets. Engineering competition is taking on a new form of protecting core competencies in manufacturing, while pursuing new sales channels in foreign markets. International opportunities for engineers are increasing at a steady rate. Multinational companies want to get into these new markets. The items for barter used by Multinational companies for market access are manufacturing technologies. Engineers are the new corporate ambassadors that will be responsible to trade manufacturing abilities without losing competitive advantages.

When was the last time you were back on campus? How do people respond when you tell them you are a graduate of the UC College of Engineering?
I graduated in 1994. I have lived in Ontario, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and now China. I have not been back to campus since my graduation day. I have seen through the Internet and newspapers that the campus has changed a great deal. I am excited about someday being relocated close to Ohio so that I can take my daughter and son to football and basketball games on campus.

The University of Cincinnati has a very good representation of engineers in the working world. Just about everyone will mention other University of Cincinnati engineering graduates when I inform them of my undergraduate degree. I believe that the co-op program at the University of Cincinnati lends to graduating engineers that stand out in the work world. Engineers that leave the University of Cincinnati have approximately two years of experience and are able to excel after graduation because they understand business expectations, drive for task completion, and develop to be more professionally mature.

Do you keep in contact with fellow classmates?
Failing to keep contact with classmates, roommates, and friends from my years at the University of Cincinnati is likely one of my largest regrets. I was married about a year after I graduated and my life began to revolve around my immediate family rather than my past friends. However, I do wonder where some of my classmates have gone to work and what they might be doing.

You can email John at: jhoffman@cooperpower.com