Title: Chief Executive Officer
Company: MAD-Ai
Location: Madison, Mississippi, United States
Richard D. Heilshorn, MBA, MSeng, LSS-MB, chief executive officer at MAD-Ai, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in consulting.
With nearly two decades of experience, Mr. Heilshorn has built a successful career in consulting, specializing in artificial intelligence, quality, and strategic problem-solving. Since 2023, he has excelled as founder and chief executive officer of MAD-Ai. MAD-Ai offers a range of AI-based solutions designed for the manufacturing industry, including automated quality monitoring systems, predictive maintenance tools, and advanced analytics for process optimization. Their services include tools for managing quality data, tracking production efficiency, and integrating cross-functional capabilities that enhance collaboration between engineering and human resources teams. Additionally, the company provides specialized software agents tailored to support complex manufacturing environments and improve overall operational precision. In addition to this role, he has served as chief executive officer of Mentor Systems South LLC since 2023 and co-founded MAD Esthetics MedSpa in 2021.
Mr. Heilshorn experience also includes roles as quality manager for regional operations at Faurecia from 2022 to 2023 and plant quality manager from 2021 to 2022. At Honda Development and Manufacturing, he served as regional quality manager from 2020 to 2021, supplier quality engineering project manager and North American LSS project leader from 2018 to 2020, and project manager for supplier quality engineering from 2016 to 2018. His earlier positions include supplier quality engineer for new models at Honda, mechanical engineer co-op at Whirlpool, and engineer co-op at SSOE Group. Laying a solid educational foundation for these successes, he earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo, followed by a Master of Science in engineering from the same institution. He later completed a Master of Business Administration at Ohio University and obtained Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certifications through Honda Development and Manufacturing of America LLC.
Reflecting on his path, Mr. Heilshorn quickly rose through the ranks at Honda and Faurecia, a manufacturing and plant turnaround company. Through his extensive experience in leadership and consulting, he identified that the industry lacked individuals with the educational background needed for quality roles. He realized the critical need for accessible learning resources in quality management, which led him to establish MAD-Ai. Additionally, he takes great pride in his role at Honda, where he and his team launched a Six Sigma project for the 2022 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot, reviving design practices to ensure manufacturability by conducting global studies on manufacturing capabilities and aligning designs with Six Sigma principles. His initiative addressed misalignment between the purchasing and manufacturing departments and ensured that designs were optimized for manufacturing. He gained endorsement from the design team, and the project led to over $12 million in savings for Honda in the first cycle.
Mr. Heilshorn attributes his success to trusting himself and not listening to anyone tell him no. Looking to the future, he is focused on driving early entry and rapid expansion for MAD-Ai. As he sees no direct competitors in the field, he is building relationships with significant clients, including a key player with 200 global manufacturing sites, as well as companies like BMW, Ford, and others in the aerospace sector. His vision for MAD-Ai includes securing substantial business partnerships, obtaining funding, and ultimately selling the company. In the long term, he plans to invest in real estate and local small businesses, contributing to economic growth and community development in his area.
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