ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is pleased to introduce its new champions club director, Burgess Oliver. Oliver brings a lifetime of manufacturing and AME experience to the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to continuous improvement and enterprise excellence.

“We look forward to bringing Burgess on board as director of the AME Champions Club, which is an exclusive gathering of our industry’s foremost leaders and innovators,” says Paul G. Kuchuris, Jr., AME’s president. “Burgess’s vast experience will help AME continue to produce several world-class leadership events each year for the AME champion membership.”

The Champions Club comprises senior executives from large and small companies that represent a large cross section of industries. Membership is limited to leaders who exude AME’s commitment to excellence in manufacturing. The club coordinates leadership training and networking events designed to give members the tools necessary to compete effectively in an increasingly global marketplace.

As the former general manager of Nortel, Oliver is well-known within the organization for his leadership and ability to liven up events and workshops. He received AME’s Mac McCulloch Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, which is annually bestowed upon an individual who embodies AME principles and works to establish AME’s leadership role within the industry.

Oliver was among AME’s first members and a charter member of the AME Champions Club, volunteering countless hours with the organization. Prior to retiring from Nortel, he held positions at Clark Equipment Company, GTE Sylvania, Telco and Tricor.