Mike Johnson

Expertise - Johnson Analytics & Insights

I turn complex manufacturing operations into competitive advantages..

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For 35+ years I’ve led some of the most ambitious transformations in the automotive and EV industry — taking plants from red ink and chaos to world-class lean performance, often in record time.

Most recently at VinFast, as Deputy CEO of Global Manufacturing, I stood up an all-new EV platform and scaled production from 0 → 100,000+ units while driving labor efficiency up >200% and cutting cost per vehicle by double-digit percentages — all while building a greenfield factories in India, North Carolina and a second complex in Vietnam.

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Before that: Ford, Faraday Future, ICONIQ (China), NWTN (UAE), and two successful startups taken public.

Now I’ve founded Johnson AI — a boutique consultancy that brings AI-powered insight and battle-tested lean principles to manufacturers who refuse to be average.

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We don’t just consult. We install real-time, data-driven decision systems on the shop floor that eliminate waste, expose constraints, and deliver measurable ROI in months, not years.

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If you’re a CEO or Board who believes the plant floor is still the ultimate source of competitive advantage — and you’re ready to move faster and smarter than your competition — let’s talk.

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Specialties & Tools → Lean / Toyota Production System (Black Belt & Champion) → AI-enabled constraint management & predictive operations → Greenfield & turnaround execution → Global supply-chain redesign → Independent Board Director (public & private).

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Let’s connect if you’re building the future of manufacturing.

Michael holds a BS IE/MS from Northwestern University and a MBA/MM from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.