Saranya Tangvitoontham is currently serving as Director – Kohler Operating System and Transformation Management Office at Kohler Company. She is responsible for developing Kohler Kitchen and Bath Operations and Supply Chain strategic plan as well as annual operating plan. Her contribution in the transformation role has helped streamline the organization with a focus on company performance and associates’ growth. Her group is responsible for creating and deploying Operating System and Lean Six Sigma manufacturing principles along with driving operational excellence globally.
Saranya has had 17 years of extensive Operations experience at Kohler Company encompassing leadership roles in Quality, Continuous Improvement, New Product Integration, Plant Management, and end-to-end Transformation programs. She has been a person of many firsts, notably the first female Plant Manager at Kohler Wisconsin Cast Iron Operations. She has held numerous global and international roles throughout her career including a two-year stint at Kohler Thailand Vitreous Operations.
Saranya is the founder and past president of Asian Resources of Kohler (ARK) -Business Resource Group. She is also the program manager and executive mentor of the Kohler Operations and Supply Chain Leadership Development program, as well as the executive sponsor in McKinsey’s Hispanic and Latino Executive Leadership program at Kohler. Saranya was recognized with the 2024 Women MAKE Award by the Manufacturing Institute.
Saranya is a proud 2x Badger, receiving her undergrad in Electrical Engineering (where she met her husband, Dan Zignego, who graduated Civil Engineering) and later her Executive MBA from UW-Madison. Saranya also received her Master’s in Industrial and Operations Engineering from University of Michigan – Ann Arbor.