Neil Khant

About Neil Khant

Dedicated Sr. Engineering Project Manager with 15+ years of experience in Alcohol/Food/Beverage, Specialty Chemical/Plastics, and Aerospace. Proven track record of effectively managing small to large projects, accustomed to starting and taking over difficult to manage projects and/or managing multiple projects at the same time. Managed and contracted projects for Fortune 500 level firms, Defense Contracts, Aerospace Companies, and Small companies. Confident in ability to lead and motivate diverse, cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives, delivering projects on-time and under budget. Committed to continuous improvement and contributing to team success.

Experience

1. Manager, Na Engineering Projects

   Diageo

   Jul 2017 — Present · Plainfield, IL, US

   Member Central Engineering Strategy Team. Involved in multiple Non-Disclosure Agreement projects.• Member Sustainability Team, responsible for US Dept. of Energy grant of $75MM.• Accustomed to working on projects from concept to completion. Also proficient in taking over projects that others have started and no longer able or capable of bringing to completion.• Manage construction, Piping and Instrumentation, and other projects types to support all aspects of the manufacture and aging products in the alcohol industry. • Work closely with various departments to support all aspects of project life cycle.Managed: • Decoupling of a property to separate and sell a portion of the Distillery.• Replacement of the still’s doubler at Bulleit Distillery, Shelbyville, KY.• Designs for decarbonization of various Diageo sites.• Installation, fermenters and process tanks at various Diageo sites.• Renovation of 6-story brick and concrete warehouse built in 1940 to age alcohol barrels in Relay, MD. Including a 20K lbs. material lift, to hold multiple pallets and forklift.• Solidify palatized warehouse designs to be utilized throughout Diageo North America.• Construction of several warehouses for aging alcohol on various sites.• Construction and site work of the Bulleit Bourbon Distillery’s Visitor Center. • Due diligence for purchase of 350 acres of land, Including feasibility for warehousing and distillery on property. • Commissioning and startup of the Bulleit Bourbon Distillery.($150MM distillery)• CIP (Clean in Place) system review of piping for the new CIP system running throughout the Bulleit Distillery covering all tanks, cookers, fermenters, and process piping. • Construction of Bulk Grain System (Grain unload, mill, tanks to the cookers.)• Completed Initial Qualification Documents for the Bulleit Bourbon Distillery start-up. Including necessary paperwork for all equipment, tanks, process piping, pumps, and state/county/city inspections.

Education

• Northern Illinois University

  Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering

• Northern Illinois University

  MBA, Business Administration

Skills

• Six Sigma
• Team Building
• Management
• Lean Manufacturing
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Aviation
• Marketing
• Business Process Improvement
• Aerospace Manufacturing
• Business Development
• Leadership Development
• New Business Development
• Process Improvement
• Aerospace Engineering
• Aviation Electronics
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Contract Negotiation
• Leadership
• Product Development