Don started working in factories at the age of 17 with a high school education. Starting as piece-worker on a metal lathe, he eventually got his electrical engineering degree on the road to becoming Vice President of Operational Excellence at Harley-Davidson, responsible for the Capital Drive Engine and Transmission Plant as well as improvement activity across the company.
He later was Senior Vice President of Operations for a multinational corporation, responsible for 5,000 people globally in manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, quality, and logistics. He is an expert in Toyota methods, especially at the leadership level.
Since 2007, Don has been consulting around the world and has taught at business schools in Moscow, Copenhagen, Luxembourg, and Zagreb. He is a Senior Lecturer at MIT, where he runs a two-day Executive Education course and teaches in the Executive MBA program.