“You Get What You Measure”
William R. “Bill” Cornmesser is an accomplished senior executive and operations leader with more than 35 years of experience transforming complex manufacturing environments, optimizing global supply chains, and delivering measurable business results. Throughout his distinguished career, Bill has established himself as a strategic thinker, disciplined operator, and trusted executive leader who understands how to translate ambitious business objectives into sustainable operational success. His expertise spans agricultural distribution, specialty chemicals, chemical manufacturing, food production, enterprise operations, and organizational transformation. With experience in both publicly traded and privately held organizations, he brings a valuable combination of corporate-level strategic insight and hands-on operational knowledge. As he explores opportunities to contribute at the board and advisory level, Bill offers organizations the perspective of an executive who has successfully navigated complex business challenges while consistently prioritizing performance, accountability, safety, and long-term value creation.
Currently serving as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Operations at Wilbur-Ellis Corporation, Bill provides executive leadership across the company’s diverse business lines, driving operational efficiency, organizational alignment, customer execution, and environmental, health, safety, and security (EHSS) performance. As a member of the executive leadership team, he helps integrate supply chain management, sourcing, manufacturing, project engineering, and operational processes into a cohesive enterprise strategy. His responsibilities involve establishing consistent performance standards, strengthening cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring operational capabilities support broader commercial and financial objectives. His leadership reflects a fundamental belief that successful organizations must connect strategic vision with disciplined execution, transparent measurement, and clear accountability.
Before assuming his current enterprise-wide responsibilities in November 2023, Bill served as Vice President of Operations for Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness, overseeing an extensive operational network supporting approximately $2.5 billion in revenue, $500 million in operating expenses, more than $75 million in annual capital investment, 140 locations, and over 1,200 employees. In this position, he led manufacturing, project engineering, supply chain, EHSS, and operational activities while advancing initiatives designed to improve efficiency, strengthen service delivery, and support sustainable growth. Among his most significant accomplishments was the implementation of a comprehensive sales and operations planning process that reduced inventory by approximately $100 million without compromising customer service. He also helped strengthen workplace safety through leadership development, improved performance measurement, and disciplined operating procedures, contributing to a 20% year-over-year reduction in significant injuries.
Bill’s career at Wilbur-Ellis demonstrates a consistent progression through increasingly complex leadership responsibilities. Before becoming Vice President, he directed regional field operations across the western and southwestern United States, overseeing 25 facilities supporting more than $500 million in revenue. During the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic, he maintained uninterrupted operations across his region while restructuring leadership responsibilities, improving organizational efficiency, and reinforcing collaboration between sales and operations. Earlier, as National Director of Manufacturing, he directed specialty manufacturing operations, developed manufacturing and supply chain strategies, and introduced improved demand-planning processes. His initiatives increased production efficiency, supported new business growth, reduced customer complaints by more than 50%, and strengthened safety performance across multiple facilities.
Prior to joining Wilbur-Ellis, Bill served as Manufacturing Director at Agrium Advanced Technologies, now part of Nutrien, where he directed manufacturing activities across facilities in the United States and Canada. Responsible for a substantial production network, approximately 150 employees, and significant operating and capital budgets, he concentrated on improving productivity, cost competitiveness, asset utilization, and operational accountability. Through stronger performance metrics, disciplined budgeting, and improved plant management practices, he delivered more than $6 million in operating savings and an additional $2 million in chemical cost reductions. He also increased plant capacity by nearly 20% with minimal capital investment, demonstrating his ability to uncover operational value through process improvement rather than relying exclusively on major expenditures. These accomplishments reflect his practical understanding of how engineering discipline, financial stewardship, and leadership engagement can produce lasting business improvements.
Bill further developed his executive and operational capabilities during his tenure with ICL Performance Products, where he managed the organization’s largest food manufacturing facility. Leading approximately 160 employees and overseeing an $85 million operating budget, he was responsible for a complex, FDA-regulated manufacturing environment requiring rigorous attention to quality, safety, compliance, labor relations, and production performance. He successfully completed and commissioned a $25 million facility expansion that generated approximately $10 million in annual savings, while identifying additional opportunities to improve raw material utilization and workforce productivity. Under his leadership, the facility earned AIB’s highest Superior rating and achieved OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs STAR recertification. His experience also included negotiating multiple union contracts, managing organizational change, and rapidly introducing new products to support international business opportunities.
The foundation of Bill’s career was established at FMC Corporation, where he progressed through process engineering, production management, and plant leadership responsibilities. Working in demanding chemical manufacturing environments, including FMC’s largest hydrogen peroxide production unit, he developed a deep technical understanding of industrial processes, plant reliability, production efficiency, and operational risk. His early career included serving as a startup leader for a new chemical manufacturing facility in Houston, an experience that strengthened his capabilities in project execution, technical troubleshooting, and cross-functional coordination. This engineering foundation continues to distinguish his executive leadership style, allowing him to evaluate complex operational challenges from both a technical and business perspective.
Across his professional journey, Bill has developed a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between manufacturing performance, supply chain resilience, capital allocation, governance, and enterprise profitability. His expertise encompasses sales and operations planning, procurement, logistics, continuous improvement, Lean manufacturing, performance management, process optimization, and environmental health and safety. He has consistently demonstrated the ability to improve financial performance while maintaining high standards of product quality, employee safety, and customer service. His experience navigating organizational transformation, operational integration, and complex stakeholder relationships enables him to identify emerging risks, challenge assumptions constructively, and help leadership teams develop practical solutions aligned with long-term business objectives.
Beyond his operational accomplishments, Bill is recognized for his commitment to developing effective leadership teams and fostering cultures of accountability. He believes that meaningful business improvement begins with clearly defined expectations, reliable performance metrics, and leaders who understand how their decisions influence organizational outcomes. His personal philosophy, “You get what you measure,” reflects an approach grounded in transparency, continuous improvement, and measurable results. Rather than viewing performance indicators as isolated reporting tools, Bill emphasizes their importance in shaping organizational behavior, improving decision-making, and connecting daily execution to strategic priorities. His leadership combines an analytical mindset with an appreciation for the people, relationships, and collaborative efforts required to achieve lasting success.
Communication and organizational alignment have also been central to Bill’s executive effectiveness. Throughout his career, he has delivered internal presentations and engaged leadership teams on sales and operations planning, inventory management, manufacturing performance, operational metrics, and key performance indicators. His ability to communicate complex technical and operational concepts in clear business terms allows him to engage effectively with executives, engineers, commercial leaders, and frontline management teams. Having worked across the United States and Canada, with additional international exposure in Spain and Europe, he brings a broad perspective to cross-border operations, organizational collaboration, and the challenges facing companies operating in interconnected markets.
Bill’s academic credentials complement his extensive professional experience. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston. His professional development includes Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, statistical process control, ISO auditing, capital and project management, behavior-based safety, and executive communications. This combination of technical education, business training, and decades of practical leadership experience provides him with the ability to evaluate business opportunities through operational, financial, strategic, and organizational lenses.
As Bill looks toward the next chapter of his professional journey, he is particularly interested in applying his experience through corporate board service and strategic advisory roles. Having spent decades leading day-to-day operations while delivering enterprise-level strategic results, he is motivated to remain actively engaged in the industries he knows best while transitioning toward a more advisory-focused stage of his career. His interests include privately held and mid-cap organizations, particularly those operating in chemical manufacturing, agricultural distribution, agricultural manufacturing, and related industrial sectors. He is also open to opportunities involving publicly traded companies and welcomes travel associated with meaningful board and advisory responsibilities.
Bill’s value to a prospective board lies in his ability to bridge the gap between strategic ambition and operational reality. He understands the challenges of managing capital-intensive businesses, improving profitability, strengthening supply chain resilience, overseeing complex manufacturing networks, and maintaining disciplined governance and risk management practices. Equally important, he appreciates that sustainable value creation requires strong leadership, effective communication, and a culture in which accountability and continuous improvement are embedded throughout the organization. With a career defined by measurable achievements, sound judgment, and an enduring commitment to operational excellence, William R. Cornmesser offers organizations a seasoned executive perspective and the practical insight necessary to help guide businesses through growth, transformation, and long-term success.
Character:
Bill exemplifies integrity, accountability, and disciplined leadership through his commitment to employee safety, operational responsibility, and measurable organizational improvement. His career reflects a consistent dedication to leading by example, building trust across teams, and making decisions that balance immediate business needs with sustainable long-term results.
Knowledge:
With more than 35 years of experience spanning chemical manufacturing, agricultural distribution, food production, supply chain management, and enterprise operations, Bill possesses extensive technical expertise and executive business acumen. His background in engineering, financial management, capital investment, EHSS, and organizational transformation enables him to assess complex business challenges and provide informed guidance across multiple operational disciplines.
Strategic:
Bill has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to translate enterprise objectives into practical initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce costs, strengthen operational resilience, and support profitable growth. His experience overseeing large-scale operations, implementing integrated planning systems, and aligning organizational performance with corporate priorities positions him to contribute valuable strategic insight in boardroom and advisory settings.
Communication:
An effective executive communicator who translates complex operational information into clear, actionable insights for leadership teams and stakeholders. Through executive collaboration, internal presentations, leadership development, and cross-functional engagement, he promotes transparency, constructive dialogue, and shared accountability for achieving organizational goals.
