Dan Shanahan
Philadelphia
Summary
Entrepreneurial and creative customer focused Product Development Leader with over 20 years of diverse experience in technical team development, product development and product management, client relations, new product creation, research and development, mechanical design and manufacturing, project management, and product systems.
Brings strong problem-solving skills and bias-to-action approach. Known for adaptability, creativity, and results-oriented mindset. Committed to making meaningful contributions and advancing organizational goals.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Director of Applications Engineering & Product
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2022 - 01.2025
- Lead and developed Department of 8 people in Applications Engineering, Product Management, Quoting, and R&D, responsible for material advancements, technical decision making and customer design intent. Managed opportunities from problem statement through initial production project ramp up. Responsible for majority of new project revenue (80+%).
- Built pipeline for new product offerings, focused on higher value add to customers, to Stockwell, and to our supplier partners. Established Go-to Market plans and sell sheets for Sales Team, along with website and technical marketing collateral.
- Strategized, designed, and built new 30k+ part organization system during ERP transition (Deacom ECI). After changeover, managed change management, bills of material, part pricing strategy, and categorization through Product Mgmt & Quoting Team. Trained cross functional teams and new associates on how to use system.
- Led company in transition to new modern website, upgrading from 8-year-old site. Maintained world class content, SEO and lead creation. Grew leads by 15% month over month. https://www.stockwell.com/
- Lead customer facing technical member, showcasing elastomeric materials knowledge and sealing design guidance. Supported customer engineers in highly technical Medical Devices, Space Vehicle and Satellite applications.
- Modernized NPI process at Stockwell, focused on cross functional Visibility and enhanced tracking tools for project leads.
- 250+ active projects at any time worth total $10MM.
- Directed R&D strategy and pipeline. Developed next generation Stockwell proprietary materials, new products, and new processes/equipment. Developed technical research, timelines, prototypes, capabilities and commercial benefits, and worked with cross functional team to commercialize new concepts. Responsible for creating majority of new products (from idea to MVP) from the company from 2019-2025.
- Developed novel way to apply 3M acrylic adhesives to solid silicone substrates. Eliminated manufacturing step while also increasing performance for customers in medical and space applications.
Applications Engineering Manager
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Lead team of 3 Applications Engineers, building department standard work, procedures and mentoring 2 new Applications Engineers. Successfully integrated multiple Drexel co-ops as pipeline for later FT Applications Engineers
- Managed rapid growth in department, incorporating corporate level estimating in addition to department level estimating.
- Lead Apps Engineer managing gasket/sealing projects for customers in Med/Aero (Medtronic, Agilent, SpaceX, etc)
- Spearheaded material change management to support 200+ customers during Silicone Supply Chain Crisis in 2022
Applications Engineer
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2017 - 01.2019
- Supported engineers at customer side fielding technical questions, sampled, quoted, and managed initial production ramp up. Specified materials and processes to meet customers’ complex design requirements.
- Handled high volume (20-50/week) technical service inquiries through our web & phone, simultaneous as Sales and Engineering roles
- Built material database of 2000+ parts and their properties – used by Applications, Sales, and Customer Service. Paved the way for Item Master development later in career
- Developed expertise in silicone, bonding silicones together, and bonding other high performance materials to silicone
Senior Mechanical Engineer
DesignLynx
01.2014 - 01.2017
- Lead mechanical development on a variety of new products ranging from aftermarket car parts, high end electronic toys, consumer shower products, to diverse types of electronics packaging, including multiple patented concepts for customers
- Delivered mechanical designs efficiently and ahead of budget using 15 years of ProE (Creo) design expertise
- Maintained project schedules and organizes stakeholder tasks in an efficient manner while consulting all risk options and changes with clientele
- Maximized advanced design for manufacturing skills in injection molding and metal processing, allowing for minimal design change requirements from initial concept to production phase
- Created SOPs and best practice documents for internal team use, training new junior designers in modeling and manufacturing practices
- Managed approved vendors for prototyping and production, communicating with factory throughout project cycle
- Prepared one-off and high-volume prototype assemblies, creating them by hand and/or with vendor support
- Designed and assembled over 100 prototypes for a client in a short timeframe using a combination of cast plastic, 3D printing, die-cut parts and prototype circuit boards
Account Manager/Team Leader – Mobile Devices
LaFrance Corporation
01.2011 - 01.2014
- Served top ten global corporate mobility customers, generating annual revenue of $3M to $15M
- Worked as primary face to the customer throughout all business and project phases, from product development, pre-sales, technical consultations and design review, through development and presentation of quotes
- Personally lead process engineering on parts necessitating as many as 50 process steps for each component
- Managed project management and marketing contributors to achieve high performance, cost-effective and market-targeted project management
- Planned and managed sales activities and development projects, created and delivered presentations, and controlled project schedules and budgets
- Maintained pricing authority with a comprehensive perspective of supply chain costs and capabilities, enabling effective negotiations
- Led collaborative product development efforts in consultation with customers and R&D, serving as concept visionary
Project Manager/Product Development – Mobile Devices
LaFrance Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2011
- Planned and led all phases of product development projects, from initial pre-sales customer consultation through design for manufacture, costing, sample development, testing, production tooling, pre-builds, and ramp to production
- Resolved production ramp or operational issues, remotely managing project engineering team in China, or traveling to factory to provide on-site direction
- Emerged as plating, finishing, coatings, and backlighting subject matter expert for product development. Created training documents and presented to corporate project management, bringing teams up to speed quickly.
- Streamlined cost analysis lead time, decreasing it to 1–2 days, from 3–4, while enabling cost reductions, including 30% on one of the companies most expensive outsourced processes
- Maximized production yields, achieving 15% improvement over previous years (70% < 85%), despite equal of more complex part requirements
- Moved company into competitive position for stainless steel speaker grill and mesh product line, securing $1.5M in new annual business for team and additional corporate business
Design Engineer
LaFrance Corporation
01.2003 - 01.2007
- Designed high-end custom enclosures and internal components for the $20M plastic and metal enclosure division of LaFrance, serving the consumer mobility (iPhones, iPods), electronics, automotive, and medical industries
- Managed design from concept through production, including tooling specifications and design reviews, test, troubleshooting, and customer consultations, ensuring product met quality, durability and dimensional requirements
- Mastered co-molding and injection molding design, developing complex assemblies with 100+ parts
Design Engineering Intern
Sikorsky Aircraft
- Assisted engineers in the Comanche Transmission Department; independently acquired skills in Pro/Engineer comparable to full-time design engineering staff
Education
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA06.2006
Skills
- SEO
- Design for manufacturing
- Product development
- Process engineering
- Critical thinking
- Pro/Engineer (to Creo 30)
- AutoCAD (2000-2015)
- Solidworks (2024)
- ChatGPT
- ANSYS FEA
- Microsoft Products
- Adobe Photoshop
- Wordpress
- Stakeholder communication
- Product lifecycle management
- Cross-functional team leadership
Websites
ADDITIONAL
Community: Mended Little Hearts Foundation, American Lung Association, Compassion International
Timeline
Director of Applications Engineering & Product
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2022 - 01.2025
Applications Engineering Manager
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2019 - 01.2022
Applications Engineer
Stockwell Elastomerics
01.2017 - 01.2019
Senior Mechanical Engineer
DesignLynx
01.2014 - 01.2017
Account Manager/Team Leader – Mobile Devices
LaFrance Corporation
01.2011 - 01.2014
Project Manager/Product Development – Mobile Devices
LaFrance Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2011
Design Engineer
LaFrance Corporation
01.2003 - 01.2007
Design Engineering Intern
Sikorsky Aircraft
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
Drexel University
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