Episode 36 | Ricardo Xavier de Oliveira Colombia: efficiency, sustainability and technical leadership at Amtex – Keru Podcast
Transforming the chemical industry in Colombia from the plant floor
In this episode of Keru Podcast, we spoke with Ricardo Xavier de Oliveira Colombia, Plant Manager at Amtex Colombia, one of the leading companies in the chemical industry in Colombia, specializing in the production of industrial adhesives and functional polymers for sectors such as food, construction, oil and water treatment.
Read more about the episodeShow less
With more than three decades of experience in manufacturing, Ricardo shares how he led processes of operational standardization, technological transformation and energy efficiency at plants in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia. His vision is based on a simple equation: you can only manage what you can measure. And on that basis, he built a continuous improvement model that combines technical precision, environmental commitment and team professionalization.
Advanced manufacturing in Latin America with a focus on indicators
One of the central topics of the episode is how to design industrial processes that meet the demands of advanced manufacturing in Latin America. Ricardo explains how, since his arrival at Amtex Colombia, he redesigned production flows with a focus on variability control, reduced thermal consumption and quality stabilization.
Among the most notable results: a 15% decrease in energy consumption per ton produced, the implementation of SCADA systems for real-time traceability, and the shift of operational decisions from intuition to data.
For Ricardo, the heart of manufacturing is not in the machinery, but in the management systems. That is why he insists that plant work must focus on keeping every critical parameter under control, from adhesive viscosity to preventive maintenance planning.
Sustainable industrial operations in a real-world context
Far from generic talk, Ricardo Xavier de Oliveira Colombia explains how sustainable industrial operations are implemented in a chemical plant. From redesigning the industrial water recovery system to cross-training operators to reduce human and technical waste, Amtex Colombia's approach has been comprehensive.
He also talks about the balance between customer requirements, costs and regulatory compliance, in an environment like Colombia's, where operating conditions change frequently.
Technical leadership in evolution
The episode also delves into his leadership style. Ricardo talks about moving from a reactive to a proactive culture, where the team not only completes tasks but understands the why behind each standard. His views on developing middle managers, the evolution of the plant manager's role and the need to empower operators with real tools offer a practical perspective applicable to any manufacturing environment.
Ricardo Xavier de Oliveira, Amtex Corp · Colombia
Ricardo Xavier de Oliveira was Director of Operations and Manufacturing at Amtex Corp S.A. de C.V. in Medellín, Colombia, where he led the functional polymers business unit. With more than 30 years of experience in the chemical, food and agribusiness industries, his management integrated key areas such as Maintenance, Production, Quality Control, Production Planning (PCP), Continuous Improvement and Utilities.
An efficient plant is one that measures, acts and improves every day.
His operational approach was marked by rigorous financial discipline and a vision centered on talent development. An advocate of collaborative and challenging environments, Ricardo promoted a culture based on excellence, continuous improvement and sustainability, fostering strong synergy between operational and strategic areas such as sales, finance, logistics, engineering and R&D. He also worked closely with sectors such as textiles, oil, paints, detergents, packaging, adhesives and water treatment.
There is no sustainability without operational discipline and a long-term focus.
Before his role at Amtex, he worked for 28 years at Ingredion Incorporated in Brazil, where he rose from operator to Production Manager. He led complex processes such as corn milling, glucose refining and the production of sorbitol, liquid caramel, vegetable proteins and oils. His achievements included increasing plant OEE, reducing unplanned downtime, lowering energy consumption and improving the recovery of high value-added products.
Technical leadership requires more active listening than direct control.
Data is useful when it is aligned with decision-making, not when it only decorates reports.
In addition to his technical expertise, Ricardo was a leader-developer focused on coaching, leadership training and the development of performance evaluation systems. He is a Lean Six Sigma specialist, holds a Black Belt certification, and has successfully implemented 5S, TPM and ISO 9001 audit projects.
Continuous improvement begins with an honest conversation about the team's purpose.
A Food Engineer by training, Ricardo completed multiple postgraduate degrees in Chemical Process Engineering, Industrial Management, University Teaching and process energy efficiency. His profile combines hard and soft skills with a strategic view of operational transformation, technical leadership and organizational change management in Latin American industry.
General Manager · Amtex Corp
Episode 36 · Keru Podcast
