Slavka Svarc

Global Operations Executive who combines technical fluency with enterprise-scale COO execution — built across 25+ years of cross-functional, multi-site leadership in energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and industrial operations across 4 continents (The Americas, EMEA, APAC, and Africa). Mandate-driven transformation leader equally effective building operational infrastructure from zero or inheriting complex environments requiring urgent governance, performance discipline, and cultural reset. Transformed 14 global locations, stewarded up to $26M CAPEX programs with full P&L accountability, delivered $12M in OPEX savings, and deployed IMS/ISO/EOS frameworks across pre-commercial, post-M&A and mature industrial environments.

Board of Directors Education: NACD | Private Directors Association (Founding Member, Houston Chapter) | KPMG. 25+ Years Executive Leadership ● 4 Continents ● 14 Global Sites Transformed Simultaneously ● $12M OPEX Savings at ExxonMobil

VP Engineering & Manufacturing (Operating as COO) - Phoenix Tailings - Burlington, MA & Exeter, NH | Critical Minerals / Pre-Commercial Early-Stage

(2025-10 - 2026-03)

De facto COO mandate — built operational infrastructure, enterprise governance, and commercial readiness from zero across two sites simultaneously for a critical mineral’s innovator at pre-commercial phase.

• Enterprise Governance: Architected and deployed Exeter, NH facility's Integrated Management System — establishing governance backbone, compliance structure, cross-functional accountability, and documentation discipline to meet commercial contract obligations and unlock next-phase investor milestone approval.
• HATCH CAPEX Validation: Directed engagement with HATCH engineering validation authority — coordinating structured data submission within defined timeline, applying ExxonMobil CAPEX process discipline to align internal teams and position the company for next-phase funding release.
• Multi-Process Facility Expansion: Stewarded pilot facility expansion across three parallel tracks — light rare earth metallization scale-up, Arcast VIM heavy rare earth processing integration, and salt synthesis expansion — managing full permitting lifecycle through TRC Environmental including H-Space classification and state/federal regulatory submissions.
• ISO Readiness & Safety Governance: Initiated ISO gap analysis; established pillar-based IMS architecture and audit-ready documentation infrastructure. Maintained 100% weekly safety observation compliance across all operational areas.
• Strategic Site Evaluation & People Infrastructure: Led formal greenfield assessment for two next-phase industrial deployment locations; built onboarding programs, knowledge transfer frameworks, and LDP mentorship architecture across 13 reports.

Confidential Independent COO & Governance Advisor | Principal - GLG Group – Excelerate Business Properties - Remote — Americas, EMEA, APAC, Africa

(2019-05 - 2025-02)

Six-year independent practice providing COO-level operational leadership, governance design, and enterprise transformation advisory to boards and C-suites across O&G, mining, critical minerals, and industrial sectors. Selected engagements:

• EOS Implementation & AI-Enabled Operations: Deployed full EOS methodology across finance, operations, and HR. Evaluated and integrated AI tools to streamline workflows, enhance OKR/KPI tracking, and improve decision-making transparency across distributed remote teams.
• Post-M&A Integration & Governance: Architected integration playbooks and organizational scaling frameworks; established board-facing governance frameworks, ESG alignment, regulatory compliance, and capital allocation across a distributed operating environment.
• Zambia Rare Earth Mining Due Diligence (NDA — 1.5-year engagement): Directed end-to-end greenfield rare earth mining assessment near DRC border — Zambian government regulatory alignment, foreign infrastructure evaluation, commercial viability analysis, CAPEX/OPEX modeling, partnership structuring, and scale timeline development. Delivered formal go/no-go recommendation with full rationale.
• Enterprise Financial Transformation & Board Governance: Deployed EOS across client organizations delivering 7% NOI increase (downstream), 10% upstream investment asset expansion, and 6% annual international market growth. Executive-level governance, succession planning, and enterprise risk management advisory to boards and C-suites across three continents.

Global Leadership & Technical Roles — Upstream, Downstream & Midstream - ExxonMobil - Houston, TX & Global | Energy / Industrial / Manufacturing

(2009-10 - 2019-04)

Ten-year progressive career spanning all three business streams — rare cross-BU transition from Upstream through Downstream to Midstream. Progressed from technical expert to enterprise transformation global cross-functional leader across Americas, APAC, Africa, and Europe.

• Global Midstream Advisor — Architected succession frameworks and leadership continuity programs across global midstream operations — delivered 30% onboarding efficiency improvement and 25% knowledge retention increase. Led through influence without formal authority across business units and geographies.
• Global Downstream Operations Manager — Landmark cross-BU transformation mandate: eliminated 10-year operational backlog across 14 global manufacturing sites in 6 months, $2.5M budget — phone and email only. Aligned fragmented global teams, implemented automation and vendor integration, transitioned operations from reactive to proactive.

Results: 30% OPEX reduction | 40% throughput increase | Lead times cut from 6 months to 3 months | Zero safety incidents | $2.5M P&L managed. Formal vendor and i

• Operations Planning & Budget Manager — Post-consolidation transformation — unified 200+ newly collocated engineering and geoscience personnel from siloed business functions into a shared, efficient operating environment. Stewarded $26M capital budget close-out, secured $12M OPEX savings, resolved 130+ startup issues with zero safety incidents. ExxonMobil Upstream Performance Recognition Award, 2015.
• Upstream R&D Consolidation Manager — Directed $26M relocation and consolidation of all upstream R&D facilities — full lifecycle from needs assessment through decommissioning, relocation, recommissioning, and handover. Managed 55 indirect stakeholders, zero safety incidents, 98% operational continuity maintained.
• Geoscience Advisor & Oil Sands Extraction SME — Kearl Oil Sands — Founding team member of Mining & Minerals Processing group — built U.S.-based R&D capabilities from zero. Uniquely positioned as the only professional fluent in both geoscience and engineering, operationalizing shift-by-shift ore blending protocols at Kearl production launch. Delivered 15% recovery increase, 25% efficiency improvement, 30% environmental impact reduction. Team scaled from less than 10 to over 30 personnel. ExxonMob

Wind & Wastewater Manager | QA Officer - NextEra Energy - West Palm Beach, FL | Utility / Energy / Environmental

(2006-01 - 2009-05)

• Power plant wastewater permits renewals (zero EPA findings); implemented wind turbine and transformer automation; led 8-person QA team deploying lean methodologies and scalable QA frameworks.

Master of Science - Geochemistry - Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

MBA, Business Administration & Entrepreneurship — Valedictorian - Business Administration & Entrepreneurship - Joseph Business School, Forest Park, IL, US