Leadership & Experience

Five Decades of Manufacturing Leadership. 

Executive Judgment Built Through Experience. 

Operational Truth Before Critical Decisions.™ 

May & Company Operational Decisioneering is led by Earl S. May III, the Architect of Operational Decisioneering Risk Architecture™ (ODRA™). 

With over five decades of manufacturing experience, Earl S. May III has worked directly within manufacturing environments, assisting organizations in understanding operational realities, evaluating decision consequences, and enhancing executive visibility into operational performance and risk. 

Today, this extensive manufacturing experience serves as the foundation of ODRA™, a structured methodology aimed at supporting informed manufacturing decisions through operational truth, executive clarity, and decision consequence interpretation.

Earl S. May III is the Founder of May & Company Operational Decisioneering™ and the Architect of Operational Decisioneering Risk Architecture™ (ODRA™). With over 52 years of manufacturing experience, his career began as an apprentice machinist and expanded into leadership roles in manufacturing operations, business management, financial oversight, and executive decision support. This solid foundation in manufacturing remains central to every ODRA™ engagement.

Throughout a lifetime in manufacturing, as noted by Earl S. May III, one consistent observation emerged: many significant manufacturing decisions are made without complete visibility into operational reality. Financial reports provide valuable information. Operational metrics provide valuable information. Technology systems provide valuable information. Yet critical operational truths often remain hidden until decision consequences become visible. This insight, drawn from extensive manufacturing experience, led to the development of Operational Decisioneering Risk Architecture™ (ODRA™), which aims to bridge that gap. ODRA™ provides a structured approach to observing operational realities, interpreting performance conditions, quantifying decision consequences, and advising leaders before significant operational and ownership decisions are made.

Earl S. May III combines his extensive manufacturing experience with advanced business and financial education to create a strong foundation for operational decisioneering. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), a Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan. Currently, he is a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) candidate. This unique blend of manufacturing experience, accounting expertise, and executive management education significantly contributes to the interdisciplinary foundation of ODRA™.

With over five decades of manufacturing experience, Earl S. May III has excelled in various areas including: Operations Leadership, Manufacturing Execution, Production Management, Workforce Leadership, Capacity Planning, Process Improvement, Quality Performance, Financial Oversight, Business Management, and Executive Decision Support. This extensive background serves as the practical foundation for Operational Decisioneering Risk Architecture™ (ODRA™).

Every engagement is led directly by Earl S. May III, the Founder and Architect of ODRA™, who brings over 52 years of manufacturing experience combined with Operational Decisioneering Risk Architecture™ supported by structured operational intelligence systems. 

To ensure direct executive involvement and maintain the quality of advisory services, May & Company Operational Decisioneering™ accepts a limited number of client engagements each year. 

Clients have the unique opportunity to engage directly with Earl S. May III throughout the advisory process.

May & Company Operational Decisioneering, led by Earl S. May III, serves a diverse clientele including manufacturing owners, private equity firms, independent sponsors, manufacturing leaders, manufacturing ownership groups, legal advisors, and family-owned manufacturing businesses. With extensive manufacturing experience, we cater to the needs of clients across the Midwest Manufacturing Corridor and beyond.

Clients engage ODRA™ when they require: operational truth, executive clarity, risk visibility, decision consequence interpretation, and manufacturing judgment. With Earl S. May III's extensive manufacturing experience, clients also benefit from founder-led advisory support, acquisition readiness, and operational due diligence. The objective is not simply to provide recommendations; rather, it is to enhance the quality of significant manufacturing decisions through effective operational decisioneering.

Operational realities significantly influence ownership outcomes, leadership effectiveness, enterprise value, and long-term performance. In the realm of manufacturing experience, the importance of operational decisioneering cannot be overstated. When those critical decisions matter, the expertise of professionals like Earl S. May III truly makes a difference.