In this episode of Direct Application, host Matt Harrington sits down with Chuck Hollingsworth - Director of Engineering at Keurig Dr Pepper and a 40-year veteran of manufacturing leadership - for a front-line look at what it really takes to lead through massive change, scale innovation, and build a workforce ready for the future.
Chuck shares behind-the-scenes insights from launching one of KDP’s most ambitious projects yet: a $600M+ state-of-the-art beverage facility in South Carolina, capable of producing 1 million K-Cups per hour.
Together, Matt and Chuck explore:
✅ The challenges and breakthroughs of building high-performance teams from scratch
✅ How to lead culture change in the age of instant results and digital-native workers
✅ The balance between tech adoption, trust, and autonomy on the manufacturing floor
✅ What leaders can actually do to design workplaces that work—for people and performance
✅ And Chuck’s honest reflections on what he’d do differently if he had to do it all again
Whether you're in operations, HR, leadership, or simply navigating change in your organization - this episode offers tactical insight and timeless lessons.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere you stream.
📺 Watch the full video interview on YouTube.
