Driving Operational Excellence through People and Process Alignment

Arysson Souza Pires is the Operations Director at Sooro Renner, a seasoned leader in the dairy industry with a comprehensive understanding of industrial operations. Pires pursued a hands-on, cross-functional approach, driven by a vision to understand every sector within a dairy operation. This foundational curiosity laid the groundwork for his growth into leadership roles and continues to inform his strategic decisions today. Over the years, Pires has held key responsibilities across production, quality control and engineering. These diverse experiences have provided him with both a broad strategic perspective and a deep appreciation for operational detail, qualities that shape his leadership at Sooro Renner.

Through this article, Pires delved into how hands-on experience and a people-first leadership style have enabled him to successfully manage complex dairy operations, balancing automation with human insight to drive continuous improvement and long-term impact.

First Project but Lasting Experience

All projects have their level of complexity and require good teamwork. I remember the first Greenfield in southern Brazil. It was my first big project; I had theoretical and little practical knowledge. We had a formidable team and this team encouraged us to seek the best process technologies, best practices in many areas for this plant. I also had an excellent manager who guided me in many technical details that I still use today.

Then came other factory optimization projects, technological updates, new equipment, increased performance and cost reduction, always learning and understanding the environment of the different companies I had the opportunity to work for.

Merging Automation with Hands-On Expertise

The key is to find the right balance between these techniques. In Brazil, there are still factory operations without automation. For these processes it is important to combine people, processes and machines. In this way, operational knowledge and automation come together to obtain the desired results.

Therefore, study what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. This preliminary assessment is particularly important – although sometimes forgotten. During this initial assessment, it is vital to define the desired quality standards and expected efficiency levels at the end of the project. Studying the equipment involved, automation and the maturity of the operational team are key factors for success, regardless of whether the project involves large investments or not.

Building Resilient Projects with People-Centered Leadership

A company’s greatest asset is its employees. It is important that the team is attentive to the demands of the business and the manager must provide directions. Each team member must be aware of what the company expects of them, what project deliverables are and where they can contribute to the desired result. Weekly meetings and frequent conversations contribute to this direction.

It is important to be close to customers and technology and equipment suppliers, checking what is new, what their best practices are and what equipment is available to satisfy our customers’ needs

Maintain close relationships with interested parties. Listening to them, working collaboratively to anticipate potential problems and ensuring clear strategies are essential. My CEO and I work together to anticipate future needs, which allows us to launch projects that provide structure, reliability, and preparation for future business challenges.

I work following important pillars, I cite examples: Clear and Shared Vision, Fostering Collaboration and Trust, Agility and Adaptability, Servant Leadership.

The Core Pillars Behind Resource Strategy

The team needs to have a growth mindset. Open to seeking improvements and always looking at your processes with a critical view and continuous improvement. It is important to be close to customers and technology and equipment suppliers, checking what is new, what their best practices are and what equipment is available to satisfy our customers’ needs.

Regarding the market, the need for increasingly healthier products is a key point and this demand grows every day in Brazil and around the world. For example, products with whey protein are not just for bodybuilders, but also for better health, balanced life, elderly, young people and children.

Our company has sought increasingly rigorous levels of automation, operational safety, quality, without ever forgetting the environment. Projects focused on AI are in our pipeline, industrial automation is already mandatory in our projects, equipment with an elevated level of efficiency is our daily pursuit.

Key Advice for Aspiring Leaders

Study and dedicate yourself to work, looking for new things and new knowledge. In the dairy sector, innovation continues to accelerate, so studying and participating in projects will give this new professional a proficient level of knowledge.

Always study data, information, processes, think about what can be improved, regardless of whether it is an investment or not. Questioning, evaluating, reflecting on the results found and always seeking to continually improve, this is excellence.

Get closer to people with an elevated level of knowledge, improve your processes and operations. When you think you are already at your best, understand that this is just a moment of rest and that tomorrow you need to start thinking about improvements again.