Lisa Reisman

Co-Founder and Managing Director

Lisa Reisman is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Aptium Global Inc. Founded in 2004, the firm’s mission is to help domestic manufacturers reduce material costs particularly around metals and related metals services categories. Aptium Global helps industrial companies stay competitive on a global basis, preserving US jobs and improving shareholder returns.

Lisa Reisman has over 15 years of experience in management consulting and direct materials sourcing. In addition to past roles at Andersen and Deloitte Consulting. Lisa has also owned and operated her own metals trading company, sourcing and selling a full range of metal products from and to emerging markets including: Russia, China, India, Romania, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, South Africa, Ghana, Pakistan and Israel. Her industry expertise spans multiple sectors within manufacturing. She has worked in the aerospace and defense, trucking and shipbuilding industries as a trader and in the high tech, automotive, earthmoving equipment, building products/construction industries as a consultant.

Lisa is regarded in the manufacturing world as a thought leader and influencer, and as an advocate for privately held US manufacturers. She has written over fifty whitepapers and columns on manufacturing, economics, and global sourcing. Most recently, she and partner Stuart Burns launched the blog MetalMiner. Lisa is an evangelist of the concept of Lean Sourcing, an approach to direct material cost reduction which is based on the concepts of strategic sourcing and lean manufacturing. It requires organizations to understand and award supplier contracts by taking into account all factors that influence total enterprise cost. Lean Sourcing helps companies not only to reduce unit prices for key materials on a one time basis, but it creates sustainable cost reduction approaches that continue to pay dividends for years.

Lisa earned her MPA from New York University, where she received a Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Administration Fellowship. She also holds a BA in political science and journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As an expert in global trade and supply chain issues, Lisa is INCOTERM certified and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt. Her opinions have been quoted in numerous industry trade magazines such as Business Credit Magazine, Darwin Magazine, The Industry Standard, GlobalAutoIndustry and Automotive Industry Action Guide among others. She has recently authored a column on Lean Sourcing in tight commodity markets for Modern Plastics Worldwide. She currently serves as Editor-at-Large of Surplus Record, an industrial publication with a circulation of 75,000. Lisa is a regular columnist for the blog: Spend Matters.

Stuart Burns

Co-Founder and Managing Director

Stuart has over 25 years of international metal supply experience including ten years running a metals distribution business with sales in 26 countries on five continents. He is considered an expert in global metals trading and sourcing. Stuart has developed and maintained an international network of offices, agents, inspectors and logistics subcontractors operating 24 hours a day. He has established wholly owned subsidiaries handling sales and marketing operations in India and a metal stockholding company in the United Kingdom.

Stuart leads Aptium’s consulting practice. He has a proven track record in generating savings for clients under extremely challenging sourcing environments. His prior experience includes: Founder and CEO of Marine & Corrosion Alloys Ltd and MCA UK Ltd., Managing Director of Amari Overseas Ltd., the international trading arm of Glynwed Metal Services, the UK’s largest metals distribution group and prior to that a Senior Trader at Stemcor London, running metals trading and arbitrage. Stuart has also established overseas operations in partnership with local companies to facilitate the expansion of business activities and has considerable experience in the commercial, legal and cultural issues integral to operating businesses in a global environment.

Stuart graduated with First Class Honors in Applied Science from Kingston University. He is also a graduate of Ashridge Management College’s Strategic Business Management Program and an active Alumni member.

Jason Busch

Strategic Advisor

Jason Busch is a strategic advisor to Aptium Global and is a “Pro to Know” in the world of Strategic Sourcing. He is author of the widely acclaimed procurement and operations blog: Spend Matters. Jason advises Aptium Global on supply management technologies and processes to help Aptium Global's clients reduce direct material costs. Jason also serves as Managing Director of Azul Partners, a consultancy to technology vendors and services providers. Prior to launching Azul Partners, Jason led branding and market strategy for FreeMarkets, a leading provider of sourcing and supply management solutions and services. During his five-year tenure at FreeMarkets, Jason created and spearheaded a range of functions including analyst relations, strategic marketing, and competitive intelligence. Jason also led numerous corporate strategy, acquisition, partnership, and channel efforts.

Jason has authored over four hundred columns, whitepapers and op-ed pieces on supply chain, technology and economic issues (many in a private label format for his clients). On supply chain and spend management topics, he has been published in his own name in Internet Week, the Industry Standard, Information Week, Electronic Buyer’s News, Communications Week, and Supply and Demand Chain. Currently, he serves as Editor-at-Large of Surplus Record, an industrial manufacturing publication with over 50,000 subscribers. Jason’s opinions have been quoted in numerous essays, articles, books, and academic papers ranging from the Bangkok Post to the writings of Forrester Research and he has spoken at numerous industry events and conferences.

Jason holds an MA in history from the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a BA, cum laude, with departmental honors, in history and English literature. In addition, Jason has completed coursework at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.