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Experienced Engineering and Systems Leadership for Complex Projects and Operations

OG Skills is led by Don Coonrod, and engineering, startup, and operational handover advisor with 40+ years of experience executing complex technical programs, commissioning efforts, and operational transitions across industrial and technology-driven environments.

  • 40+ years engineering, systems, and operational experience

  • Founder, Old Guard Skills

  • Cross-sector experience: energy, industrial, marine, mining, aerospace, and research

  • Bridging engineering execution with commercial and operational outcomes

Built on Real Engineering Execution — Not Just Theory

The approaches and frameworks presented on OG Skills are based on decades of hands-on engineering, project execution, commissioning, and operational handover experience across complex technical systems.

This experience combines:

  • systems engineering discipline

  • field execution

  • documentation and lifecycle management

  • commercial and operational perspective

The result is not just better documentation — it is better execution and decision-making in real environments.

About Don Coonrod

Don Coonrod is an engineering advisor and former senior systems engineer with a career spanning complex EPC programs, subsea systems, startup ventures, and operational execution environments.

He has led and supported:

  • large-scale subsea production systems and EPC programs

  • engineering development, testing, installation, and commissioning

  • startup companies and product development initiatives

  • engineering-commercial translation for industrial clients

His work consistently focuses on one thing:

👉 moving complex efforts from concept to execution

Key Strength

Particularly effective in situations requiring:

  • practical judgment

  • cross-functional coordination

  • rapid transition from concept to delivery

Core Areas of Expertise

Systems Engineering & Requirements

  • Systems engineering leadership

  • Requirements development and traceability

  • Integration testing and validation

EPC & Project Execution

  • Project engineering and technical program leadership

  • Commissionin, startup, and operational handover

  • Execution support in complex environments

Document & Configuration Management

  • Documentation discipline

  • Engineering lifecycle alignment

  • Configuration governance and traceability

Commercial & Operational Alignment

  • Bridging engineering and business needs

  • Procurement coordination

  • Go-to-market translation

Selected Experience Highlights

Senior Systems Engineer — Cameron International

  • Supported multiple $450M subsea production system programs

  • Led technical development, commissioning, and startup execution

  • Established documentation standards improving execution consistency and reducing risk

Senior Systems Engineer — Sedco-Forex/Schlumberger

  • Supported multiple $450M subsea production system programs

  • Led technical development, commissioning, and startup execution

  • Established documentation standards improving execution consistency and reducing risk

Founder — Old Guard Skills

  • Advises clients across engineering, product development, project execution, and operational improvement

Managing Partner — Additive Solutions

  • Advised clients including Boeing on engineering execution and product development

  • Translated technical capabilities into business value

  • Supported strategic program and opportunity analysis

President — Controlled Environments

  • Build and launched a commercial product line from concept to execution

  • Secured funding and developed operating infrastructure 

How This Experience is Applied

OG Skills applies a structured approach to engineering execution:

  • Systems Requirements → Rationale (WHY)

  • Design Requirements → Physicality (WHAT - Inspectable)

  • Functional Requirements → Functionality (WHAT - Testable)

  • Interface Requirements → Integrations (WHAT - Installable)

  • Project Controls → Resource Constraints (WHEN - Feasible)

  • Detailed Design Specifications → (HOW - Executable)​

This framework ensures:

  • System intent is defensible

  • System design is defensible​

  • System behavior is defensible

  • System configuration is defensible

  • System procurement is achievable

  • System integration is achievable

  • System delivery is achievable

👉 If engineering does not support these directly, it is not driving execution.​

Experience Across Complex Systems and Industries

Experience spans multiple industries and technical domains:

  • Offshore Energy and Mining systems

  • Manufacturing and Process environments

  • Marine surface and underwater operations

  • Aerospace and advanced materials development

  • Research and academic environments

This breadth enables:

  • faster problem framing

  • efficient trade-off decisions​

  • stronger execution across disciplines

Why Organizations Engage OG Skills

Clients typically engage when:

  • difficulties resolving requirements, design, manufacture, and testing

  • delays with loss of configuration management with documents, BOM, software, equipment

  • excessive rework during system integration

  • cost overruns and schedule delays due to weak management-of-change analysis and execution

  • execution delays from mismatched engineering tool applications (AI, CAD/CAM, project controls, …)

The value provided is not theoretical:

👉 It is structure, clarity, and movement toward execution

Need this technical expertise for your organization?

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