Quality Manager

Stephen Ward

*** ******* **** **.

Ballwin, MO **021

ably6a@r.postjobfree.com

Home: 636-***-****

Cell: 636-***-****

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

A MBA degreed professional with a mechanical engineering background.

Twelve years of quality management experience with both internal and

supplier quality responsibilities. Seven years of operations management

experience.

Eight years of engineering and product development management experience.

Trained in Lean manufacturing implementation and Six Sigma quality

methodologies. Twenty years of project management experience.

Knowledgeable in world class quality systems and methodologies. A team

leader and people-person with a passion for excellence. In-depth

experience in working directly with Pacific Rim suppliers and traveling

internationally. Certified six sigma black belt (ASQ).

EXPERIENCE

Watchdog Quality International Ballwin, MO 2009 - Present

Position: President

. Owner and President of Watchdog Quality International, a quality

consulting company, with experience working with suppliers in the

Pacific Rim

. Quality consulting service involves assisting domestic manufacturing

companies who manufacture their products in Taiwan and China in order

to improve the quality of the products manufactured by their suppliers

. Product inspection service, via a 3PQ partner, involves the final

inspection of products manufactured in Taiwan and China

. Product sourcing involves assisting domestic manufacturing companies

to locate the appropriate suppliers in Taiwan and China in order to

have their products manufactured overseas

True Fitness O'Fallon, MO 2000 - 2008

Position: Director of OEM Product Quality

. Responsible for the quality of all products manufactured overseas

(over 90% of total products sold)

. Created, implemented and managed a multi-stepped, multi-faceted, OEM

supplier quality assurance program for overseas products

. Created a quality systems auditing process and rating system for OEM

suppliers

. Created a scorecard quarterly rating system for OEM suppliers

. Established partnerships with all major OEM suppliers and critical

component vendors for quality improvement programs and process control

initiatives

. Trained the middle managers on Lean manufacturing methodologies

. Improved OEM product quality to levels better than domestic made

equipment in all product categories (21% to 63% reduction in field

failure rates over domestic made products over a 90 day period)

Position: Director of Product Development

. Created the Product Development Department at True Fitness (19

reports)

. Developed a 6 stage structured product development process

. Led the team to design, prototype, test and develop all new products

. Product awards included:

. Consumer Reports "Best Treadmill" award

. Consumer Reports "Best Overall Choice" treadmill award

. Back-to-back Runners World "Editor's Choice - Best in Test"

treadmill

. Consumer Digest treadmill "Best Buy" award

. "Best Designed Product" award for commercial bikes at IHRSA

Invensys Corp. (Fasco Division) St. Clair, Missouri 1995 - 2000

Position: Director of Engineering

. Executive management position reporting directly to the president of

the division

. Responsible for developing new gearmotor and linear actuator (both are

electro-mechanical devices) product opportunities based either on

existing product platforms or from new platforms

. Managed the product platform re-engineering project to standardize

product lines

. Led the team to develop a DC lift-out chair linear actuator for the

home healthcare industry capturing $1,500,000 in sales.

. Re-engineered the linear actuator product line:

o Annual saving of $2,500,000

o Reduction of inventoried parts 70%

o Reduction in product cost 30%

o Reduction in product prototype lead time 80%

Position: Manager of Electronics Department

. Volunteered to step in and lead the failing electronics department

. Rebuilt the supervision team and gained operators trust

. Implemented receiving, in-process and final inspection quality methods

. Implemented improved process controls

. Improved operator efficiency 23%

. 60% improvement in in-process product failures

. Reduced product backlog 80%

. Regained customer confidence in product quality and delivery

. Doubled sales within one year

Position: Director of Quality

. Selected by Invensys to travel to Brazil to train in Lean

methodologies in order to train and participate on Lean teams at Von

Weise Gear

. Implemented an effective receiving inspection and supplier quality

tracking system

. My quality team directed the implementation of ISO9001 certification

. Spearheaded the quality initiative to improve the quality of the

linear actuator production line to meet our new potential customer's

requirement of 400 defective parts per million of the final delivered

product:

o Directed the design and implementation of three automatic

inspection stations

o Created a required extensive operator training program

o Implemented multiple in-process inspection methodologies

o Result: Successfully developed a plus or minus five sigma

capable production line for linear actuators allowing our

division to capture a $4,000,000 account.

Kaydon Corp. (Spirolox Division) St. Louis, MO 1987 - 1995

Position: Operations Manager/Chief Engineer/Quality Manager

. Responsible for relocating, setting up, and running the newly created

Spirolox Division

. Lead the management team to establish systems and procedures

. Spearheaded processes improvement and cost reduction projects

. Improved sales per employee from $89,000 to $150,000 per year

. Generated annual levels of profitability as high as 31%

. Average profitability over 7 years 22%

SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING, SPECIALTY TEAMS AND TOOLS

. Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (ASQ certifying organization)

. Lean manufacturing training (by Bruce Henderson & Jorge Larco)

. Six sigma champion and green belt training

. Lean transformation team member (Invensys)

. Corporate supply chain team member (Invensys)

. ASQ member

. SolidWorks 2009 training (Introduction course)

. Met QS9000 quality requirements as a supplier to GM

. Experience in implementing and adhering to ISO 9001

. Effective Negotiating training (by Karrass)

o Proficient in the following software packages Word, Excel,

Outlook, Powerpoint and Project Kickstart

EDUCATION

MBA

Maryville University

St. Louis, Missouri

Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering

University of Missouri Science and Technology (UMST)

Rolla, Missouri

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