Quality Assurance

David J. Sommers

* **** ***** *****

Medford, New Jersey 08055

Home: 609-***-****

Mobile: 609-***-****

e-mail: ***********@*******.***

Senior executive skilled and experienced in implementing global manufacturing and supply chain

quality systems from the ground-up. Aggressive, hands-on style with a focused approach to

implementing the standards, tools, and systems necessary for success. Experienced with major

quality systems including TQM, ISO 9000, lean, and 6 sigma. Known for excellent leadership

qualities, tenacity, judgment, and professionalism.

Personal Website

http://www.davidjsommers.com/

Employment History

Hampton Forge Ltd., Eatontown, NJ 2007- 2008

$50 million private company

Vice President of Operations

Responsible for 28 person buying office in China, QC, two 3PL warehouses in US and Canada,

Purchasing, Import, Customer Service, Global Sourcing, and support for Product Development.

• Reorganized Chinese buying office saving $150,000/yr while improving efficiency.

• Proposed, scoped, and implemented new IT systems for costing and task management.

Lenox, Inc., Bristol, PA 1994-2007

$600 million fine tabletop and giftware company

Director, Quality and Process Improvement 1999-2007

Chief Quality Officer responsible for manufacturing system improvement, product quality, product safety,

and compliance with state and federal regulations for all products.

• Implemented a new Quality Assurance process for sourced product that reduced cost by

$1,500,000 annually.

• Led overall factory yield and productivity improvements that resulted in over $30 million

savings over three years.

• Increased sourced shipment compliance from 83% to over 95% in a 1-year period

through focus on strategic sourcing improvements and vendor relationships.

• Led a corporate-wide business process reengineering program covering all major business

processes including manufacturing and sourcing.

• Identified, purchased, and implemented a single web based system for all major quality

processes in the supply chain.

• Driver of technical support for sourcing including product compliance, vendor audits, KPIs,

certifications, new product approvals, and vendor metrics.

• Implemented quality systems and audits to ensure health, safety, and compliance of sourced

and domestic manufactured product to FDA, State, and CPSC regulations.

Director, Quality Assurance 1994 - 1999

Changed the quality system from repeated hand inspection to a process control and improvement system

encompassing quality systems, standards, TQM, and re-engineering.

• Implemented quality systems audits of all Lenox factories that contributed to yield and

consistency improvements. Factory yields increased over 50% during this time.

• Represented Lenox in ongoing regulatory issues concerning product safety and compliance.

Recognized for successfully defeating a regulatory effort to further tighten existing limits.

• Developed and implemented first documented quality standards for Lenox and a process to use

and update them.

• Developed and implemented training plan to support TQM and continuous process improvement.

The Cabot Corporation, Boston, MA 1979-1994

A Fortune 300 chemical company.

Director of Quality, North American Region, Atlanta, GA 1993 - 1994

Responsible for three business units. Consulted with operations worldwide.

• Saved $600,000 per year by sponsoring a quality data management system that integrated 13

incompatible systems.

• Strengthened customer relationships by achieving the highest quality audit scores in the industry

from automotive tier-1 suppliers.

• Implemented a process for continuous improvement as part of a comprehensive annual audit of

manufacturing operations at all North American factories.

Manager, Total Quality, North American Region, Atlanta, GA 1989 - 1993

Responsible for five plants and three business units.

• Initiated, sponsored, and led a process resulting in certification to ISO 9002 of five plants,

• Saved $500,000 in consultant costs by developing and presenting a seminar on becoming a

market driven organization.

• Consulted, trained, and facilitated TQM processes including QFD, problem solving, FMEA, SPC,

customer satisfaction metrics, and quality audits.

Quality Manager, Special Blacks Division, Waltham, MA 1985 - 1989

Responsible for worldwide specialty chemical businesses and two quality professionals.

• Initiated and led the first Total Quality process in the company. Within three years it evolved into a

global corporate strategy.

Technical Service Engineer, Special Blacks Division, Billerica, MA 1979 - 1985

ARMCO, INC., Middletown, OH 1977 - 1979

Research Engineer

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Plastics Engineering 1977

Cum Laude

University of Lowell, MA

• Darden Business School Executive Program 1995-1996

• Harvard Business School Executive Program 1991-1992

Professional Publications

Society for Plastics Industry Reinforced Plastics/Composites Conference

Invited speaker at 2003 AssurX User Conference

Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Technical Conference

American Society for Quality Control Conference

Juran IMPRO Conference

Invited speaker at the 1993 RAPRA Conference

Invited speaker at the 2002 International Crystal Federation Conference

Six sigma, 6 sigma, champion, lean, cqm, cqa, p&l, coq, kpi, master, engineering, iso, certification, value, statistical, spc, fmea, doe,

compliance, audits, global, tqm, leader, npi, continuous improvement, quality culture, asia, china, qa, qc, sourcing, manufacturing,

strategic, project, metrics, reengineering, mapping, process improvement, chemical, ceramic, glass, metal, plastic, management

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