JAMES H. LISTON
**** ********* ***** *: 614-***-****
C: 614-***-**** Dublin, OH 43016
********@********.**.*** or **********@*****.***
Objective:
To obtain a senior technical, strategic or quality leadership position that
will leverage my abilities to drive operational excellence, motivate teams,
meet business commitments and satisfy customer expectations.
Background:
. 25+ years technical, strategy and manufacturing operations leadership
interacting with all organization levels.
. Extensive Six Sigma quality leadership, operations excellence,
statistical analysis and project management experience.
. Strong results oriented, boundary-less and global leadership mindset.
. Self-driven with an effective communication, motivation and interpersonal
style.
. Creative ability to get things done and make a difference in key internal
and external initiatives.
Experience:
Director, Quality: 2009 - 2014 / The Scotts Miracle Gro Company /
Marysville, OH
. Lead Quality Pillar and Process Excellence teams of Scotts World Class
Operations initiative. Based on ISO 9001 principles, transformed quality
systems by identifying 14 critical quality systems dimensions, self
assessment process and quality systems improvement efforts at all 45
Scotts global facilities and 15 key external contract manufacturing
sites. Team consisted of 6 direct FTE's and 44 indirect FTE's.
. Supported $20MM implementation of SAP Product Lifecycle Management system
that provided more automated and efficient process for new product
innovation, development, commercialization and manufacturing. Responsible
for data migration and validation efforts of over 50,000 documents and
specifications.
. Designed, developed and launched structured process excellence and
improvement methodology for Scotts, called Perfect Every Time, based on
lean six sigma techniques. Introduced blended learning systems for all
associated using Minitab, Moresteam and in house training courses.
Initiated improvement teams working on improving processes across all
business categories and global locations that resulted in quality
improvement, increased sales of over $16MM and cost savings of over
$2.5MM.
Manager, Operations Strategy: 2007 - 2009 / The Scotts Miracle Gro Company
/ Marysville, OH
. Led team to standardize globalization efforts for Scotts R&D department.
Identified and standardized 15 key steps in the innovation and new
product development process which resulted in globally integrated and
documented processes for development, testing, financial, regulatory,
quality and organizational effectiveness.
. Facilitated and operationalized key strategic innovation project concept
around controlled release control products. Efforts included coordination
of research team, multi-year project budget, start up of pilot production
facility and development of business case resulting in commercialization
of breakthrough technology which resulted in $50MM of incremental
business to our professional group.
. Developed, implemented and led strategic initiatives across all functions
that resulted in savings and cost avoidance of over $5MM. Initiatives
included fertilizer price elasticity modeling, global coconut coir
production study and the utilization of plastic slip sheets.
Manager, Global Restructuring: 2000 - 2007 / General Electric Company /
Circleville, OH
. Developed business strategies, budgets, timing plans and resource
requirements for consolidating product lines into cost effective, global
centers of excellence. Manage global, multi-functional teams to exceed
planned benefits against aggressive budget, cost and timing targets.
. Planned and executed $45MM program to relocate incandescent lamp
manufacturing to Mexico.
. Consolidated compact fluorescent manufacturing into Hungarian center of
excellence. Exceeded $1.8MM cost savings plan by 15% and completed
project in 7 months versus planned 9 months and came in 25% under $2.4MM
spending plan. Managed global, multi-functional team of 23.
. Led efforts to build Greenfield coil manufacturing plant in Mexico.
Completed building construction and equipment installation in 7 months vs
estimated 10 months and achieved an early start to production in order to
meet critical business capacity requirement. Managed the total program
budget of $21MM and multi-functional team of 36 using Six Sigma rigor.
Six Sigma Black Belt (Certified): 1997 to 2000 / General Electric Company /
Circleville, OH
. Selected for GE corporate quality improvement initiative to focus on
internal quality costs and customer satisfaction on Compact Fluorescent
production line.
. Delivered 20% improvement in DPMO's equating to annualized cost
improvement of $900,000 and increased contribution margin of $1.3MM.
Improvements identified through the use of the statistical methods in Six
Sigma process.
. Conducted Six Sigma training classes at GE for both manufacturing and
transactional projects leaders. Materials included process mapping, FMEA,
basic statistics, measurement systems, design of experiments, process
capability analysis and statistical process control.
. Developed and mentored green belt teams in applying Six Sigma methodology
to identified quality and productivity improvement projects.
. Led effort to leverage best practices across all GE Lighting operations
globally.
Mgr, Discharge Quality Systems: 1995 to 1997 / General Electric Company /
Cleveland, OH
. Managed Discharge Quality team of 5 people with responsibility to design
and implement improved quality systems in six high volume manufacturing
facilities in North America.
. Implemented standardized manufacturing control plans, supporting quality
documentation and internal auditing procedures following ISO9002
guidelines.
Project Mgr, Compact Fluorescent: 1990 to 1995 / General Electric Company /
Circleville, OH
. Program Manager on Compact Fluorescent programs including quality
control, mercury reduction, competitive analysis, manufacturing line
speed up and productivity improvement. Budget in excess of $1MM and
involved plants in North America, Hungary and England.
. Lead Process Engineer on planning and installation of new $12MM Compact
Fluorescent manufacturing line built by Tungsram in Hungary.
. Managed 4 person CFL quality staff to deliver improved manufacturing
quality.
Manager, Quality Projects/Systems: 1986 to 1990 / General Electric Company
/ Cleveland, OH
. Project Manager for obtaining Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS)
certification of lamps manufactured by GE for Toshiba.
. Managed quality and process improvement projects at six manufacturing
plants in Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee and conducted plant
quality system and process audits and participated in follow-up project
activities.
. Project Manager for the transfer of the quality system and OEM
qualification of 9004 automotive lamps to Acuna, Mexico.
. Project Manager for preparation of Memphis Lamp Plant audit, which
resulted in GE being Ford's first lamps producer to achieve Full Service
status. Utilized Taguchi, PPAP and QFD methods.
Quality Process Engineer: 1984 to 1986 / General Electric Company /
Cleveland, OH
. Provided technical quality control support on production line including
sampling plans, inspection techniques and statistical quality control.
. Responsible for quality assurance by acting as the plant customer contact
to negotiate and resolve customer problems related to supplier quality.
Worked closely with customers in determining fitness for use criteria.
. Supervised quality control inspectors. Provided training and coordinated
procedures for all shifts.
. Appropriated funds and was project manager of PC based quality data
acquisition system which ran over LAN and utilized SPC techniques and
electronic measuring gages. $250,000 budget.
. Identified and implemented projects with cost savings in excess of
$300,000/yr
Statistical Process Control Engineer: 1982 to 1984 / LTV Steel Corporation
/ Cleveland, OH
. Developed, implemented and monitored process control standards in the
Slabbing Mill Department.
. Provided departmental training in the use of statistical process control
techniques.
. Functioned as departmental project engineer and liaison to vendors.
. Formed and was team leader of labor-management participation team
involved in cooperative problem solving.
. Identified and implemented new concept in soaking pit covers targeted at
$1MM annual savings.
Education/Training:
. Master of Science in Industrial Engineering, Cleveland State University -
1987
. Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University -
1982
. Successfully completed Scotts 22 month accelerated executive leadership
development program (ALP) facilitated by the Ohio State University Fisher
College of Business - 2013
. Managing Winning Projects (Babbage Simmel) - 2009
. Certified Black Belt - General Electric - June, 2001
. Ford 8D Facilitator and TOPS II training - 1994
. Engineer in Training Examination - April, 1982
. Certified Quality Engineer - June, 1985
. Extensive training courses in Quality, Project Management, Problem
Solving, Manufacturing Best Practices and Statistical Analysis/Process
Control.
. Proficient with Minitab statistical analysis software
Miscellaneous:
. Heart Walk team leader in 2014 at Scotts to raise money and recruit
walkers
. Advisory Board Member - Air Chef, LLC
. Coach youth soccer, baseball, softball and basketball
. Vice-president, St. Brendan School Board
. Volunteering at St. Brendan Parish, Bishop Watterson HS and GE Elfun
Society