Quality Manager

Jim Zhao

Tel: +1-248-***-**** (U.S.), +86-187-****-**** (China); email: ******.****@*****.***

***** ********* **., ********** *****, MI 48334

Career Objective

An executive position in U.S. tasked to deliver world-class performances. Career Summary

Extensive experience in engineering, lean manufacturing, and customer satisfaction acquired during two decades of career in industry-leading companies in U.S.A. with progressive responsibilities. P&L responsibilities in U.S. and overseas operations in last ten years. Strong track record of leading changes and delivering extraordinary results under various circumstances. Self-driven and full of energy and creativity. A passionate leader, effective team builder, and quick problem-solver.

Trained in engineering and business in top Chinese and American universities, I have perfected in manufacturing processes and product introduction. I have designed and improved machines that resulted in big competitive advantage. I have developed industry-leading operations with sustainable high profit, big quality improvement, and fast business growth. I am good at eliminating root causes and wastes in value chain. ASQ certified quality engineer (CQE) and reliability engineer (CRE). Certified SSBB and PMP. Senior member of Society of Manufacturing Engineers. A U.S. citizen. Love to travel. Like challenges.

Education

MBA,the University of Michigan Ross School of Business - Ann Arbor, U.S. M.S. Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. B.S. and M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China. Career Experience

April 2015 to present, Deputy General Manager and Manufacturing Director, Harman

(China) Technologies Ltd., China

Introduce and manufacture premium audio systems for BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Hyundai Kia, Ferrari, Maserati, etc. Manage plants of over 700 employees.

Lead operations excellence; renovate existing processes with robotics, machine vision, touch sensors, smart software, quick change-over and poke-yoke techniques to steadily increase quality and units per hour, resulted in improved costs and efficiency.

Mentor and coach a strong middle management team that delivered record-breaking business results.

Strengthen quality procedures and drive down quality costs.

As Korean nuclear crisis intensifies, wish to move away from the company location that boarders with North Korea.

2011 to 2014, Deputy General Manager, GHH Inc., China

Reported to the company owner and was responsible for daily operations of all departments, transformed the company into a leading manufacturer of high-quality special-purpose gloves for European and American markets; earned the trusts of customers.

Overhauled quality systems; strengthened supply chain to secure product consistency and low cost; reduced warranty expenses 95% in first year, and then further dropped them to under 1% of original level in following years.

Invented new glove coating machines that were much easier to operate and consumed less than half of energy. Devised and installed safe-guards on all machines for significantly improved safety records and higher productivity

Implemented lean manufacturing system that doubled the sales without increasing the company’s headcount of 530 employees, and improved net margin from under 5 percent to 16 percent. As competitors were squeezed with rising costs, GHH was making much higher earnings.

Promoted team work and personal growth, and built a strong management team.

Completed three-year employment contract.

2007 to 2011, Director of Manufacturing, Magid Glove & Safety Manufacturing, Chicago

At the persistent urge of a headhunter, the owner of the 60-year, $140 million-sales company reluctantly changed the plan for an industry insider and hired me. The owner later boasted that I was his best hire in his career because I was flexible to adapt, quick to learn, willing to work with others, never short of creativity, reliable under crisis, and with highest integrity.

Transformed the culture into customer-orientation, and designed quality into every individual’s activities. Customer complaints dropped from weekly occurrences to only three in a whole year. Compliments flew in and customers increased purchases in large amount.

Retrofitted CNC to many machines that were able to make products unique on the market. Developed automatic cutting machines for challenging applications.

Changed the game from a commodity manufacturer to solutions provider that tailored to customers’ special needs. Introduced new product categories and innovative new products. The revenues from new products jumped from 3% of total revenue to over 22% with margins that were several times higher.

Left the company and moved to China to care for in-law who had cancer. Became the first employee in company’s 65-year history to be awarded big bonus when left. 2004 to 2007, Director of Quality and Overseas Business, Technical Concepts – A Novell Rubbermaid Company, Chicago

Developed, manufactured, and sold patented mechanical-electronics modules around the globe. Helped to deliver 30+ percent annual growth. The company’s value increased 7 times in the years of my employment when Rubbermaid acquired it.

Managed manufacturing sites in America, Asia and Europe with processes of electronics, injection molding, welding, CNC machining, and plating. Introduced more automation and standard operations to improve quality and lower costs.

Improved and maintained an effective quality system that ensured 100 percent compliance to ISO9001 or FDA cGMP respectively. The exposure to different quality systems made me a master of deploying highly effective systems without red-tape.

Introduced “From Ideas to Markets” process that leveraged global resources at different time zones to shorten NPI time by half; deployed reliability tools to design quality into products; integrated field feedbacks and achieved the impossible results of virtually no customer returns for updated products.

Created a vibrant learning organization where new ideas were exchanged and enhanced each other and individuals around the globe collaborated with little barriers.

Identified promising manufacturing partners in lower cost countries and brought them to the high quality standards and best practices. Indirectly managed over 1000 employees in several countries. Achieved over 50 percent cost savings.

As the financial crisis hit, the company was made much stronger to weather the storm. The crisis became a golden window for the company to gain more accounts as prospect customers searched for more value with tight budgets.

Implemented lean principles; reduced overtime by 95%, shortened production lead time by half, and reduced scrap cost by 80%.

Was identified as a key member to retain when Newell Rubbermaid acquired the company. Stayed in Chicago for family reasons when the company relocated to Virginia. 2001 to 2004, Senior Quality Manager, First Technology Safety Systems, Michigan, U.S.

In charge of quality at the highly innovative global company that built crash dummies and testing apparatus for world leading automakers, regulatory agencies, and aircraft and elevator industries.

In charge of technical support to end customers and sales offices. Achieved high customer satisfaction; learned how to work well with global customers of diverse cultures and systems. Increased product market penetration into emerging automakers.

Responsible for EHS and regulatory compliance of American and European plant operations consisted of assembly, machining, molding, welding and cutting. Maintained certification for ISO17025, TS16949, and ISO1400; Always compliant with OSHA and NHTSA for product design and manufacturing activities.

As corporate champion, led Six Sigma projects; identified and corrected the root causes and wastes throughout the value chain; reduced customer complaints by average of 40% percent each year.

As a member of the company's executive team, participated in corporate strategy development and execution.

Left when the company was sold.

1995 to 2001, DaimlerChrysler, Michigan/Alabama, U.S. Electronics Engineer

Designed Jeep and Ram vehicles; conducted product and process verifications; supported vehicle launches successfully.

Identified the root causes of many warranty claims that had remained unsolved for longtime, and developed effective and innovative engineering and manufacturing solutions. Saved millions of dollars of quality costs and enhanced vehicle safety and reliability.

Developed robot algorithm that increased the robotic insertion precision of odd-shaped components by 10,000 times: failure rate dropped from 1 in every 1000 insertions to one in every ten million insertions, virtually eliminating the failure mode. Quality Engineering Supervisor

Was promoted to establish a Quality Engineering team to launch Mack Avenue Engine Plant, a $1 billion capital investment of strategic significance. Established a company- leading strong culture of quality and customer-orientation for the plant, as demonstrated by high customer satisfaction scores in industry surveys.

Certified 120 CNC machines, 37 robots, and engine assembly line; supervised their manufacturing, installation, testing, and buy-off. Designed and implemented solutions for higher precision and throughput.

Led the successful implementation of lean production system and Six Sigma in the plant. Conducted training to all plant personnel.

Participated in the integration of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler after their merger. Consolidated machine suppliers and standardized machine purchasing terms; realized significant synergies and savings in capital expense processes.

Was selected by the company as talent of high potentials and sent for MBA study. Upon MBA graduation, the company incurred big loss and advised me to accept job outside of the company.

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