Data & Analytics

Mrs. April Renae Brown, B.S. Chemical Engineering, MBA

Email: *************@*****.*** Personal Mobile: 251-***-**** Current Location: Atlanta, GA

TARGETED POSITIONS (VP):

R&D, Supply Chain, Packaging, Sustainability, Program Management, Data Analytics & Insights

Proven track record successfully delivering R&D innovations, sustainability initiatives, operational cost savings & efficiencies, data analytics, and supply chain programs from inception to manufacturing within the consumer goods & beverage industries.

5 patents granted in packaging innovation & sustainability

Technology manager with increasing responsibility developing analytics products and packaging across industries that exceeds consumer & customer requirements, leveraging technical, business, strategy, competitive intelligence, and people skills to sustainably grow and create new opportunities.

Exceptional balance of IQ & EQ to develop and grow teams while applying the right program management methodology for delivery.

Data analytics and insights team leadership (6 FTEs, 15+ Contractors)

KEY SKILLS

Lead, motivate, inspire global teams

People leadership

Drive organizational culture & structure

Program Management (Agile & Waterfall)

Communicate early & often, risk & change management

Project commercialization/ programs on-time/on-budget

Budget & resource management

Multi-functional collaboration (Marketing, Design, Products Research, Product Development, Finance, Mfg., Supply Chain, IT, Packaging, Suppliers, Contractors, Global teams, SMEs, etc.)

Scaling R&D innovations to mkt

Leverage consumer & market trends to develop consumer insights and build holistic product/package propositions

Integrate Consumer, Customer, Business, & Technology to deliver holistic solutions.

Packaging processes, technologies, and materials

Sustainability

IP: Create new business opportunities, leveraging intellectual property and competitive intelligence

Supply Chain

Data Analytics & Insights Leadership

DEI

HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Delivered projects to market in R&D (>$55MM NPV, $3MM Cost Savings/Avoidance, 2.2 billion grams of plastic reduction)

Most technical reports written within the packaging women’s community (40 technical reports) at P&G

Build diversity and new talent pipeline focused primarily within the African American community, packaging women, summer interns

Filed 7 patents (5 granted) in sustainability & packaging innovation

Consistently deliver supply chain projects to market, on-time, in budget, driving +$10MM in savings

Led global data analytics & insights team supporting the quality, safety, and environment (QSE) business partners. 6 FTEs, 10+ contractors

EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT

Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH); Master Business Administration (MBA); Graduation Date: May 2012; GPA: 3.5/4.00

Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, AL); B.S. Chemical Engineering; Graduation Date: May 2008; GPA:3.66/4.00

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

10.5 yrs. at Procter & Gamble: R&D/Commercialization/Packaging Innovation/Sustainability/Program Management/IP

5+ years at Coca-Cola: Supply Chain, Productivity, Program Management, Agile Methodology, Data Analytics & Insights (QSE)

The Coca-Cola Company (Global Senior Director Data Analytics & Insights to support R&D QSE Organization) Atlanta, GA

Mar 2022 – Present

Lead team of 6 FTEs + 10+ contractors to deliver 15+ analytics products for the quality, safety, and environment business.

Partner with IT, Data Engineering, and other capability organizations to deliver holistic solutions

Metrics provided to Board of Directors and leveraged for external reporting with EY for Assurance & WWW.

Ensure team is staffed and capable to deliver business plans, training, development, OKRs developed.

Lead the annual business plan review and seek leadership alignment to resources/budget.

Co-develop roadmap (long-range plan) for executing organizational strategy.

Lead data validation and assurance of all externally reported Quality, Safety, and Environment data

Identify process improvements, potential automated solutions, and controls to meet auditing requirements (internally and externally)

Lead the development of a long-range plan in partnership with the QSE business

Coca-Cola North America Supply Chain (Program Manager), Drive System Efficiency and Optimization Atlanta, GA

Dec 2019- Mar 2022

Led lean team to re-design Variety Pack products within the supply chain organization to drive automation and network efficiency. Defined opportunity of waste estimated ($2-6MM opportunity cost). Present business case and recommendations to fund project. Project placed on hold.

Led program to convert red-tip Ongweoweh pallets to plastic pallets (Orbis) to enable repurposing of pallets, minimize breaks/damage/loss spend. Explored the use of GPS technology to track pallets across the network and minimize cycle time. Leading teams of 80+ bottlers, 14+ plants & copackers, and numerous key stakeholders.

Orchestrated projects to enable supply continuity across the business units.

Optimized stretch film using high performance film across NA plants ($200k savings), installing monitoring MUST system to monitor usage.

Led optimization of pallet configuration to add more cases to pallets, moving from 92 cases per pallet to 108 cases per pallet.

Joined the Supply Chain Council to spearhead a sustainable program to address minority talent across the organization. Co-leading the ‘development’ pillar for all minority associates within the NA Supply Chain Technical & Innovation Team

Coca-Cola North America Supply Chain (Program Manager) Atlanta, GA

Nov 2018- Dec 2019

Led projects/programs to reduce packaging material COGS across business units.

Coordinated Dasani water Mono-web Label Project to reduce material cost for labels (~$800k savings). Expansion of program to Vitamin Water & Powerade

Oversaw Minute Maid Business project moving from bio-PET to virgin PET to drive raw material savings ($6.1MM savings)

Planned supply chain cost savings packaging material programs across the NA business: unprinted shrink film down-gauging ($4.0MM savings), stretch film optimization ($400k savings), Food Service initiative to drive Bag in Box Label savings ($50k annually), Low Intrinsic Viscosity (IV) resin within hot fill platform to drive bottle resin & energy savings ($3MM)

Global Packaging Development: Baby Care & Feminine Care Packaging & Sustain-ability, Director Cincinnati, OH

Aug 2018- Oct 2018

Managed the Baby Care & Feminine Care Packaging Innovation team globally, 3 direct reports & 18 team members dotted line

Identified & develop new disruptive packaging innovations to transform the flexible packaging category and drive value

Partnered multi-functionally to identify strategies against the company’s short & long-term goals.

Managed technology programs to drive holistic product/packaging innovation

Package Development: Global Baby Care, Premium Line (R&D), Director Global R&D Packaging Cincinnati, OH

Sept 2015-Aug 2018:

Led the Global Upstream Package Development Program & Team (18 employees) to develop new packaging innovation that wins with super premium consumers in North America & Greater China, integrating what’s needed, what’s possible & what’s profitable

Developed proposal to request program funding, managed $2MM operating budget, led reviews with senior leadership team to align program progress, resources, strategies, and funding.

Launched super premium diaper packaging in North America & China (Pampers Pure Brand).

Developed work plans, trained, define deliverables and priorities each year based on project requirements for team

Material Science & Technology (R&D), Senior Engineer/Group Head Cincinnati, OH

Sept 2011-Sept 2015

Established and leveraged external strategic supplier agreements and internal technology platforms for development and scale-up

Sustainable material technical development, replacing 25% petroleum-based materials with renewably sourced materials. Created test plans and ran extruders, twin extruders, blow molders, cast & blown film equipment to produce articles for analytical testing. Managed 1 researcher. Managed 1 contractor.

Filed 7 patents in the areas of polylactic acid, thermoplastic starch, aesthetic benefits of packaging, and material reduction; 5 patents granted

Created the path and vision for the film recycling efforts to introduce post-consumer recycle (PCR) into flexible packaging globally. Sought brand alignment to integrate into overall business strategy.

Package Development: Fabric Care Liquids & Fabric Enhancers (R&D), Engineer Cincinnati, OH

June 2008 – Sept 2011

Delivered Project Ergo to market in 12 months (Launch July 2009, $50MM NPV), delivering cost avoidance and consumer delight

Sustainability win, removing 2.2 billion grams of plastic/yr and savings of $2.4MM/yr by light-weighting cap and reducing bottle height (implementing heat transfer label capability) while maintaining package performance

Led the Restage of a New Product Form (Bounce Dryer Bar): Injection Molding & Thermoforming Technology

Resolved material warping issues of the product resulting in 57% reduction in consumer complaints

Led project with excellence and developed detailed learning plans, fit-for-use criteria to ensure technical readiness throughout each project milestone. Managed 1 engineer, 2 researchers, 1 contractor, 1 intern

Launched Bounce Dryer Bar Twin Packs March 2013; NPV: $4.0 MM, cost avoidance of +$500M by recommending packaging design solutions that are technically feasible utilizing existing packing line assets

ASSOCIATIONS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated

Tau Beta Honorary Band Sorority

J.F. Shields High School – Chartered Camp Legacy – Basketball Camp for High School Girls (2019)

Helping Mamas Community Service (Atlanta, GA)

Founder of STEM ADVOCATE LLC based in Atlanta, GA (started 2020)

Elizabeth Baptist Church (Smyrna, GA)

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