Melissa Mclaughlin Email & Phone Number

Corporate Quality, Chicago, Il

Porter, Indiana Usa

Technical Consulting for Falk PLI (Portage, IN), Spring 2011• Contracted to coordinate technical writing, presentation and publication of AIST Maintenance and Reliability paper for presentation at AISTech Indianapolis May 2011 “The Real Cost of Maintenance: Production Quality and Output Yield Enhancements of Industrial Laser Metrology for Continuous Process Lines” outlining the benefits realized of laser measurement techniques for ArcelorMittal’s Burns Harbor Continuous Heat Treatment Upgrade.Chief Metallurgical Engineer for CellTech Metals (San Diego, CA), 2008-2009• Developed low carbon steel and aluminum prototypes of light weight flat metal alternative to monolithic sheet targeting energy and environmental compliance movement in the transportation industry.• Coordinated the prototype manufacturing process; managing substrate procurement, stamping, joining and testing requirements of multiple contractors.• Researched and managed various mechanical/electrical equipment suppliers and engineering suppliers to design a large scale manufacturing production facility outlining production process feasibility, manufacturing capital investment requirements and projected product cost-benefit basis for market.• Wrote technical instructions summarizing prototype and large scale manufacturing procedures.• Reviewed patent details for technical accuracy.

Midwest Plant, Portage, Indiana Usa

The Midwest plant consists of 14 finishing facilities including pickling, sheet and tin cold reduction, continuous and batch annealing, cleaning, temper rolling, trimming, galvanizing, tin and chrome plating capability servicing automotive, construction and container customers.• Established a centralized continuous improvement (CI) program for the plants’ key business drivers; safety, environmental compliance, cost, quality, productivity and customer satisfaction.• Developed plant key measures based on data driven analysis and evaluated performance to establish plant management objectives and implement project teams responsible to meet the objectives.• Concentrated technical support to minimize cost of quality based on the operational factors of yield, product diversions, re-work and customer claim frequency. Key CI accomplishments include:o Improved yield by 5% for hot dip galvanizing and electrolytic tinning lines.o Coordinated reapplication team to preserve product value and initiated coil size optimization team.o Minimized work-in-process inventory levels to less than 2% > 30 days.o Facilitated customer delivery performance team to achieve 12% improvement.• Worked with business services group to implement a web-based reporting system to easily track progress of all teams.

Pittsburgh, Pa Usa

U.S. Steel utilizes 150+ outside processors to add value to the customer beyond their manufacturing capabilities. Types of services include pickling, tension leveling, side trimming, cutting, color coating and blanking. Integral part of five person team responsible for the reorganization of U.S. Steel’s Processed Products Division reducing annual operating expenses by $10 million. • Reported to COO to complete comprehensive study of entire processed products organization and functionality outlining findings, recommendations and implementation timeline resulting in improved processor relations and lower costs enhancing USS profitability.• Assisted in the standardization of work procedures and system functionality to support centralized processed products division.• Evaluated scrap contract procedures and identified substantial savings opportunities.

Kosice, Slovakia

Led organization of 30+ engineers to service 4 million metric tons annually delivered throughout Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. Products include hot roll, cold roll, galvanize, tinplate, color coat, electrical steels for the automotive, construction and container industries. Division objective to provide frontline technical support regarding product specifications and selection, product development, trial delivery management, creation of customer focused teams to improve quality and reduce costs, and investigation and resolution of product quality complaints.• Continuous Improvement Process implementation to all aspects of department operations.• Quality and Customer Champion: Transformed customer quality performance utilizing continuous improvement, root cause analysis and corrective and preventative action implementation to reduce rejection rate by 60% over three years improving plant profitability and customer satisfaction.• Established procedures and supervised the negotiated resolution of customer claims. Designed and implemented plant wide IT system to track customer rejection performance.• Developed business plan and managed department spending of $700,000 annually.• Member of audit team responsible for annual recertification of ISO 9001 / TS 16949.• Strategic Relationship Builder: Developed Customer/ Employee Exchange program, Customer Evaluation Score system, Annual Customer Visit Plan Schedule and Trade Quality Meetings.• Recruited, interviewed and hired technical personal to service geographical and product specific locations based on technical expertise and language fluency.• Planned and executed cross divisional employee training classes to understand customer processes and product requirements (welding, stamping, forming, cutting, and painting). • Established “Sales Technical Training” seminars to enhance commercial manager’s technical knowledge.• Instituted cost reduction project requirements for key customer accounts.

Vsz Us Steel, Sro, Kosice, Slovakia

Relocated to Central Europe as one of four Americans to manage U.S. Steel’s joint venture with VSZ acting as technical branch of the Commercial organization. Responsible for the implementation of customer technical service philosophy in former socialist Slovakia for 350,000 metric tons of tin coated products delivered to customers throughout Europe. Coordinated customer quality meetings / visits to understand product requirements, customer applications and processing, opening communication channels, review product quality, delivery and service performance, product development, specification qualification trials, and resolution of customer claim items.• Presented key customer information to internal operations by establishing trade quality meetings and initiated corrective and preventative actions leading to a 74% reduction in tons rejected.• Supervised claim investigations and negotiated settlements with customers. Developed and maintained a system to track and report customer claims by rejection rate and claim impact on profitability.• Analysis of customer needs to determine future product requirements of VSŽ U.S. Steel critical to the $500M expansion project upgrading the temper mill to produce DR products, build brand new state-of-the-art continuous annealing and tinning lines. Worked on various teams to insure correct equipment capabilities designed.• Developed and maintained an evaluation tool to quantify customer satisfaction - tracking customer quality, cost reduction projects, delivery and service performance perception on a continuous basis. • Developed standard operating procedures and practices leading to successful ISO 9002 certification.

Gary, Indiana Usa

Management, development and optimization of metallurgical processing for cold roll and semi-processed electrical steel products fully complying with customer specifications, testing requirements and equipment capabilities. Product design includes chemistry selection, hot roll finishing and coiling temperatures, cold roll gauge and flatness tolerances, annealing cycles, temper mill extensions and final product testing requirements for specific customer specifications and industry recognized standards. Supervised electrical steel test lab employees, equipment, operating procedures and customer reporting requirements.• Purchase, installation and qualification of $350K electrical steel test equipment. Worked with the manufacturer to conduct training for operators. Wrote all standard operating procedures for annealing furnace, magnetic tester and gauge (gamma) tester, conducted test trials to determine standards for these procedures. Supervised hourly employees and contractors.• Managed experimental trials to target new product development enabling US Steel to venture into more diversified products and profitable markets.• Coordination with plant engineering for the installation and qualification of three high-flow hydrogen annealing bases for new product capability.• Communicated customer quality concerns through plant visits, weekly meetings and written correspondence. Investigated and resolved customer quality issues and initiated corrective action activity.

Gary Works, Gary, Indiana Usa

• Assessed the adherence to quality processing requirements during product manufacture through audits and analysis of inspection results insuring product integrity.• Developed weekly quality reporting system to communicate key quality concerns to operating workforce - cost of poor quality.• Control and disposition non-conforming product.• Analyzed processing units' statistical capabilities for key processing variables. Trained workforce in use of SPC techniques for key variable tracking and problem solving. Performed periodic statistical capability studies and R&R studies on key equipment and practices.• Directed and assisted the processing units' efforts to continually improve process/product quality while reducing processing costs.• Worked to implement the APEX Quality System to obtain certification of ISO 9002 and QS 9000. Defined and established standard quality practices and standard operating procedures. Insured proper documentation and calibration of test equipment.

Bs, Materials Science Engineering

Materials Science Engineering

Mba, Masters Business Administration, International Business With An Emphasis On Finance & Marketing

Initated MBA in 1996-1998 in Chicago and finished in Czech Republic (2003-2004) during overseas work assignment.