Robert Bowker Email & Phone Number

Galway, Ie

Senior Quality Leader overseeing all facets of Quality operations for GATD. Created the Vision, focus and actions to improve the Global Quality organization and champion Quality involvement, responsibilities and activity in Supplier Selection, NPI, Production, Customer, and the QMS Implemented new supplier/ TPM auditing requirements and audits for special processes. Developing and championing the processes to identify risk in NPI, Supplier Selection, and First Article Inspections. Developed, lead and guide Part and Product RoHS Compliance and CE Marking. Reduced Supplier PPM by 70%.

St Louis, Missouri, Us

Senior Supplier Development Leader overseeing the development of Third-Party Manufacturers and Suppliers for the Autocare and Lighting Business Units with $2 billion in Spend. Coordinated improvement activities and initiatives with Procurement, Engineering, and Project Management; standardized Supplier activities, policies/ practices, and led the supplier approval activities. Utilized lean manufacturing and continuous improvement techniques to improve supplier performance. Led activities with Plants and Distribution Centers to address and resolve escalated supplier and customer issues. Worked with Third-Party Manufacturing and Suppliers to improve capacity, reduce waste and resolve manufacturing process issues. Worked with IT to develop business analytic reports needed to drive Scorecards and metrics. Created/ developed the Global Supplier Quality and Development Department Vision, conducted strategic planning, established the Department goals, and budget. Led cross-functional teams to conduct continuous improvement activities advancing the use of PPAPs and PFMEAs to improve Product Launches and Supplier Performance. Led cross-functional team to develop and implement a Supplier Change Management Process. Implemented/ harmonized Supplier Quality/ Development operating policies, procedures and forms tailored to the business units to drive Systems and Supplier improvement across Business Units, Regions and acquired Businesses. Led the Supplier Quality/Development Team in the reduction of Supplier PPM by 66% in less than two years. Established a Supplier Scorecard providing a Risk Based Output to identify and address performance improvement opportunities. Developed and implemented a new Supplier Quality Systems Audit, Technical Capability Audits and Process Audits. Implemented the Supplier Charge Back process to recover costs incurred by supplier caused issues.

Denver, Colorado, Us

Senior Supplier Development Leader overseeing supplier quality and development activities for $1.5 billion in spend for over 3000+ Direct and Third-Party Manufacturing suppliers. Implemented the Supplier Change Management Process. Coordinated Supplier Performance Improvement activities and initiatives with Procurement, Engineering, and Project Management; standardized Supplier activities, policies/ practices, and led the supplier approval activities. Utilized lean manufacturing and continuous improvement techniques to improve supplier performance. Led activities with Plants and Distribution Centers to address and resolve escalated supplier and customer issues. Worked with Direct and Third-Party Manufacturing suppliers to improve capacity, reduce waste, resolve manufacturing process issues, and improve supplier cost recovery. Created/ developed the Global Supplier Development Department Vision, conducted strategic planning, established the Department goals, and budget. Developed and championed the Supplier Evaluation and Approval process to include Risk Identification and Mitigation. Led cross-functional teams to conduct continuous improvement activities and utilize PPAPs and PFMEAs to improve Product Launch success and Supplier Performance. Led cross-functional teams to address supplier and Plant issues to maintain Supplier PPM while increasing Plant usage of the Corrective Action database. Led and coached Procurement, Project Management, Engineering, Plants and Suppliers to achieve IATF 16949 compliance. Improved the Supplier Portal system to include supplier risk ratings, PPAPs, CARs and Scorecards, and increased Corporate, Plant and Supplier usage of the system. Revised the Supplier Quality Systems Audit and implemented Technical Capability Audits and Process Audits.

Senior Supplier Quality Leader overseeing the supply base of five divisions with more than $7 billion in spend with over 2000 Direct and Third-Party Manufacturing suppliers. Led the supplier quality improvement activities for five Divisions primarily in the Automotive, Industrial, Medical, Military and Aerospace markets. Led cross-functional teams to improve and reduce incoming inspection requirements, improve new product launches, reduce Supplier Quality PPM, and improve supplier cost recovery. Developed and implemented the Supplier Requirements Manual. Led cross-functional teams to improve root cause/corrective action problem solving to reduce Supplier Quality PPM by 71%.  Led a cross-functional team to improve the Supplier Approval process, and usage of PPAP and CAR requirements and systems. Collaborated with Engineering to implement Supplier Quality activities, PPAP requirements and Supplier Review/Approval into the New Product Development process.

Akron, Oh, Us

Senior Quality Leader for the Infrastructure Antenna Systems Division with Sales of $433 million. Led the quality, supplier quality, and continuous improvement activities of US and International manufacturing plants and design centers. Led cross-functional Kaizen events and Six Sigma activities to improve manufacturing efficiency, delivery accuracy, and reduce Customer PPM. Led cross-functional teams to improve incoming inspection activities, and supplier involvement for new project launches. Created and developed the Global Supplier Quality Vision, conducted strategic planning, and established/ communicated the Department Goals. Standardized/ harmonized the Supplier Quality and Development policies and processes across the global organization (all Divisions). Developed and implemented the Supplier Requirements Manual.  Developed and implemented the Part/ Product Cosmetic Requirements and Guidelines for the global organization. Led the Global Supplier Quality Engineers and Cross-Functional teams to achieve a 66% reduction in Supplier Quality. Led cross-functional, continuous improvement teams to achieve 63% reduction in Division Customer PPM. Implemented SA8000 and Hazardous Substance Free requirements into the Supplier Audit process.

Akron, Oh, Us

Global Supplier Quality Manager (Aug 2007 – Jul 2008)Senior Supplier Quality Leader for all Divisions. Led cross-functional teams to standardize the supplier quality requirements, activities, and reporting. Improved supplier new part launches. Led four Global Supplier Quality Engineers to evaluate Direct and Contract Manufacturing suppliers, improve supplier quality performance and provide supplier quality support to Plants, reduce incoming inspection requirements, and lower Supplier Quality PPM.  Created and developed the Global Supplier Quality Vision, conducted strategic planning, and established/ communicated the Department Goals. Standardized/ harmonized the Supplier Quality and Development policies and processes across the global organization (all Divisions). Developed and implemented the Supplier Requirements Manual.  Developed and implemented the Part/ Product Cosmetic Requirements and Guidelines for the global organization. Led the Global Supplier Quality Engineers and Cross-Functional teams to achieve a 66% reduction in Supplier Quality.

Akron, Oh, Us

Senior Quality Leader for the Mobile Antenna Systems Division with Sales of $378 million. Led the Division Quality and Supplier Quality functions for US and International Manufacturing Plants and Design Centers serving the communications, automotive, industrial, military, and medical markets. Led cross-functional teams to improve early supplier involvement and new project launches utilizing PPAPs and PFMEAs, improved production efficiency, reduced the Cost of Quality, reduced Customer PPM, reduced Supplier Quality PPM, and upgraded the Quality Management Systems from ISO 9001 to QS 9000 to TS 16949 (in USA, China, and Malaysia). Developed, launched, and led the Division Six Sigma Program.  Implemented KPIs such as COQ, Scrap, FPY, Supplier and Customer PPM, and Equipment Downtime. Led cross-functional teams to achieve a 33% reduction in Supplier Quality PPM.  Led cross-functional, continuous improvement teams to achieve a 35% reduction in Cost of Quality.  Led cross-functional, continuous improvement teams to achieve a 71% reduction in Customer PPM. Reduced Inspection Requirements and Testing based on supplier performance and reduced inspection and test labor by 75%. Developed, Implemented, and led the Six Sigma program, which yielded over $500,000 of dollars in savings in the first year. Increased Reliability Lab throughput by 50% by improving the scheduling of equipment. Implemented/ harmonized the Quality Management System in new Plant Start-ups in Malaysia, Mexico, India, and the USA. Harmonized Quality Systems in acquisitions; Sweden, China, and Kansas USA.

Akron, Oh, Us

Managed the Battery Plant Quality Department and Global Supplier Quality and Incoming Inspection activities; including the Corporate validation and verification testing Lab for new and existing products (battery packs and antennas for cell phones, and hand held radios). 28% reduction in Supplier Quality PPM 50%+ increase in Reliability Lab throughput

Washington, Dc, Us

Aircraft electrical/instrument/flight control systems technicians, fixed wing, at the IMA level, inspect, test, maintain, and repair components, assemblies, subassemblies, modules, cards. printed circuit boards, and ancillary equipment whose aggregate constitutes a complete aircraft electrical/ flight control system or subsystem.

Mba, International Business

Bs, Management

Diploma, Six Sigma Green Belt

Education record