Walter K. Email & Phone Number

Cupertino, Ca

• Managed sustaining product quality for Mac desktop programs including the Apple iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Pro, Mac mini, Pro Display XDR and Studio Display spanning over 4 generations. Scope of operations encompassed factory, field, and retail operations.• Identified top customer issues for 6 product launches via a short-term, high-intensity activity that responds to market anomalies after release. Coordinated hundreds of different engineers from different teams to engage and deliver quick improvements to the customer experience. Reported to Operations VP level.• Managed test sampling for Final Assembly Test Packaging (FATP), and Final Quality Assurance (FQA) lines for 3 major global manufacturing sites. • Executed escalations and quality alerts with both in-region and Cupertino teams to solve issues related to supplier quality, ongoing reliability testing, assembly, optimization, packaging and distribution. • Created over 150 test plans for the qualification of new part, process, supplier, or supply risk mitigation which resulted in ECOs and confident transitions to mass production. • Developed a Python-based program to automate calculating big data from worldwide retail repairs for executive reporting. Program interfaced with Tableau data to report Defect Parts per Million (DPPM), enhancing weekly team efficiency by approximately 15%.

Lincoln, Al

Honda's premier factory that assembles light trucks from start to finish. Odysseys, Pilots, Ridgelines, Passports, and their respective V6 engines are solely produced here for worldwide sale.• Led new model development of the 2021 and 2023 Odyssey front fascia at the factory. Developed Quality Management Systems (QMS) to reduce 2% of total post-assembly repairs and save $70,000 of predicted warranty costs.• Directed over 69 supplier design changes during Odyssey development totaling $857,000 in order to improve customer satisfaction. Evaluated fixtures, datum schemes, CAD layouts, and drawings for over 58 metal formed and injection molded parts to enhance vehicle fit & finish.• Oversaw process improvement activity on the assembly line to decrease $1.31 million of manufacturing warranty issues among four light truck models: Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline, and Acura MDX.• Led cross-functional teams to improve cycle time, worker ergonomics, and solve recurring assembly problems.• Managed annual expense budgets for a 12 person team through SAP. Submitted an approved $40,000 investment proposal to management for laser-based equipment that accelerates vehicle quality evaluations.• Programmed SQL-based data management tables for process and vehicle tracking throughout the assembly line.

Atlanta, Ga

• Initiated over $60,000 worth of compliance tests representative of 13 million cookware, cutlery, and bakeware products for the verification of product safety related to heavy metals.• Coordinated test routines with certification partners to achieve compliance with FDA 21 CFR and California Proposition 65 regulations. Established cultural precedent of quality management by storing test reports, material certifications, and compliance affidavits for audit protection.

Atlanta, Ga

• Engaged, led, and ensured the safety of student and corporate groups of up to 10 on Georgia Tech's only obstacle course ("ropes" course), owned and operated by the Campus Recreation Center. • Facilitated communication, coordination, cooperation, and a sense of unity to solve complex tasks on an elevated course.

Neenah, Wi

Experience occurred in multiple locations including Roswell, GA, Beech Island, SC, and finishing in Neenah, WI at the Kimberly-Clark Prototype and Experimental Facility (KCPX) in the Personal Care (Baby/Child Care) sector. • Designed a chemical dispensing system that improved operator safety for a critical Scott/Kleenex tissue machine that supplies product nationwide. Wrote contracts, procured parts, and supervised installation.• Upgraded adhesive module and remote measurement station on the Huggies Diaper MainLine machine for improved efficiency. • Designed and developed new mobile semi-automatic diaper bagger used for consumer trials. • Initiated and led a rapid four-month plus/delta system to transmit feedback from 155 nationwide co-ops to human resources in order to improve experiences for future co-ops.