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Associate Biographies
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Linda S. Fox
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Linda Fox is a Purchasing/Materials Management executive with over 25
years of leadership experience, including Sourcing, Manufacturing,
Contracting, Strategic Planning, Warehousing, Travel and Health
Services, Incentive Programs, and Team Productivity.
During 17 years with GE, Linda developed programs to increase customer
service, reduce inventory and costs, and foster team productivity, with
emphasis on partnering with suppliers. She held numerous procurement
positions in GE Lighting Services, including Material Manager, and
Manager - Contracting and Strategic Planning. She pioneered the first
fee-based travel consolidation and relocation policy for GE Lighting,
and received managerial awards for cost savings of greater than $1mm,
and greater than 40%.
She then founded a consulting business focused on cost reduction and
increased productivity. She managed the purchasing department for one
client for 7 years, directing and training personnel, establishing
policies, and developing new service contracts that saved $1.2mm
annually. She negotiated propane contracts, private aircraft, and
construction services, and reorganized health care management, including
automated medical billing procedures, and revamped distribution and
warehousing processes.
She has conducted seminars on supplier diversity and procurement
procedures and taught Procurement at the undergraduate level. Linda
received a BA in Psychology from Baldwin Wallace and an MBA in Systems
Management from Lake Erie University. She is a Certified Purchasing
Manager and attended GE Management courses in Quality Control, Health
Insurance, OSHA, Problem Solving, Sourcing, and Negotiations.
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Cherryl K. Jostad
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Cherryl Jostad has over 30 years experience in
Accounting/Finance, Sourcing, Quality, Administration and Acquisition
Integration in an array of industries.
At GEITS, she negotiated contracts with temp labor firms, search firms, recruiting, cabling,
and software, saving 10-33% while consolidating supplier base by 95%. She implemented digitized processes for requisitioning, PO
transmission, invoicing and settlement, including web-based applications for
e-RFIs,
e-RFQs, e-Auctions, EDI, and EFT.
Cherryl has also led accounts payable and receivable teams with annual
portfolios ranging from $10 million to $1.5 billion. At GEITS, annual interest payments were reduced by 95%, and processes
capturing early pay discounts resulted in over $3 million savings annually.
She has expertise in account reconcilations, payment application,
resolution of outstanding items, and accounting system conversions.
Earlier, Cherryl worked in Germany as an accountant and youth worker for
Eurasia Teen Challenge.
Cherryl is an Associate with Paladin Associates Inc. concentrating on
Strategic Sourcing, Cost Reduction Programs, Temporary Labor, Data Analysis,
Accounts Payable Processes, Travel and e Sourcing.
She is an MBA graduate of Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA, and was
named Outstanding Business Graduate in 1995 and Outstanding Business Alumnus
in 2004. Cherryl is certified as a Six Sigma Quality Green Belt, and also
speaks German fluently.
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Peter G. Key
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Peter Key is a seasoned senior executive with over 28 years of
multi-functional leadership experience, including Systems, Supply Chain,
Sourcing, Crisis Management, Finance, Quality, Distribution, Service,
Facilities, Security, Business Development, Acquisition Integration,
Administration, and Construction activities. Pete’s industry experience
includes construction, security, sales and distribution services,
manufacturing and services, financial services, and information technology
services.
Most recently, Pete has provided Management Consulting Services. Working
independently and in association with other consulting services entities, he
has assisted companies with problem identification and solutions, project
management, turn around development, etc…. He is a certified Six Sigma black
belt. He is also a member of an Experts group, providing expertise in
various disciplines and industries as a mentor or coach. Pete brings
together a truly multi-faceted and broadly based business functional and
technical knowledge. His financial, operations, and systems knowledge allow
him a business wide solutions view.
He previously served as Director of Supply Chain and Facilities for
Landis & Gyr, Inc. (a global OEM meter manufacturing company). In his role
as the North American Chief Procurement Officer, he led supplier
negotiations for all North American purchases. He has negotiated supplier
agreements with suppliers both domestic and international. He oversaw the
relocation of operations to Mexico and realigned the supply chain. In less
than 2 years, he reduced direct material costs by 24%, while completing the
relocation, developing new supply chains, and expanding distribution for
existing and new product lines.
During his previous twenty-five years with GE, Pete developed broad and
diverse operational, finance, and project skills while managing internal and
affiliate operations. His most recent roles include Vice President of
Sourcing & Crisis Management for GE Information Technology Solutions,
Finance Manager (CFO) of Distribution Services, VP of Finance for Product
Distribution Company, and he was on the Board of Directors for Product
Distribution Company, a US Common Carrier. He has served as Program Manager
for Systems Development, Customer Strategic Analysis, and Commercial Six
Sigma Quality. He was also a Finance Manager for two GE Service regions
(Chicago and Detroit) and held similar roles at the national level.
Pete drove the development of Crisis Management Strategy at GE
Information Technology Solutions, leading business security and continuity
planning. There and at other GE businesses, Pete established, developed, and
implemented numerous projects/processes for Sales, Service, Distribution,
and Sourcing operations. His has led Six Sigma projects which analyzed Order
Service, Shipping, and Billing cycles; implemented strategies to minimize
errors and improve service levels; maximized negotiated price and usage
reductions; and, created numerous processes that improved bottom line
profitability, while simultaneously improving customer satisfaction. Pete
also designed and implemented Financial and Data analysis and reporting
systems, and integrated Web-based Data Warehousing. He has implemented
digitized ERP & purchasing processes, including e-RFIs, e-RFQs, e-Auctions,
as well as EDI, EFT, P-Cards and eP-Cards. He drove double-digit
productivity in Distribution/Logistics and his annual Sourcing cost savings
exceeded 34% of the purchase base under his responsibility. He has developed
numerous productivity improvement programs for sales, services, and support
operations.
In addition, Pete led Real Estate and Facility Management Teams
responsible for over 85 locations, aggregating over 15 million square feet,
and was responsible for design and construction of 4 distribution facilities
totaling over 2 million square feet. Early in his career, Pete spent two
years on GE’s Financial Management Program, and over 5 years leading GE
Auditing efforts, participating in or leading thirty operational and
financial audits of several GE operations and distributors across North
America. He received a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from the
Eastern Kentucky University and has attended numerous GE Executive training
courses in Quality, General Management, Finance, Sourcing, Negotiation, and
Leadership at GE’s Executive Development Institute, in New York.
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Renee Libby
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Renee Libby is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience in project
management, process improvement, finance, acquisition integration, global
outsourcing, sales, marketing, operations and human resources.
Her GE career in the computer, telecommunications and industrial service
businesses included the integration of acquisitions, relocation of back
office functions to GE Capital centers of excellence in India and Mexico,
development of product and pricing strategies, implementation of complex
technology service contracts and finance/accounting management.
At Citigroup, Renee identified and managed process improvement initiatives
for The Home Depot Commercial and Consumer credit card portfolio leading
cross functional teams from Marketing, Risk, Finance, Technology and Call
Center Operations.
Renee is an honors graduate of Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA) with a BA
degree in Economics. She is also a graduate of GE’s financial management
program and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Renee is an Associate in Paladin Associates Inc. focusing on
Strategic Sourcing initiatives.
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Robert J. Patton
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Rob Patton brings more than 33 years of purchasing experience from Procter &
Gamble's global purchasing organization. His many assignments spanned
P&G's diverse product categories and geographic regions. Rob was one of
only seven individuals to receive P&G's prestigious Phoenix Award in
recognition of his exceptional leadership, innovation and mastery in
purchasing and strategic sourcing.
At P&G Rob was widely recognized as a thought leader and innovator in
strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management. In sourcing goods
and services he consistently delivered breakthrough savings goals of 10-20%
or more. He championed the use of total quality principles, statistical
methods and constraint management with suppliers fostering a collaborative
team environment for driving cost and inefficiency out of P&G's supply
chains. Rob was an early adopter of e-purchasing tools and a charter member
of P&G's E-Commerce SWAT team.
Throughout his P&G career Rob was heavily involved in P&G's
leading edge sourcing skills training programs. In the early 1990's as the
global training manager he was the architect of the first comprehensive
worldwide sourcing skills curriculum. Rob served as the first Dean of
P&G's "Sourcing College" which quickly achieved world class
status and recognition.
Rob possesses a depth of commercial knowledge and a profound technical
understanding of all segments of the chemical industry, its processes and its
supply chains. He has a proven track record of leveraging this knowledge and
understanding to implement enduring sourcing strategies, build win-win
relationships with suppliers, deliver world class cost savings and achieve
significant speed to market improvements. He internally demonstrated
leadership in working effectively across organizational boundaries to insure
cross-functional synergy and collaboration.
Rob represented P&G on numerous executive roundtables, seminars and
benchmarking projects including the Michigan State University Purchasing
& Supply Chain Management Executive Seminar and the Global Procurement
& Supply Chain Benchmarking Initiative at the Eli Broad Graduate School.
He has served as an expert panelist at the Institute for Supply Management
annual meeting and a guest lecturer on Negotiation Skill Training at Florida
A&M University.
Rob is a graduate of Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in
Government and a minor in Chemistry. He also attended Salmon P. Chase Law
School and Xavier University MBA program. He was honorably discharged from
the U.S. Air Force and is a current member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
He is active in numerous civic boards and organizations.
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Rick Schlegelmilch
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Rick Schlegelmilch has 30 years experience in Accounting, Auditing, Finance and
Operations. He has consulted in Finance and Manufacturing operations in the US
and abroad and worked extensively on the Sarbanes-Oxley process for Ernst &
Young and others.
At GE
Plastics, he gained multi functional experience with process and investment
engineering, focusing on productivity and investment opportunities. He managed
General Accounting and Manufacturing Analysis and held analytical roles in product
distribution, R&D, and Cost Control for GE’s $715 M plastics plant in
Burkville, AL. He was a GE Corporate Auditor and Internal Auditor for GE
Plastics.
Rick also
participated in a start up company (Finance, Operations, Sales and Marketing)
developing patented new signage technology to improve reflectivity and
conspicuity in safety signs on US highways.
Rick is an Associate in Paladin Associates, Inc.
Rick received a BBA in Economics from Michigan State University. A graduate of GE’s
Financial Management Program, he taught these MBA level courses for 15 years.
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Maxwell Stallings
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Max Stallings has over 30 years of experience in a diverse
set of business and technology disciplines. In the last decade Supply Chain
Management and strategic sourcing solutions, software and practices have been
his focus, serving in various customer-facing roles with Perfect Commerce and Pantellos, and acting in a consulting role with Fortune 1000 clients such as
Bank of America in their supply chain organization.
Prior to this, he spent 20 years in commercial banking and utilities, creating
and leading a $5M+ business unit for a subsidiary of Duke Energy, providing a
variety of consulting and system integration solutions to the utility and
process manufacturing industries, including management consulting, real time
data acquisition systems for power generation, and a variety of business and
technology solutions.
Max began his career in commercial banking managing application system
development initiatives.
As an Associate with Paladin Associates, Inc., he provides expertise in the areas of strategic
sourcing, eprocurement, e-sourcing, program management, and SCM best practice
consulting.
Max holds a bachelors degree in Management Systems from the University of South
Carolina.
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