Alexis Kipping

Experience

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  Newell Brands

  Sept 2005 - Apr 2009

  - Completed an intensive 18-month Six Sigma Master Black Belt program, earning MBB certification while simultaneously developing and launching the Green Belt Program to enhance organizational capabilities.- Served as a peer advisor to 35 employees across multiple divisions (Sanford, Graco, Calphalon, and Rubbermaid), supporting Green Belts, Black Belts, and Managers in successfully launching 11 new products and 4 innovative testing procedures.- Researched and developed training materials on Conjoint Analysis and Surveys, which were selected for presentation at Whirlpool’s Six Sigma Symposium, showcasing expertise and contributing to industry knowledge. Show less - Rapidly mastered advanced Six Sigma Black Belt concepts, effectively mentoring colleagues of varying seniority, which culminated in my selection as one of only seven employees to attend the prestigious Six Sigma Master Black Belt Training.- Spearheaded the qualification process for ballpoint pen components sourced from overseas suppliers, designing and implementing a comprehensive Microsoft Access database to facilitate organization and sharing of qualification testing results, thereby improving data accessibility and decision-making efficiency.- Enhanced 8 critical test methods for assessing the performance of pens, markers, and pencils, resulting in more accurate evaluations and contributing to product quality improvements. Show less

  • Master Black Belt, Associate Development Chemist

    Jan 2008 - Apr 2009

  • Assistant Development Chemist

    Sept 2005 - Jul 2008
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  Valspar

  Jun 2010 - Jun 2017

  - Led the pilot of a Global Cost Out Process and New Product Development Stage-Gate Process for Consumer North America, utilizing cross-functional inputs, streamlined templates, and a shared-drive infrastructure to ensure sustainable record-keeping and process scalability.- Orchestrated the mapping of 80% of the Paint Formulation Design Space, optimizing latex volume to internalize 3 major resins and achieving a 25% reduction in resin SKUs. Further reduced raw material SKUs by 10% through formula refinement, eliminating unnecessary additives and enhancing overall efficiency. Show less - Completed Loyola’s School of Business Project Management Training, integrating key concepts into the implementation of Clarizen for R&D project management across Consumer North America.- Customized Clarizen to meet the specific project management needs of Consumer North America R&D while ensuring compliance with the Corporate Stage Gate process in NaVigator, linking the systems to include financial metrics in corporate and divisional portfolio reports and dashboards.- Developed dynamic reports and dashboards for R&D leadership, offering real-time portfolio insights and actionable guidance to optimize resource management and align with business objectives. Show less - Collaborated with the Vice Presidents of General Industrial and Consumer R&D to design and implement a training and mentoring strategy for a self-sufficiency model, advancing into a leadership role within Consumer R&D.- Developed a tiered, customer-specific training model through a Conjoint experiment, identifying Critical to Quality metrics for divisional and functional leaders, resulting in 100% completion of Green Belt Training by the target audience.- Led the Technology Excellence Pillar within the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) organization and co-managed a team of 6 potential Black Belts in R&D, delivering Enterprise projects that generated $10 million in cost savings and $15 million in new product sales.- Enhanced adherence to the Stage-Gate process for development projects by 80%, ensuring all Breakthrough, Next Generation, and Incremental projects followed the NaVigator portfolio management system and utilized appropriate design tools. Show less - Expanded the Sequential Experimentation program by co-developing the Corporate Design for Six Sigma Green Belt program, enhancing the integration and utilization of the Stage-Gate process it supports.- Coached a high-priority TiO2 spacing project, achieving $3 million in initial cost savings and identifying a transferable spacing mechanism that enabled further cost reductions across multiple formulations.- Supported the development and analysis of numerous designed experiments utilizing Minitab and JMP to drive data-driven decision-making in R&D projects.- Researched and developed advanced Sequential Experimentation training modules on topics such as Central Composite Designs, ANOVA, Linear and Logistic Regression, and Split Plot Factorial designs, expanding the scope and depth of training for corporate teams. Show less - Successfully designed, deployed, and instructed a comprehensive curriculum for the Sequential Experimentation Training program, initially benefiting 33 local R&D personnel, which contributed to enhanced team capabilities and led to my promotion.- Developed robust, quantifiable methodologies for measuring TiO2 scattering efficiencies and maximum hide, resulting in improved product formulation accuracy and consistency across multiple projects.- Led the co-development of innovative paint brushes, roller covers, and formulations by applying advanced design experiments in collaboration with sundries suppliers, enhancing product performance and expanding our product line. Show less

  • R&D Portfolio Manager

    Dec 2016 - Jun 2017

  • Technical Effectiveness Manager

    Sept 2015 - Dec 2016

  • Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Design

    Jun 2014 - Sept 2015

  • Scientist

    Jun 2012 - Jun 2014

  • Statistician Chemist

    Jun 2010 - Jun 2012
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  Sherwin-Williams

  Jun 2017 - Jun 2019

  Stage-Gate Process Manager

  - Spearheaded all administrative aspects of the Stage-Gate process, including leading project teams, ensuring timely completion of deliverables, reviewing gate presentations, and effectively communicating key updates to Executive Leadership, ensuring seamless project flow.- Designed and facilitated cross-functional training on Stage-Gate processes and deliverables for the global Consumer Brands Group, enhancing team alignment and process execution.- Developed and implemented interactive product portfolio dashboards and roadmaps, serving as the foundation for high-impact Portfolio Review meetings with Senior Leadership.- Standardized and aligned the Stage-Gate processes for Sherwin-Williams and Valspar by updating templates and dashboards for enhanced usability and consistency, while configuring and deploying new Stage-Gate models for New Product Development and Maintenance of Business projects within the Consumer Brands Group. Show less

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  Glanbia Performance Nutrition (GPN)

  Oct 2019 - now

  - Developed a comprehensive commercialization project dashboard in Smartsheet, integrating portfolio management and automating workflows, resulting in improved project tracking and efficiency.- Delivered cross-functional project management support across corporate-wide initiatives, including new product development, value engineering, and process improvement, ensuring timely execution and alignment with business goals.- Communicated critical project risks, scope changes, and issue resolutions to Stage-Gate leaders and Business Development/Supply Chain executives, facilitating data-driven decision-making and project success. Show less

  • Senior Project Manager

    Oct 2021 - now

  • Project Manager

    Oct 2019 - Sept 2021