Steve de Ford

Steve De Ford has over 20 years of experience in operational excellence and business improvement roles. Steve currently works as the Global Business Excellence Manager at Establishment Labs, where they lead and implements various initiatives to optimize processes and drive overall business excellence across the company's global operations. Steve collaborates with cross-functional teams, engages with high-level leadership, and mentors project teams to ensure successful execution of improvement projects.

Prior to their current role, Steve worked at Medtronic for 14 years. Steve served as the Operational Excellence Manager for the NOLA & Latam region, where they directed the Operational Excellence project management model and deployed strategic alignment throughout the organization. Steve also led the Operational Excellence program for the CARICAM and Central America regions, generating positive financial results through the application of lean techniques and training Lean Leaders and Green Belts.

Before joining Medtronic, Steve worked at IBM as the Americas Six Sigma Manager. In this role, they drove the Six Sigma group and complex projects/processes in Costa Rica and the Americas, coaching and training Black Belts and Green Belts. Steve also guided and coached the entire IBM population in Six Sigma knowledge and projects.

Earlier in their career, Steve worked at Baxter International Inc. as a Material Leader and Production Supervisor. In these roles, they were responsible for coordinating, analyzing, and resolving issues related to purchased raw materials, logistics, inventory control, production efficiency, and quality control. Steve also played a role in process improvement projects and new process validations.

Overall, Steve De Ford is a seasoned professional with a strong background in operational excellence, project management, and business improvement strategies. Steve has a proven track record of driving positive financial results and building an operational excellence culture within organizations.

Steve De Ford earned a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de Centro America, where they studied from 1997 to 2004. In 2008 and 2009, Steve obtained a Lean Leader Certification from Medtronic (Covidien). Additionally, in 2010 and 2011, they completed a Six Sigma Black Belt program at Medtronic (Covidien).