The Chief Excellence Officer™️ Academy

I teach and coach frontline managers to how to build an operating system that transforms strategy into excellence through their team.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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1
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Invented the OKR Quality Matrix, a tool used by managers in hundreds of companies to craft OKRs that measure what really matters.

2
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Invented the OKR Activation Canvas, a tool used by managers in hundreds of companies to create operational clarity and link it to the strategic clarity brought by OKRs.

3
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Creator of the following online programs:

• Questexcellence: The OKR Accelerator for Managers.
• Zero⭕️ → 🟢OKR Playbook for Managers

4
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Author of "How to Activate OKRs - The 3 Step Uplift Protocol That Determines OKRs That Get Accomplished From Those That Languish"

Founder

AFRINIC

Scale and integrate AFRINIC's training offerings into a capacity development and professional services program from strategy development to execution and quality control.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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1
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Built afrinic.academy, a bilingual e-learning platform used by 4700+ engineers from over 80 countries with a median course Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 47 by developing all the required skills in-house, saving the company $250,000/annum.

2
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Designed & launched the company's cohort-based course (“Zero to IPv6 Certified in 21 days”), which has received a median NPs of 57 from 2500+ engineers from 61 countries by implementing Agile Instructional Design.

3
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Invented the Deployathon, which helps 150+ network operators to achieve 400+ IPv6 & RPKI deployment milestones yearly.


4
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Launched certi6.io, the only bilingual IPv6 Forum Gold Certified certification with a 3-person team by implementing 4DX (the 4 Disciplines of Execution) creating a 500-question bank covering all 6 Bloom levels within 1 year.

5
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Built my team into the company’s model for operational excellence by implementing 11 ISO 9001:2015-certified processes to a median maturity level of 7 on a 10-point scale.

6
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Drove adoption of OKRs as the company's strategy execution framework across 80% of teams by facilitating a 5-day leadership retreat.

7
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Designed the U-Connect partnership program and onboarded 17 universities in 3 countries to train 250 post-graduate students.

8
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Earned an induction into the global IPv6 Forum Hall of Fame as an evangelist by training and advocacy of 7000+ engineers in 70+ countries.

Head of Capacity Building

Research, design and develop training courses to promote next generation (IPv6) Internet technology development in Africa. Targeting network engineers, governments and business executives.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS


1
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Created the IPv6 Forum Certified Systems Engineer program by analysing gaps in the current certification offerings with respect to systems engineer’s job requirements. 

2
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Developed a program which trained at least 600 engineers across 16 countries with a median NPS of 70 each year by designing curricula, building a team and standardising processes.

3
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Grew demand 550% and participants’ satisfaction 60%(from 2010 levels) through systematic analysis and implementation of workshop feedback in key areas of trainers’ delivery, content and event logistics. 

4
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Designed a testbed that's been used by over 50,000 engineers through 15 labs on 4 continents by standardising an architecture that integrates virtual machines to physical routers.

5
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Secured $150K from the European Commission (6Deploy project) by showcasing the excellent ratings (median NPS of 70) we were consistently getting from 600+ engineers each year.

6
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Cut per workshop costs by 60% ($65k p.a) while increasing duration from 3 to 4 days by creating a course experience for which all partners were willing to sponsor all fixed costs and 25% of travel costs each year.

7
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Created the world’s first IPv6 Strategy & Planning course, which has been taken by 500 executives with a median NPS of 82 by analysing the implications of IPv4 exhaustion and IPv6 through the lenses of the business and mission model canvas.

8
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Delivered a keynote presentation to 500 tech leaders, including 7 gov't ministers, at the African Development Bank's first Ministerial Forum on ICT Integration in Education (2013).

9
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Rated “Excellent” on all KPIs for trainers by at least 90% of all course participants by continuously adapting my delivery based on course feedback.

Training Manager

UNDP

During this brief stint, I developed the agency's IT strategic plan to leverage IT in medical records management, improving interest in and access to education in order to support the MDGs.

ICT Coordinator

Ahmadu Bello University - Zaria

Manage the development evolution of a 7000+ node  IP network.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
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1
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Cut network outages by 80%  by redesigning the internal network to replace multiple levels of internal address sharing (NAT) with dynamic routing using OSPF.

2
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Created the university’s Standards for Networking & Documentation policy which improved IT contract sustainability by ≥ 50% and was adopted by 20 other universities.

3
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Increased project post-handoff success by 50% by creating standardised templates for documenting the work done by contractors.

4
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Designed and implemented the university’s first traffic monitoring system, increasing networking traffic visibility by 95% using free open-source software.

5
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Wrote “The Ntop User’s Guide”, which was used by 4000+ engineers worldwide to get started with free open-source traffic monitoring using the ntop utility. 

6
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Designed and installed a 75 access-point enterprise WiFi network which served 1,500 nodes on time and on budget as proof of concept of my undergraduate project.

7
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Initiated and co-taught the Effective IT-management track for ≥ 150 ICT Directors at the annual Nigerian Network Operators’ Group.

8
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Led the development of the first network services strategic plan by facilitating SWOT & goal-setting brainstorming sessions. 

9
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Increased adoption of Linux on the desktop by 100% within the team by modelling Ubuntu’s functional & aesthetic elegance. 

10
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Implemented eGroupware to enhance internal collaboration, resulting in a 60% decrease in email reliance and a 57% increase in productivity.

Systems Analst/Network Engineer

Nigerian Network Operators' Group (ngNOG)

Objective: promote effectiveness use of ICTs in the Nigerian universities through training.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1
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Co-authored (with Prof. Len Liverpool and Geraldine Daloengg) “Guide to ICT Policy & Strategy for African Higher Educational Institutions” to help ≥ 500 universities in Africa develop effective IT strategies. 

2
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Initiated and co-taught the Effective IT-management track for ≥ 150 ICT Directors at the annual Nigerian Network Operators’ Group.

3
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Selected as one of 7 trainers in Nigeria that reviewed the curriculum and strategic plan of Nigerian Network Operators’ Group. I introduced mind mapping to the group and led its use in brainstorming sessions.

Instructor (volunteer)

Kaduna Business School

Led organization´s IT development and general innovation, developed and taught IT-Business Integration, Six Sigma & Project Management executive development courses and consulting jobs.


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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1
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Designed and implemented an engagement campaign across 5 states, which would later become the Nigerian Research & Education Network, by recruiting and leading a 5 team of former bosses & professors.

2
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Rated “Excellent” on all KPIs  by at least 60% of ≥1000 executives in Project Management & Lean Six Sigma executive education courses by experimenting with different delivery methods.

3
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Mapped 7 core processes at the military ordnance factory in Kaduna, setting the stage for Six Sigma implementation, which doubled factory output without increasing CAPEX.  

4
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Delivered the inaugural presentation (“Internet Business Intelligence”) at the school’s launch, attracting an “Excellent” rating from 90% of the 25 participants.

5
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Raised the median score of presentation quality for executive education content from 40% to 91% by pioneering the use of movie clips within slides & case studies.

6
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Raised the quality of the school’s presentations by 60% by designing standard presentation templates & modelling engaging presentations to the other instructors.

7
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Developed the proposal that won the school its first in-house training contract for 75 senior staff of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology.

Management Consultant & IT Coordinator

WWL Ltd

Responsible for developing proposals to client solutions, managed a 25 node CyberCafe network and providing technical support to clients. 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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1
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Raised equipment uptime by 60% by implementing a rigorous Friday night maintenance schedule.

2
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Implemented an email system that served 500 staff of the Energy Commission of Nigeria by using Sendmail deployed on RedHat Linux. 

3
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Boosted cybercafe revenue by $10,000/month by using  Windows Registry hacks to prevent bypass of the billing software to steal Internet services. 

4
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Performed routine maintenance of 120 PCs in three cities (Jos, Gombe & Yola) over 3 days for First Bank of Nigeria.

Junior IT Consulting & Support Engineer [Internship]

Do you believe the best way to motivate a team is to get them to experience #excellence? then you'd love working with and for me. 

I created certi6.io (with a team of two) - the world's only bilingual IPv6 certification platform. I have trained over 3000 executives, managers and engineers in over 40 countries.

I design and implement systems that:

💎 Inspire people to do work that fills them with pride, producing services that clients adore.

💎 Produce learning experiences that captivate and drive people to flourish.

💎 Take the guesswork out of strategy execution.

Check https://www.perfexcellence.com for my resources and services.

Mukom Tamon

Canadian Blood Services

I am super excited to join Canadian Blood Services in the capacity of Regional Equipment and Field Services Supervisor covering 24 sites within the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba! I'll be leveraging my technical expertise and business leadership acumen to optimize equipment maintenance, support critical healthcare operations, and contribute to saving the lives of patients under our care. 

We are Canada's Biological Lifeline, on the mission of providing safe and reliable access to high-quality medical products and services required for the treatment and life-affirming care of patients across the country.

Reach out to learn more! 
🩸 https://www.blood.ca/en/about-us
🩸 allen.xu@blood.ca

Regional Equipment and Field Services Supervisor — Biologics Equipment and Supply Chain Management

Industry 4.0 Club

We've learned three key insights that has informed our approach to building up our club as a non-profit organization over the last 10+ months... 

1. Play to the strengths of each club founder.
2. Maintain a firm respect for standards.
3. Be intentional w/ your time.

I am excited to apply my skills in operations management and strategic planning towards this role of operations manager. We will continue to ramp up our capacity to distribute meaningful content in the promotion, development, and adoption of Industry 4.0 as we close out the year.

Stay tuned... 2024 will be a year of rapid growth and execution!

Board Member and Operations Manager — Manufacturing Education Content Strategy

It has been a year and change since a small group of manufacturing enthusiasts came together to... well, chat about all things industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, and digital transformation best practices. The pandemic has mandated that organizations revisit their approach to technology implementations — w/ people, sustainable practices, and a clear business case at its center.

Looking forward to supporting the mission of Industry 4.0 Club in this capacity of Treasurer on the Board of Directors!

Treasurer Board of Directors

I found myself networking w/ professionals at all levels of the manufacturing industry on Clubhouse — a drop-in audio only app launched in the midst of a global pandemic. It was here that Industry 4.0 Club founders came together, united in our purpose of creating opportunities to advance manufacturing growth towards industry 4.0 technologies and implementations. 

As a collective, we aim to build a reputable community of industrious individuals at the leading edge of manufacturing excellence within the next three years by engaging globally diverse thought leaders in a safe and inclusive space to ask questions, share insights, and collaborate w/ one another in co-creation initiatives. 

The community is currently 8800 members strong and has 50-100 unique listeners that engage w/ the curated conversations 4 days a week.

Find out more about us:
✔ https://www.clubhouse.com/club/industry-40-club
✔ https://www.industry40club.com
✔ allen@industry40club.com

Co-Founder and Producer

sfc.

Business Coach — Manufacturing Growth and Professional Development

Circular Supply Chain Network

The Circular Supply Chain Network is a global community of circular supply chain geeks, passionate about accelerating the transition to circular operations. We educate, connect, and innovate for circular supply chains that are good for the environment, society, business, and innovation.

Looking to support the mission? 
✔ https://www.circularsupplychain.network/
✔ allen@circularsc.net

Operations Manager — Supply Chain Management Education Content Strategy

hEr VOLUTION

Committee Chair — Educational Programming for Women in STEM

Industry Sage Media

We're on the quest of changing the future of media in manufacturing with the launch of Industry Sage Media.

Industry Sage Media is a forward-thinking, creator and expert-led media company tailored for the manufacturing industry. It offers a fresh approach to how industry professionals discover and consume crucial knowledge by putting individual creators and experts - key opinion leaders, thought leaders, and seasoned practitioners - at the forefront.

We bring together respected experts from various manufacturing sectors and roles to share their expertise through engaging podcasts, newsletters, interactive events, and comprehensive training programs.

Our first shows are now live, which will be followed by the launch of new creators and sectors monthly. 

There are several more big announcements to follow, but for now...go check out our first set of shows and creators!

👉 Recruiting Revelations with Ann Wyatt
👉 Tomorrow's Trends with Ira Sharp Jr
👉 The Dual Operators Podcast with Allen Xu
👉 Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast with Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes
👉 Marketing Meets Media with Trevor Robinson

New episodes will be dropping weekly with key industry leaders. 

Shows found directly on Industry Sage Media and wherever you consume podcasts:
https://industrysagemedia.com/the-dual-operators-podcast/

Creator and Partner — The Dual Operators Podcast

Cosm Medical

I'm happy to share that I started a new position as Production and Supply Chain Manager at Cosm in September 2024!

This was in recognition of my successful contributions in building up a self-sustaining production department, at which point in time I was then asked to take on the additional responsibility for establishing, and executing against, the development of supply chain partnerships and engagement strategy. 

Specifically...

🚢 I directed the foundational establishment of manufacturing engineering and production of medical device commercialization operations for the Canadian market from material procurement, to final product fulfilment, as well as building towards post-market surveillance readiness governed under Health Canada and MDSAP regulatory requirements.
🚢 I forecasted material, equipment, and labor COGS and executed against SMART goal milestones, demonstrating a statistically significant increase to production capacity that could be sustained by a core team of four production operators under the supervision of a dedicated line supervisor.
🚢 I standardized and sustained the practice of establishing clear cascades of communication w/ critical suppliers, reaching alignment on win-win agreements around volume based price breaks that would be projected to further drive material COGS down by greater than 2x over the upcoming 6 month period - on top of the 11x reduction of COGS already accomplished as a result of streamlined production operations planning and development established over the previous 9 month period.

I believe investing into having strong supplier relationships is more important than ever — they are not just suppliers; they are partners in empowering SMEs to focus on their unique and individualized value proposition and zone of genius. 

Sometimes all you need, is to realize that a solution might already be out there — especially if you are intentional about looking, 👀.

End date: October 2024

Production and Supply Chain Manager — Medical Device Manufacturing

I joined the team at Cosm at the start of the year to help w/ building out the capacity to manufacture Class II medical devices. 

Since then, there has been greater than a 14x increase to process yield, 13x increase in order fulfilment, as well as a 28x reduction to order fulfilment lead times over a 9-month period. 

These medical devices are used towards improving pelvic health quality and access to personalized gynecological care solutions for up to 50% of women w/ pelvic health disorder where standard solutions simply don't work. 

Reach out to learn more! 
✔ https://www.cosm.care/about
✔ axu@cosm.care

Production Manager

Conavi Medical

I coordinated the growth, development, and adoption of GMPs as interim Production Manager during a period of rapid restructuring throughout the organization. I led a team of 11 direct reports, 7 indirect reports, and reported directly to the VP of Operations. 

I supervised my team and facilitated cross-functional communications throughout several implementation projects which resulted in the increased throughput of catheter micro-assembly production by 24x over a 5-year period. 

Some additional responsibilities and notable contributions included:
✔ ERP project implementation
✔ creation and development of operations strategy to meet a forecasted 3x increase in demand. 
✔ adoption of electronic job travelers compliant w/ ISO 13485:2016 requirements
✔ introduction of team development meetings, monthly kaizen events, and other lean manufacturing practices
✔ supporting the R&D of new product introduction (NPI) through labor resourcing and design manufacturability feedback

End date: August 2023

Production Manager — Medical Device Manufacturing

As a natural leader who actively took ownership and accountability where gaps existed, I was formally promoted to this position after three years as a production technician. I led a team of 8 direct reports and reported directly to the Director of Production and Supply Chain. 

Recognized as an individual who quickly identified the central and underlying issues of complex situations, I had demonstrated a track record of working cross-functionally to produce innovative approaches, methods, and solutions to a given problem.

In this new role, some responsibilities included:
✔ review and verification of quality documentation for class IV medical devices to be manufactured
✔ leading of 8 direct reports in the assembly of catheter device components through performance management (CFRs) and good manufacturing practices (GMPs)
✔ supporting of daily operations through production planning, troubleshooting, and allocation of resources to address ongoing business challenges
✔ development, implementation, and reporting of OKRs, KPIs, and other metrics to inform operational insights

Production Team Leader

I was drawn to Conavi for being a Canadian startup in the medical device space pioneering the first integrated intravascular imaging system combining two imaging modalities into a single platform. I was brought in as the 89th employee to support the design-transfer and production ramp up of the Novasight IVUS-OCT Catheter, where I quickly took on the added responsibility as a production liaison coordinating and expediting the flow of work, materials, and equipment. 

Within 2 years, I had demonstrated a track record of forecasting and delivering on production targets through an understanding of cross-functional objectives and business constraints. I have had the opportunity to learn and build on existing knowledge of materials management, good manufacturing practices, quality control, as well as other industry methodologies to maximize effective manufacturing and distribution of goods. 

I reported directly to the Production Manager while advocating for safe work practices as an active member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Learn more about Conavi, here:
✔ https://www.conavi.com

Microassembly Technician

Sanofi Pasteur

Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company in the world devoted entirely to vaccines. I was contracted as an advanced technician supporting production processes revolving around cell culture propagation, harvesting, formulation, filling, freeze-drying, and capping the final product. 

In an industry that is heavily regulated by the FDA, I was able to develop a proficiency for GxPs (e.g. Good Documentation Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices, etc.) which allowed me to successfully perform clean room (EU GMP Grade A-B) activities as a qualified aseptic processing area operator. 

Additional details and responsibilities:
✔ analyzing potentially dangerous workplace practices and conditions as an active member of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
✔ initiating quality notifications through SAP and supporting deviation investigation efforts during periods of production shut-down
✔ https://www.sanofi.ca/

End date: July 2017

Advanced Technician — Vaccine Manufacturing

Kumon North America, Inc.

Working at Kumon was one of serendipity — I was introduced to the local franchise owner through a good friend at a time when I wasn't actively looking for work. An after-school learning program, we worked collaboratively w/ a close-knit senior team to develop a reputation for being a center that took a holistic approach to designing and implementing learning strategies tailored to individual students. 

It is my firm belief that it was this student focused learning philosophy, paired w/ our collective entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen, that propelled us to become a center that was ranked #3 in Canada and #7 in North America by subject enrollment volume.

Learn more about the Kumon franchise here:
✔ https://www.kumon.com/ca-en/

End date: December 2015

Team Leader — English and Advanced Math Education

that mfg operations guy building the underdog's playbook | i help manufacturers establish sustained flow through its people, process, and technology... in that order!

SENIOR MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS MANAGER

I am a strategic manufacturing professional w/ 10+ years experience across a broad range of manufacturing disciplines and highly regulated industry segments. I've had a proven track record combining vision and industry knowledge w/ well-developed project management and leadership abilities to support and develop process improvements, scale-up of products, team dynamics, and performance management.

I believe that leadership happens at all levels of an organization, especially the shop floor! I am passionate about empowering manufacturing professionals to engage in and champion process improvement initiatives from the bottom-up and the middle-out, while maintaining a clear line of communication w/ upper management to ensure alignment w/ organizational goals and priorities from the top-down. 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Organizational Leadership | Operations Management | Performance Metrics | Work Order Management | Inventory Management | Production Planning | Continuous Improvement | Process Standardization | ISO 13485:2016

—☁️

COMMUNITY TOP VOICE
💡 Leadership | Oct 2023 - Feb 2024
💡 Manufacturing Operations | Jan 2024 - Jul 2024

—☁️

FIRST PRINCIPLES
✔ Connecting w/ thought leaders aligned in mission, vision, and purpose to amplify impact and reach.
✔ Never compromising on core values when advancing change.
✔ Respect for People.

CORE VALUES
✔ Sustainable Growth — lean, functional, and effective
✔ Trials to Triumph — get things done
✔ Do the Right Thing — should be easy
✔ Extreme Ownership — trust but verify

TECHNICAL SKILLS
✔ Qualified aseptic cleanroom operator (Class 100 / ISO 5 / Grade A facility clearance).
✔ 10+ years in clinical research, biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device manufacturing.
✔ Proficient w/ Microsoft Office 365 productivity tools (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint).

HUMAN SKILLS
✔ Quickly adapts to the unique requirements of each working environment.
✔ 15+ years leading by example while taking on multifaceted responsibilities.
✔ Effective written and verbal communication skills in articulating key information.
✔ Disciplined in prioritizing and executing on multiple tasks under time constraints.

INTERESTS
✔ I am genuinely interested in learning something new every day. 
✔ I am continuously invested in the mindset that everyone has something to teach you. 
✔ I am happiest when I am physically active — e.g., rock climbing, sword fighting, and snowboarding.

—☁️

📩 Send me an invitation to connect!
(please share what motivated you to reach out in the request)

taplio

The Battle

Mukom Tamon

Allen Xu

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