Velappan Kumar

• Led global quality for 11 manufacturing sites, implementing preventative approaches and AI in data analysis. • Collaborated with braking Senior leadership team to drive strategic execution and ensure quality standards. • Achieved significant improvements in product quality and efficiency, resulting in cost savings and customer satisfaction.

Responsible for 11 plants globally( ~0.8B$) on customer quality by managing all customer programs starting from New project introduction - serial production monitoring - till end of project. Lead and deploy Safe product Introduction with continuous kaizen journey on serial production with proactive approach

Part of Global Braking Quality leadership team - Focussing on the global new projects( 11 plants globally - 3 in America , 6 in Europe and UK , 2 in China ) flawless launch with robust quality using a proactive approach Establish safe product introduction process ( SPI) to standardise the quality of the launch Developing the plant quality giving focused on new projects by moving from reactive to proactive approach Build good global relationships with OEM’s and calliper manufacturers

Part of APAC OE braking leadership team to support the regional P&L for a business size of $110M revenue Managing the regional capacity growth and capital investment projects Lead the Regional Advanced Manufacturing engineering team on 1 .Capacity growth projects 2. New product industrialization 3. Process improvement and Continuous improvement- Productivity projects across the region

Leading the New Product introduction for 3 plants in Asia ( 2 in China and 1 in India ) Managing the major Global launches / Transfer projects Supporting cross functional on project feasibility and risk assessment

Leading the process knowledge transfer between the regions on Global project as well as manage the local manufacturing engineering team

Working on red projects with customer and Engineering to avoid project launch delays

Program manager by leading the first AM CV linings project launch and support to setup the new facility process standards

- Resident launch engineer to support Indian LV programs - Act as program launch manager to transfer program from Thailand to Tennessee, USA - 6 OE programs launches in 6 weeks in USA and 8 weeks in Thailand with a great team

Valeo is an Independent Global Automotive Company, representing over 13 Divisions in 29 Countries with a Group Turn over of 10 Billion Euros. Valeo Friction Materials India Ltd. Chennai is a Joint venture between the Multinational Auto Giant VALEO - France and ANAND Group India.  To implement the VPS Tools to maximize productivity, maintaining the highest levels of product quality with a thrust towards continuous improvement.  To Implement & follow up Kanban system in APT III  To maintaining the 5S in the shop floor.  Implementation of performance monitoring system for all the lines using QCD indicator i,e Q- Quality (PPM), C – Cost (Kosu), D – Delivery (Setting changeover)  Daily conducting the QRQC (Line, APU) meeting & discuss about the QCD Performance indicators regarding PPM.  Reducing the setting changeover by deploying SMED Methodology.(fixture size modification)  Maintaining the MIN-MAX stock for all the tools required for production.  Training to the Logistics team and Implementation of Visual Re Order (VRO) for all the raw materials.  Performing Value Stream Analysis (VSA) for identifying the required workshop in order to improve QCD performance of the plant.  Performing Process Flow Analysis (PFA) for identifying non value activities (MUDA Hunting)  Coordinating QRMC Meeting as a fact for Quick reaction for Kosu related issues ;  To attend the SIOP & MPS meeting.  To Implement the VPS Tools as per V5000 Foundations system.