Joseph P. Ficalora

Joe Ficalora is currently the president of Global Services at Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. (SBTI), a consulting firm for manufacturing, quality, and engineering services, with specialties in Six Sigma and Lean Enterprise applications. In this role, Mr. Ficalora is responsible for the worldwide deployment of SBTI methodologies and for managing the international partners of SBTI.

Mr. Ficalora has more than 20 years of industrial experience in project management, engineering, manufacturing, and quality control. He first came across QFD while at AlliedSignal, now Honeywell, in 1991. His involvement with Quality tools and techniques has been continuous since that time. He designed and developed the highly acclaimed SBTI Six Sigma Master Black Belt Program. He has led Six Sigma deployments in Operations and Engineering at several clients, including Executive and Champion rollout sessions. Mr. Ficalora holds an MEE from Stevens Institute of Technology, and a BS in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Mr. Ficalora has worked and is certified as a Black Belt and Master Black Belt. He has consulted for clients in the industries of aerospace, medical devices, beverages, health care, and in manufacturing of food packaging, electronics, metal, glass, and plastics. His current interests include DFSS in renewable energy and energy conservation, as well as future energy options, including nuclear fusion. His current interests also include investment performance predictions, economics, crime statistics, and crime prevention within the USA. He has mentored, and designed and taught workshops to Executives, Champions, Master Black Belts, Black Belts, and Green Belts in Design for Six Sigma, Six Sigma in Manufacturing, and Transactional Business projects worldwide. Mr. Ficalora is a top-rated and sought-after instructor and speaker in these areas.

Mr. Ficalora also holds several patents in lasers and optical devices and a patent in process improvement. He is an active member in IEEE and ISSSP.

Lou Cohen was a product developer, computer and software development manager, quality manager, and consultant during 41 years of professional life. He lived and worked in Japan in 1984, where he extensively studied quality and productivity methods, including a detailed study of the theories of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Upon his return to the U.S., he became a nationally known expert in the use of Quality Function Deployment. He has helped his clients use QFD in many diverse industries, including electric-power utilities, financial services, medical instruments, software, communications and telecommunications, laundry detergents, aerospace components, and office furniture.

Now in retirement, he lives in Cambridge,Massachusetts.