John McCullough

About John McCullough

I help life sciences and manufacturing organizations navigate high-stakes challenges, especially during M&A, growth, or transformation. With 15+ years in operational excellence, operations, and quality, mostly at PE-owned companies, I specialize in:• Operational due diligence for acquisitions• Pre- and post-change strategy that drives results beyond the slide deck• Strategic facilitation to align cross-functional teams and accelerate growthMy superpower is making collaboration work, especially in complex, regulated environments like pharma, CDMOs, or advanced manufacturing. I’ve led teams of engineers, coached executives, interfaced with clients, and guided transformations that actually stick.Whether you\'re a founder, PE investor, or Executive under pressure, I tackle strategic problems and help scale what works.While I\'m currently focused on internal transformation, I\'m always open to future consulting conversations or strategic collaborations.Feel free to connect if you\'re navigating a deal, preparing for scale, or need a fresh outside lens.

Experience

1. Director of Continuous Improvement

   Sharp Services

   Jan 2023 — Present

   Lead global enterprise-wide Operational Excellence strategy across two divisions, including Clinical and Commercial business.Oversee a portfolio of transformation initiatives delivering $5M–$10M in direct annual P&L impact through end-to-end value stream optimization and support/service process improvement.Founded and led the Global Process Monitoring & Control function—establishing statistical process control standards for cGMP manufacturing and enabling data-driven decision-making across sites.Assessed operational capabilities and risks of external manufacturing sites as part of pre-acquisition due diligence in M&A activity.Known for talent identification and development—multiple direct reports have been promoted into leadership roles across the organization.Guide a team of Lean/Six Sigma professionals to build internal capability, embed continuous improvement culture, and mentor high-potential talent.Act as a strategic partner to the executive leadership team (CIO, CFO, COO, SVP Global Quality, SVP HR, President) to solve high-priority challenges including post-M&A integration, new technology, and global quality harmonization.Provide thought leadership in improvement and systems: coach site leaders on operational maturity and lead global efforts to develop standardized, strategic quality documentation.Engage with clients and cross-functional stakeholders to drive service excellence, compliance, and competitive differentiation.

Education

• Lehigh University

  Master's degree, Industrial Engineering

• Moravian University

  BS, Mathematics/Physics