Kevin Ballard

About Kevin Ballard

Kevin Ballard (he/him) is a creative and results-oriented engineering leader with over 17 years of experience in driving innovation across various industries. A musician and artist at heart, Kevin brings a unique blend of technical expertise and problem-solving agility to complex manufacturing challenges.Throughout his career, Kevin has designed and developed numerous machines and novel processes, holding several US and global patents, with several others pending. He possesses a deep understanding of automation, 3D printing, and 3D design, consistently focusing on scaling business practices for high-volume manufacturing.Kevin is a seasoned leader with extensive international experience, particularly in China and Taiwan. He has a proven track record of retaining high performing employees, implementing quality systems,M&A activities, and business development. Kevin excels at resolving complex client situations, fostering trust and positive outcomes. This strength is further amplified by his role as Chair of Kent State University\'s Industrial Advisory Committee, where he works with the College of Engineering to shape curriculums and bridge the gap between academia and industry.While currently passionate about developing future engineers, Kevin\'s long-term goal is to return to designing and building advanced automation for high-precision manufacturing.

Experience

1. Senior Manager - Engineering and Continuous Improvement

   Giesecke+Devrient

   Sep 2023 — Present · Twinsburg, OH, US

   I currently oversee all process engineering, maintenance and continuous improvement teams for G+D ePayments Twinsburg. We deliver world class machine availability and continuous improvement under our own steam. I personally drove development of these roles and the people in them through strategic investment into training and apprenticeship programs and showing the organization how to identify and overcome constraints within the overall manufacturing system. Our scope also includes capital equipment implementation, scientific root cause analysis, and technical strategy for the organization. We work directly with product R&D, our clients, and our internal stakeholders to ensure what is critical to our customer is central to our operation. My background in a multitude of manufacturing environments has also enabled us to find and resolve root cause on several material issues related to recycled PVC, metal payment cards launch challenges, antenna and electronics systems. All contributing major yield improvements and significant cost avoidance within our supply chain.

Education

• Kent State University

  BS, Manufacturing Systems

  2006 — 2010

• Eastern Michigan University

  Journalism

  2004 — 2006

• Bellevue High School

  HS Diploma, NA

  2000 — 2004

Skills

• Prototyping
• Laser Cutting
• Clean Rooms
• Quality Control
• Engineering
• Injection Molding
• Machine Vision
• Problem Solving
• Laser Welding
• Lean Manufacturing
• Process Development
• Team Leadership
• Project Management
• Solidworks
• Spc
• Facilities Management
• Hmis
• Autocad
• Automation
• Documentation
• Process Simulation
• Automotive
• Materials
• Plastics
• Plc
• 5s
• Design of Experiments
• Manufacturing
• Statistical Process Control (Spc)
• Manufacturing Operations
• Continuous Improvement
• Process Engineering
• Research and Development (R&D)
• Process Improvement
• Industrial Safety
• Robotics
• Surface Grinding
• Machinery
• Facilities Planning
• Troubleshooting