Operational Excellence & Digital Transformation

Cathy Se Chao

Operational Excellence & Transformation Consultant

Aerospace Supply Chain ERP & Systems Program Recovery Global – 6 Countries, 4 Continents

I turn broken processes into measurable, lasting results.

20+ Years Aerospace 6 Countries 4 Continents MIT Certified Azure AI

Proof points from the field:

100%
On-time delivery restored from 6 months behind schedule
90%
Supplier on-time delivery from 6 months past due
93%
Inventory accuracy up from 65% via ERP modernization
8
Global sites with standardized processes — 4 continents
$32M+

Cross-border sourcing programs for government & industrial clients

$4M+

Incremental program value generated through scope negotiations

15%

Annual cost savings driven via cost reduction initiatives

14 yr

Deep aerospace expertise across global OEM programs

Where I Create Measurable Impact

Digital Value Chain Transformation

End-to-end enterprise transformation combining ERP modernization, process reengineering, and data architecture to eliminate waste and unlock performance visibility across multi-site environments.

ERP ImplementationSystems ModernizationProcess RedesignBusiness Process Reengineering

Program & P&L Governance

Structured program governance from requirements through delivery — executive reporting cadences, risk registers, financial forecasting, and milestone accountability across $15M+ programs.

Executive ReportingRisk ManagementBudget OversightKPI Architecture

Operational Performance Recovery

Rapid diagnosis and structured recovery of underperforming operations — supply chain, delivery, quality, and supplier performance — using data-driven root cause analysis and lean methodologies.

Six Sigma / Lean / 5SRCCASupplier RecoveryChange Management

AI & Data-Driven Decision Making

Applying machine learning and predictive analytics to operational decisions — from forecasting models to Azure-deployed ML pipelines — bridging data science with real-world execution.

Python / SQL / Power BIAzure MLPredictive ModelingMIT Certified

20+ Years of Proven Results

Elevate Aircraft Seating (Adient Aerospace)
Nov 2023 – Oct 2024
California, USA
Senior Program Manager
  • Led global programs across 3 international sites — $15M+ budget, Boeing 787 platforms
  • Established governance cadence with executive performance reviews and KPI dashboards
  • Negotiated and led change initiatives generating $2M in additional program value
  • Directed strategic vendor evaluation and critical supplier performance governance
Safran Cabin — Water & Waste Systems
Feb 2019 – Oct 2023
California, USA
Program & Transformation Leader
  • Led NPI programs across Airbus, Dassault, Gulfstream platforms — $14M+ budget
  • Restored On-Time Delivery to 100% through data-based performance recovery
  • Elevated Quality KPI performance from 0% to 100% within one year
  • Secured $2M in incremental program value through scope change negotiations
Safran Cabin (Zodiac Aerospace)
Jun 2015 – Feb 2019
CA, USA · Tijuana, MX
Program & Industrialization Transformation Leader
  • Led Airbus A330 Neo overhead bins program from design to delivery — $6.5M budget
  • Designed 25-year industrial transformation plan supporting A330 Neo ramp-up
  • Drove 15% annual cost savings through structured cost reduction initiatives
  • On-site supplier turnaround: improved on-time delivery from 6 months behind to 90%
ICO Strategic Sourcing Partner
Oct 2005 – Apr 2015
China
Consultant – Transformation Leader
  • Directed cross-border sourcing programs — $32M+ for government and industrial clients
  • Led factory transformation achieving >98% OTD and >99% quality within 4 months
  • Implemented supplier KPI dashboards and performance tracking processes
Safran Cabin (C&D Aerospace)
Jan 2001 – Aug 2004
USA · Canada · Brazil · France
ERP & Process Digital Transformation Lead
  • Led ERP implementation and process reengineering across 8 global sites on 3 continents
  • Improved inventory accuracy from 65% to 93% via barcode system digitalization
  • Designed standard best practices and led company-wide implementation across all sites
  • Built KPI dashboards and reporting tools to increase operational transparency

Technical Proficiency

ERP Systems
M3 (Infor)
Royal4
MS Access (custom tools)
Analytics & Data
Python
SQL
Power BI
Excel (Advanced)
AI / Machine Learning
Microsoft Azure
Azure DevOps
Hugging Face
GitHub
Certifications
MIT — AI for Decision-Making (2025)
Microsoft Azure AI Professional (2026)
Program Management
Microsoft Project
Jira / Monday.com
Teams / Slack
PowerPoint / Excel
Methodologies
Six Sigma / Lean / 5S
RCCA
Change Management
Agile / Waterfall

Truly International Background

With career experience spanning the United States, Mexico, China, France, Canada, and Brazil — and programs executed across four continents — I bring a rare combination of cultural fluency and operational depth to every engagement.

My multilingual capability enables direct communication with teams and stakeholders globally, accelerating trust, adoption, and results in complex cross-border environments.

EnglishFluent
FrenchFluent
SpanishIntermediate
Mandarin ChineseConversational
MienhConversational
MBA – Operations Management
California State University, San Bernardino
Thesis: Business Process Reengineering
MIB – Master in International Business
Kedge Business School, France
MIT Data Science Certificate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
AI for Effective Decision-Making · 2025
Azure AI Professional Certificate
Microsoft
AI to OpenAI Program · 2026

What's Your Biggest
Operational Challenge?

Let's turn it into a measurable, lasting result.

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