Ryan, Class of 2007

Prior to Kellogg, I graduated from Cornell University in 1999 with a BS Operations Research & Industrial Engineering. I worked for a year in consulting followed by six years in software, working in a variety of roles from business analyst to project manager to sales consultant.

After graduating from the MMM program in June of 2007, I joined Danaher working at Setra, a small sensor business in the Boston area, as a DBS Leader. In this role I report directly to the president and work cross functionally on key initiatives such as price improvement and inventory reduction, in addition to leading the implementation of tools and concepts that foster an environment of continuous improvement (in short: DBS). I began with a 90 day immersion process, where I traveled to other DHR businesses and to Japan to benchmark best practices of lean manufacturing. I have since brought these experiences back to Setra and applied to the management of our daily processes.

Why did I choose Danaher? At first I was attracted to their great reputation and track record of success. In digging deeper, I discovered this was in large part due to their management philosophy focused on a relentless desire for continuous improvement and an openness and willingness for change. I saw Danaher as a place of potential, where I could be given visibility and responsibility to meet stretch goals. I saw no faster track towards General Management than with Danaher.