JOSEPH LOPRESTI

Lead a high performing team across the US and Mexico, managing a $125M spend. Drive sourcing decisions and lead initiatives to optimize cost, quality, and operational performance. Collaborate with global stakeholders to execute breakthrough solutions and enhance financial outcomes. Key achievements include:

• Leadership & Team Development: Built and coached a high-performing team, achieving a PLE (Performance Level of Excellence) of 95%. Spearheaded the development of key talent and fostered a culture of accountability and excellence
• Strategic Financial Management: Directed monthly forecasting and long-range planning efforts, ensuring financial performance aligns with company goals. Identified cost-saving opportunities and implemented strategies that positively impacted the bottom line
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Led strategic sourcing decisions and contract negotiations, partnering with senior stakeholders globally to execute initiatives that resulted in improved cost, quality, and supply chain performance
• Process Optimization: Designed and executed team initiatives to optimize critical operational metrics, including cost reductions, quality improvements, and enhanced product fill rates

Led the North America quality and cost initiatives for the dryer category, managing a savings target exceeding $9M. Directed cross-functional teams to drive project completion and ensure cost and quality objectives were met. Key contributions include:

• Strategic Cost Leadership: Managed cost-saving initiatives with a focus on achieving a $9M savings target. Oversaw project priorities and resourcing to support quality and cost initiatives
• Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Led global and regional ideation events, including competitive teardown and analysis, to develop innovative solutions and drive continuous improvement
• Global Process Standardization: Maintained and created standard processes across multiple regions (EMEA, LAR, NAR), ensuring consistency and quality across product development cycles

Led cross-functional teams in managing complex trans regional laundry model line projects, overseeing the entire product lifecycle. Ensured on-time delivery, regulatory compliance, and product quality. Key highlights include:

• Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Coordination: Led a team of project analysts, overseeing model changes and ensuring timely delivery of bill of materials, drawing releases, and production schedules
• Regulatory & Compliance Management: Ensured timely compliance with regulatory changes (UL, government compliance), managing project risks and mitigating challenges to meet deadlines
• Strategic Marketing Support: Collaborated with marketing teams to ensure new product models aligned with 'go-to-market' strategies and brand objectives

As Procurement Project Lead in the laundry category, managed the end-to-end process of launching an NPI (New Product Introduction) platform involving over 200 new components and a capital investment of $70M+. Led a cross-functional team to execute strategic sourcing, supplier engagement, and risk management to ensure on-time delivery of new products. Key contributions include:

• Strategic Commodity Management: Managed the planning, direction, and execution of multiple strategic commodities across suppliers, while ensuring cross-functional alignment and timely sourcing
• Supplier Engagement: Developed and executed a comprehensive supplier engagement plan, aligning timing, technical sourcing efforts, and ensuring readiness for product launch
• Supplier Collaboration: Facilitated on-site assembly and component trials at supplier facilities, ensuring alignment with project timelines and quality standards

Cost lead for global refrigeration launch project, leading cross-functional teams across Mexico, Brazil, China, India, and Mexico, driving cost optimization efforts and ensuring alignment with global financial objectives. Key contributions include:

• Cost Development: Championed the development and execution of cost targets for multiple subsystems, ensuring alignment across global design teams through proactive tracking and design clinic facilitation
• Engineering Collaboration: Collaborated closely with senior engineering sub-system leaders to identify critical risks and opportunities, establishing data-driven action plans that mitigated risks and capitalized on opportunities to deliver cost-efficient solutions
• Cost Validation: Led the development and validation of cost models, including the preliminary bill of materials (PBOM), ensuring that project costs remained aligned with target financial goals

Professional background prior to joining Whirlpool. Background in procurement, finance, and operations management.

• As Commodity Manager at Johnson Controls, led supplier strategy for fasteners, stampings, and assemblies, optimizing supply chains and driving cost savings while supporting diversity sourcing and engineering initiatives.
• In the role of Account Financial Manager, developed pricing strategies, negotiated with OEMs, and ensured financial improvements across product segments.
• In operations I led a $20M business in Interior Overhead System Assembly, overseeing a three-shift operation, team of 30+ employees, handling HR responsibilities, scheduling and ensuring operational efficiency.