Deborah A Coviello

Deborah applies expert knowledge, industry experience, and relentless energy to solving your company’s issues. Deborah began her career at Raytheon Company where she was selected to participate in their Manufacturing Management Development Program leading up to a role as a Quality Systems and Planning Manager in Operations. Over the next 20+years, in Quality and Operational Excellence roles she has produced brilliant results in Electronics, Consumer Communications, Data Communications. Deborah has spent the last 15 years specialized in the Food, Chemical, Flavors & Fragrances Industries. As a Quality & Operational Excellence Executive she thrives in Rapidly Changing Organizations in establishing Stability, Increasing Team Capability through Teaching & Coaching and Leading Organizations by establishing Strategy aligned to Organizational Vision.

Deb’s relevant experience includes:

 Established the Operational Excellence Strategy, Organizational Structure, Lean Black/Green/Yellow Capability & Performance Management System in Operational improvements that raised ROI from $1MM to $5MM in 1.5 years.

 Lead Lean improvement project that increased asset utilization resulting in $250k annual cost savings by bringing in tolling manufacturing.

 Leveraging Six Sigma Methodology; lead improvement project that dropped internal nonconformance rate from 3% to 1% in 1 year through variability reduction. This enabled the Lean transformation dropping lead time from 7 to 4 business days and for commodity items down to 8 hours.

 By establishing the Strategy, building capability and establishing an influential performance management system, elevated NOAM Quality performance from 4th place to 2nd in 2.5 years

 Strengthened the Food Safety Management System by establishing Regional Expertise, Competency within plants, Leadership expectations reducing Critical events by 48% in 2 years. Business Partner relationships established for best practice sharing in the area of food safety.

Deborah has further demonstrated expertise as recognized by: American Society for Quality (ASQ) – Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Auditor, Givaudan – Lean Black Belt and through Motorola University Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Instructor. Deborah will soon be published in ASQ’s Human Development & Leadership Spring newsletter

A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in Biomedical Engineering where she graduated with honors and was selected to participate in their Professional Leadership Program.

Leadership and Recognition are also represented in her personal life where she is a 2017 Arena Curling National Silver medalist, a member of the United States Women’s Curling association, Membership & Tournament Chair in Cincinnati Curling Club and various Leadership roles in both Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts of America.

Deb Coviello is an advisor, author, podcast host, and Founder of

Illumination Partners, a consulting firm for CEO’s navigating change.

A trusted partner to C-Suite Leaders, Deb brings 30+ years of

experience and strategy in Quality and Operational Excellence roles

combined with her 20 years in the Flavors and Fragrance industry to

support her clients as they work together to identify, assess, and

solve the issues that are preventing their business growth.

Certified as Lean and Six Sigma Blackbelt in Process Improvement,

she has developed powerful programs devoted to helping CEO’s

identify emerging leaders, understanding “People’’ are your greatest

tool in your toolbox.

Deb is a board member of Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce,

(WFFC), an avid Curler with the Cincinnati Curling Club, a mother of

three and resides in Cincinnati Ohio with her Husband Dan of 32

years.