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Andrea Claire Gibbs, Ph.D., PMP

Burlington, Ontario  ·  Res: (905) 634-2632  ·  email: coopergibbs@sympatico.ca
 

CAREER PROFILE

Proven multi-faceted knowledge and experience in technology advancement, product development, project management and cost reduction.  Ability to set strategic direction, create dynamic teams and optimize systems.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

·           Rapid technology advancement and optimization experience resulting in innovative products

·           Strategic thinker able to set direction and focus

·           Project & resource management (certified Project Management Professional)

·           Expeditious adaptation to new systems

·           Record of swift progression in management responsibility

·           History of building highly productive teams

·           Strong leadership, organizational and administrative abilities with a hands-on approach

·           Excellent technical report writing and presentation skills

 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

H. L. BLACHFORD Ltd., Mississauga, Ont. (website)
Director of Planning and Special Projects                                                                                                         Jul 2007 – present

Hired permanently following two six-month contracts. Report directly to the Company President.

·         Project Manager for the closure of the Montreal facility with the relocation of people, R&D lab and production equipment to two other facilities

·         Redesigned and executed the new company website

·         Metrics tracking and analysis for various departments

·         Business analysis of sales providing insight into possible future directions of product lines

·         Designed a computer database system (SMART) for the dry lubricant sales team to enable correct product selection for customized scenarios

 

QUESTAIR TECHNOLOGIES, Burnaby, B.C. (website)
PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICER (PMO)                                                                                                       May 2007 – Jul 2007
MANAGER, Process Test Group                                                                                                                     2006 – May 2007
MANAGER, Advanced Laminate & Structures Group                                                                                      2004 – 2006
QUESTAIR SAFETY MANAGER - concurrent with other duties                                                                        2003 – 2006
PRODUCT DESIGNER                                                                                                                                     2000 – 2004

Provided planning, management, leadership and direction to teams of engineers, chemists and technologists responsible for designing test systems, conducting test plans, providing data analysis, advancing QuestAir’s structured adsorbent technology and delivering quality product for demonstration units. Responsible for the core bed technology of QuestAir’s gas separation and purification systems.  Converted early stage conceptual designs into prototype units

·         Introduced project & resource management through the creation and implementation of the PMO

·         Managed the specifications & design of custom hydrogen lab testing facilities to meet current and future corporate needs

·         Project Manager for relocation of 7 specialized industrial test units (assets > $7 million) to customer hydrogen lab testing facilities with no damage and minimal downtime

·        Increased response time to customer requests by 15% through more efficient project management

·        Enhanced the properties of the structured adsorbent through identification of key issues, technological advancements and strategic direction of team members

·         Project Manager of the coating line expansion project resulting in a 45% increase in capacity

·         Reduced product variability from 3.7% to 0.8% in 5 months through improved quality control which resulted in savings of 20% on raw materials and 35% reduction in labour costs

·         Implemented solutions which led to a 10% decrease in wastage

·         Created budgets, schedules, technical reports and provided updates to stakeholders

·        Designed structured adsorbent beds for both large and compact PSA (pressure swing adsorption) units.  Increased bed performance by 15% by creating new structured materials

·         Established failure modes, created and implemented solutions which resulted in a 25% increase in bed durability. Four patents and two applications covering core technology

 

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PAPRICAN / MacMILLAN BLOEDEL, Vancouver, B.C.  (website)
 SCIENTIST                                                                                                                                                       1997 - 2000

Project Manager for the fibre modification & reinforcement project achieving a 53% increase in fibre compressibility in conjunction with a 50%  decrease in treatment time.

·        Invented a new treatment that drastically improved fibre properties

·        Decreased printing imperfections on treated paper by 20% enabling upgrading of the product to the value added grade. Published three peer reviewed scientific papers

·        Managed the complete redesign of a key laboratory device that led to a 25% increase in product quality and a 40% increase in productivity

·        Chair of the Safety Committee

 

McMASTER UNIVERSITY, Hamilton, Ont.  (website)
POST DOCTORAL RESEARCHER                                                                                                                        1995-1997

Managed three concurrent research projects. Supervised the maintenance and safety of the laboratory. Presented work at several conferences.

·         Developed new ways of enhancing polymer performance by 40% that directly led to the sponsoring company gaining a competitive edge

·         Designed and modified test equipment improving workability and allowing additional data to be collected

·         Invented new techniques to overcome the damaging effects of retention aid inhibitors.  Published five peer reviewed scientific papers

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TRAINING / EDUCATION

·        Critical Chain Project Management, CMS                                                                                              2010

·        Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI  (website)                                                          2006

·        Supervisory Skills, Douglas College                                                                                                       2005

·        Project Management, Simon Fraser University                                                                                       2003

·        Effective Communications, SkillPath                                                                                                     2002

·        Management Skills, SkillPath                                                                                                                 2001

·        PhD. in Colloid and Interface Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK  (website)                                            1995

·        Bachelors of Science Honours degree in Chemistry, University of Bristol, UK                                            1991

 

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

·         Active volunteer on the build site of HABITAT for Humanity, both locally and internationally (Nepal) creating homes for needy people

·         Team Leader of QuestAir’s “United Way Day of Caring” volunteers who spend a day assisting a non-profit organization with building improvement work (4 years)

·         First woman to cycle unaided across the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco as part of the “Anglo-French Trans Atlas Mountain Bike Expedition”

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PATENTS
 

1.       “Rapid Cycle Syngas Pressure Swing Adsorption system”; Khiavi, Sawada, Gibbs, Alvaji – Patent No: US 7763098.

2.       “Engineered Adsorbent Structures for Kinetic Separation”; Rode, Boulet, Pelman, Babicki, Keefer, Sawada, Khiavi, Roy, Gibbs, Kuznicki – Patent No: US 7645324.

3.       “Methods for their manufacture of adsorbent”; Keefer, Carel, Sellars, Shaw, Larisch, Dorman, Lee, Gibbs, Hetzler, Sawada, Pelman, Hunter – Patent No: US 7300905.

4.       “PSA with adsorbents sensitive to contaminants”; Babicki, Keefer, Gibbs, LeCava, Fitch – Patent No: US 7160367.

5.       “Parallel Passage Contactor Structure”; Gibbs, Pelman – patent pending

6.        “Adsorbent coating compositions, laminates and adsorber elements comprising such compositions and methods for their manufacture and use”; Keefer, Carel, Shaw, Sellars, Larisch, Doman, Gibbs, Hetzler, Sawada, Hunter, Pelman – patent pending
 

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PUBLISHED WORK
 

1.      “Inducing Collapse in Coarse Mechanical Pulp Fibres by Chemical Treatment. Part III Print Studies”;  Andrea Gibbs, Phil Allen – Internal Paprican report PPR 1822

2.      “Inducing Collapse in Coarse Mechanical Pulp Fibres by Chemical Treatment. Part II - Comparison of high pressure treatment with refining and sulphonation”;   Andrea Gibbs, Phil Allen - Internal Paprican report PPR 1821

3.      “Inducing Collapse in Coarse Mechanical Pulp Fibres by Chemical Treatment. Part I - Development of the chemical treatment”;  Andrea Gibbs - Internal Paprican report PPR 1820

4.      “The Linting Propensity of Papers made from Straw Soda Pulps”; Paul Bicho, Andrea Gibbs, Maxwell McRae, Philip Allen – Internal Paprican report PPR 1498

5.      “The influence of dextran derivatives on PEO and PAM-induced calcium carbonate flocculation and floc strength”;  Andrea Gibbs, Robert Pelton, Rongjuan Cong – Colloids and Surfaces, 159(1) (1999) 31

6.      “Effect of PEO Molecular weight on the Flocculation and Resultant Floc Properties of Polymer-Induced PCC Flocs”; Andrea Gibbs, Robert Pelton – JPPS, 25(5) (1999) 267

7.      “The Effect of Shear on Polymer-Induced Flocs”; Anthony Yeung, Andrea Gibbs, Robert Pelton – Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 196 (1997) 113

8.      “New Information on the Role of Cofactor in PEO-Type Retention Aid Systems”; Andrea Gibbs, Zhou Yang, Huining Xiao, Robert Pelton – 11th Fundamental Research Symposium, The Fundamentals of Papermaking Materials; Cambridge, England 22-26 September 1997, pg. 1121

9.      “Flocculants for Precipitated Calcium Carbonate in Newsprint Pulps”; Andrea Gibbs, Huining Xiao, Yulin Deng, Robert Pelton - TAPPI Journal, 80(4) (1997) 163

 

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