Current Site Section: About
Sub Section: Associates
Page Body
When you work with GQM you are in good company. Our goal is to match the best associates from our network of professionals to the unique needs of your organization.
Associate Bios:
Robin C. Gladieux
Paul W. Gladieux
Curtis C. Biere
Efleda M. Brophy
Robert A. Goetz
Max A. Gregersen, P.E., S.E.
David W. Shirley, PMP
Robin C. Gladieux
President
Robin C. Gladieux has more than 20 years experience in business. She joined Global Quality Management Associates in 2002 and became president in 2003. In this role she has helped define the firm’s direction and growth, expanding GQM’s market potential.
Prior to GQM Ms. Gladieux managed projects for the Oregon Employment Department and worked with numerous Chambers of Commerce. Ms. Gladieux has extensive background with the Employment Department and the insurance industry providing knowledge of employment practices, labor laws, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and EOC laws. Her experience in assisting companies with risk assessment, office policy and procedures, marketing strategies, and the translation and implementation of government regulatory requirements brings a unique blend of skills to GQM.
Ms. Gladieux participates in professional forums associated with the Oregon Graduate Institute, emerging Nano-Technology Initiatives in Oregon, and the Project Management Institute. She belongs to the Portland Business Alliance, Woman Entrepreneurs of Oregon, and the W. Edwards Deming Institute.
Paul W. Gladieux
CEO & Founder
Paul W. Gladieux has more than 30 years experience in management systems for application in nuclear operations, total mechanical contracting, safety-related equipment, major design/build projects, high volume manufacturing, custom metal fabrication, and semiconductor products and facilities. His background includes strategic quality planning, managing and teaching quality systems, operations and project audit program management, supply chain management, business process improvement, contract management, and design assurance.
Mr. Gladieux has led many companies through complete quality management system deployments for such efforts as nuclear industry compliance with 10CFR50, App. B / ASME / NQA-1 / DOE Orders, ISO 9000 / 14000 registrations and re-registrations, ASME Certificates of Authorization, and the Carnegie Mellon SEI / CMM model. Throughout his career, he has worked for and interfaced with organizations such as Entergy Nuclear, Duke Energy, A.T. Kearney, Westinghouse Power Division, Bechtel, Sargent and Lundy, TVA, Burns and Roe, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, U.S. Department of Navy, General Atomic, West Australian Petroleum PTY, Ltd., Union Carbide, and Applied Materials.
In 1983, Mr. Gladieux gained Nuclear Lead Auditor certification and in 1994, he achieved RAB (U.S.) & IRCA (U.K.) Certified ISO Lead Quality Systems Auditor status under both original schemes. He has been recognized for his expertise in planning, performing, and reporting results for full and limited scope audits primarily in regulated environments. He has also trained more than 600 people using latest audit protocols.
Mr. Gladieux attended the University of Toledo and completed advanced quality management-related training at Ohio State University, Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, General Physics Corporation, Management Analysis Company and Entergy Nuclear. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and American Society for Quality. He has been an invited author and speaker for the Project Management Institute, and is a past member of the Nuclear Information & Records Management Association. He was the invited speaker for the ASMI / NQA-1 seminars at Hanford in May 2002 for suppliers to the new Vitrification Plant (Waste Treatment Plant-WTP) and Waste Tank Farms Program for the U.S. Department of Energy. Most recently, Mr. Gladieux accepted the Director of Accreditation position for the National Piping Inspectors Association.
Curtis C. Biere
Senior Associate, Quality Systems & Quality Engineering
Curtis C. Biere holds more than 25 years experience in quality engineering, quality systems, and quality management in the industries of electronics, semi-conductor equipment, structural ceramics, chemical, metal fabrication / casting and more. Prior to developing or improving existing products, processes, or systems he considers the needs of the organizations’ customers, its executive leaders, and the organizations culture.
Most recently, Mr. Biere presided over the quality management systems of a major automotive equipment manufacture and a semi-conductor equipment manufacturer. During his tenure with the automotive equipment manufacturer, he organized and coordinated the process of converting quality management system from QS-9000 to TS16949:2002.
Mr. Biere has also managed quality assurance for a major structural ceramics manufacturer, where he led the organization through ISO9002, QS-9000, AS9100, and NADCAP registration. Previous to this, he held positions in several aerospace and defense companies as a quality engineer, supplier quality engineer, and quality engineering supervisor.
Mr. Biere holds a B.S. degree from California State University, Long Beach in industrial technology with a focus on quality assurance. He also holds a M.A. from the University of Phoenix in management with a focus on human relations and organizational behavior, and he holds a Masters in Teaching from Washington State University. Mr. Biere is an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor and BSI / RTV trained Lead Auditor, and he has been an active member of the America Society for Quality (ASQ) for over 25 years.
Efleda M. Brophy
Senior Associate, Technical Writer
Efleda M. Brophy brings 18 years of technical writing experience to GQM. Projects include software and hardware documentation, training development, process documentation, and editing, for both in-house and commercial use in engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales, financial, health care, transportation, and educational environments. She has worked in the capacities of senior technical writer, senior lead editor, training developer, supervisor, teacher, and software tester. She has been involved in all sizes of projects, and has worked for companies both locally and internationally. Her clients and employers include Kaiser Permanente, Con-Way, Intel Corporation, Wacker-Siltronic Corporation, Merix Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, OrCad Inc., Hi-Tech Publications, The Capital Group, NBI Inc., Storage Technology Corporation, Doshisha Girls’ School in Japan, and Levi Strauss International in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Ms. Brophy has written and edited ISO-9000, ISO-9001, and CMM process documentation for a publishing company, a silicon-wafer manufacturer, and a processor manufacturing company, respectively. She also ensures company documentation standards of quality, usability, consistency, look-and-feel and tone are maintained, while upholding trademark guidelines and legal policies.
Ms. Brophy holds a B.S. from the University of San Francisco, is a graduate of Portland Community College’s certificate program in technical writing, and has attended usability classes at the University of Washington. Her professional affiliations include the American Society for Training Development and the Society for Technical Communication.
Robert A. Goetz
Senior Associate, Engineering & Management
Robert A. Goetz has more than 25 years experience in engineering and engineering operations management. His most recent focus was as integration engineering manager for Fujitsu Microelectronics, an international semiconductor manufacturer, where he was responsible for manufacturing yield analysis and improvement, failure analysis operations, and in-line manufacturing defect assessment.
Mr. Goetz is familiar with ISO9001 and NQA-1 standards and has participated in full and limited-scope internal company audits. Additionally, as a management systems consultant, he developed procedures for Cascade Steel Rolling Mills as part of the company’s effort to obtain NQA-1 qualified supplier status in the nuclear industry. This effort required analyses of overall manufacturing operations and discussions with management and operations personnel to reach accord between current company operations and the NQA-1 requirements.
Previously, Mr. Goetz has held various management and engineering positions at Intel Corporation, Tektronix, Rockwell International and Hughes Aircraft Corporation.
Mr. Goetz holds a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Arizona in electrical engineering, as well as an M.B.A. from Washington State University. He is a past member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and presented a technical paper at the Custom Integrated Circuits Conference and the local Portland Reliability Engineers Forum.
Max A. Gregersen, P.E., S.E.
Senior Associate, Engineering & Management
Max A. Gregersen, P.E., S.E., has more than 29 years of Structural/Earthquake/Forensic/Civil and Field Construction Certification (FCC) Engineering, Project Engineering and Project Management experience nationally and internationally. This varied project experience includes petrochemical, hydrocarbon and natural gas processing/pipeline compression and metering facilities; electrical generation and transmission facilities; telecommunications networks and interstate communications relay facilities; steel mills; coal, ore and minerals mine development, materials processing and storage/handling; magnesium and precious metals refining; industrial/chemical facility wastewater treatment systems; hazardous chemical storage and handling facilities; RCRA and TSCA industrial and radioactive mixed waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities; and solid-fuel rocket motor production facilities.
Gregersen’s past clients include Bechtel, ROSS Environmental, Northwest Pipeline/Williams, E.I. DuPont, Morton Thiokol, Chevron, Phillips 66, Flying J, Texaco, Questar, PEMEX, Kerr McGee, Amoco, Raytheon Polar Services, AMAX, British Petroleum, Church & Dwight, FMC, Pacificorp, Lucent Technologies, BOVAR/Alberta Special Waste, Envirocare, Westinghouse, Rollins Environmental, BFI, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, and State of Utah DFCM.
Mr. Gregersen’s technical specialties include Seismic, Hurricane/High Wind, Blast-Explosion and Cold Regions Structural and Foundation Engineering. He also specializes in the analysis and design of International Codes Council (ICC)-Compliant Seismic Restraint Systems for Mechanical/Process/HVAC Equipment & Piping/Ductwork and Electrical Equipment & Conduit/Cable tray runs. He has extensive experience as a trusted partner member of numerous Client Risk Management-HAZOP Teams.
Mr. Gregersen graduated from the University of Utah with a BS degree in Civil Engineering, with numerous post-graduate Structural Engineering and Construction Management courses completed.
David W. Shirley, PMP
Senior Associate, Project Management
David W. Shirley, PMP, has more than 30 years of engineering, project management, and project controls experience nationally and specifically in the Northwest. Most recently, he has focused on controls of cost, schedule and scope management of several large- and mid-sized projects. He has held positions in project management, construction project controls management, cost engineering, construction scheduling and estimating, and program planning, with clients such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Utah Dept. of Transportation, City of Portland, TriMet, Portland General Electric, Intel, Fujitsu, SP Newsprint, and Boise Cascade.
Mr. Shirley is familiar with many Project Management, Project Cost and Project Scheduling systems, including software systems developed in-house as well as commercially available software. He has developed several such systems, often integrating existing components. He understands the details of such systems as well as the “big picture” necessary for reasonable and proper management of projects.
Prior to GQM, Mr. Shirley managed projects for a pressure vessel and boiler manufacturer, and was responsible for the thermal and structure design of many of the systems manufactured, as well as for the overall success of several other projects.
Mr. Shirley holds a B.S. from the University of South Carolina in Industrial Management. He is professionally active in the field of project management, and is a longtime member of the Project Management Institute and the American Association of Cost Engineers. He holds the PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and continues to actively serve both those organizations as well as his own professional development through these affiliations.