CEO Career Path Enabled by Six Sigma Quality

GE reaches into its deep bench of quality talent to staff its CEO position for the aviation division. ...

... "Joyce joined GE in 1980 as a product engineer and spent 15 years in design and development of GE's commercial and military engines. He also held positions in customer and product support and in quality as a Six Sigma Black Belt. He earned both bachelor's of science and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University and holds a master's in business finance from Xavier University. Joyce succeeds Scott C. Donnelly, who has taken a position with Textron. " ...

Via GE Aviation: Joyce Named President and CEO

Executive Sponsorship of Six Sigma Education

Company CEO publicly recognizes his employees on their achievements in Six Sigma. ...

... "Batelco Chief Executive Peter Kaliaropoulos congratulated and rewarded 10 employees who have been certified as Six Sigma Black Belts, following their successful completion of the required professional training, through Juran Institute, USA. " ...

Via Batelco: Employee Recognition

Six Sigma Spoofs Earnings Conference Calls

Here's the wrong way for Six Sigma to elevate to a board-level issue ...

... "Mr. Herrick's questions are usually narrowly focused on details of a company's results from well-known cost-savings techniques such as lean management and Six Sigma, or else supply-chain issues. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: Hoaxer

Textron CEO Sees Six Sigma Benefits

Textron CEO Lewis Campbell believes in Six Sigma as the route to becoming a premiere multi-industry company. ...

... "Even though Cessna has been producing planes for 89 years and jets since 1972, they recently took 17% of the labor hours out of their single-piston aircraft. That's a big number. " ...

Via USAToday: Textron CEO

Cummins Six Sigma CEO Recognized

Chief executive officer is recognize for his implementation and support of Six Sigma. ...

... "Tim Solso, chairman and chief executive officer of Cummins Inc., who won The Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award. " ...

Via The Global Six Sigma Awards: Cummins CEO wins Six Sigma CEO

Six Sigma Quality Improvement Spurs Growth

Workforce involvement in quality initiatives drives company growth. The free flow of communications keeps the improvement ideas fresh, exciting, and meaningful to the current business dynamics. ...

... "Taylor, now president and CEO, mandates that each of his 160 employees participates in quality systems, sounding-board meetings and the continuous improvement of the company. This team-based initiative has led to revenue growth of 10 percent in each of the past five years. " ...

Via Smart Business: Wright Tool Co.

Six Sigma Plant Operations Seen as Competitive Advantage

U.S. BioEnergy CEO shares insights on his company's use of Six Sigma to create an advantage in the competition with other ethanol producers. ...

... "Our six-sigma approach to plant operations is our way of doing things, and we're not real anxious to share that, Ommen said. " ...

Via Ethanol Producer: U.S. BioEnergy

Six Sigma Differentiation for Bank

Kenneth Lewis, Bank of America CEO, uses Six Sigma methodology to drive efficiencies and improve customer service. ...

... "He stepped up an unorthodox plan to implement the Six Sigma methodology that manufacturers use to minimize errors. Over his tenure, Bank of America's annual revenue has more than doubled to more than $74 billion. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: Bank CEO Perspectives

Incremental Profitability Through Six Sigma

Joe Herring, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Covance, offers his perspective on the company's strong performance. ...

... "Our relentless focus on operational and service excellence continues to deliver substantial benefits. Six Sigma, which is being utilized across more than two-thirds of the company, delivered approximately $5 million in incremental profitability in the first half of 2007. More importantly, Six Sigma reduces process variation, which improves project delivery, increases client satisfaction, and helps drive repeat business. By this time next year, we expect all of Covance's service offerings globally to have deployed Six Sigma. In addition, we continue to make strategic infrastructure investments in facilities, information technology, and talent to support our ability to capitalize on the extremely favorable, long-term outsourcing trend in drug development. " ...

Via Covance: Covance Reports 2Q07 Earnings of $0.64 Per Share

SixSigma CEO Recognition Goes To

Cummins CEO ...

... "The Global Six Sigma Awards, organized by WCBF, today announced that Tim Solso, Chairman and CEO, Cummins Inc. has been named the winner of its prestigious Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award. " ...

Tim Solso of Cummins Inc. Wins the 2007 Six Sigma CEO of the Year Award

LeanSixSigma Persists Even On Earnings Dips

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation reports first quarter net loss and affirms commitment to operational efficiency through Lean Six Sigma. ...

... "Rick Frost, CEO: I do not see this market improving substantially for the rest of 2007, Frost continued. We will remain persistent in completing our strategic capital projects, working to increase market share with our most important customers, and implementing cost and process improvements through our Lean Six Sigma efforts. " ...

Via Louisiana-Pacific Corporation: First Quarter 2007 Results

Patient Care Improvement Through Six Sigma

Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen is ranked number one in the US for treatment of heart failure, by the federal government. Six Sigma is their ingredient for success. Valley Baptist is one of the first health care organizations in the country to use the Six Sigma quality improvement program to maximize performance and customer satisfaction. Valley Baptist extends many of its services beyond its facilities and into local communities. ...

... "Valley Baptist was able to improve patient care for heart failure and heat attack patients through a process improvement program called Six Sigma. The Six Sigma method was pioneered in high-tech companies such as General Electric, with Valley Baptist being one of the first organizations in the nation to apply the program to health care. Under the leadership of its President and CEO James Springfield, Valley Baptist has made Six Sigma quality one of its top corporate initiatives in order to maximize performance and patient satisfaction throughout the health system. A total of 115 top-performing hospitals in the country will receive reward bonuses for their performance. Valley Baptist in Harlingen will receive $140,951 because of its performance in treating heart failure management and heart attack patients. " ...

Via Valley Baptist: Valley Baptist-Harlingen Ranked #1 in Nation for Heart Failure Management; Six Sigma Leads to Improvements ...

GE Six Sigma Creates Auto Industry Leaders

XPEL Technologies appoints Steven J. McAuley, GE Six Sigma business leader, as its new Chief Executive Officer. This GE veteran can leverage XPEL's product strengths and information technologies as a competitive advantage. ...

... "Prior to joining UAG, Mr. McAuley served as Managing Director and Corporate Officer for G.E. Fleet Services within the United Kingdom. During his tenure with G.E., he was responsible for assets of $900 million, annual revenues of $225 million, and a workforce of 350. Mr. McAuley has been six-sigma certified through the G.E. Corporation. " ...

Via XPEL: AUTO INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE JOINS XPEL AS CEO

SixSigma CEO: New Business Pedigree

Larry Ryan, PhD and Six Sigma-certified business leader, is named the new Chief Executive Officer of SulphCo. ...

... "Dr. Ryan comes to SulphCo from the General Electric Advanced Materials Division, where he led the Elastomers and RTV business. Dr. Ryan has a PhD from the University of Delaware, a Six-Sigma Blackbelt certification, and a long history of working with chemical process-dependent technologies. " ...

Via Yahoo! Finance: SulphCo Appoints New CEO and Chairman ...

Six Sigma: Ram Charan on Balance with Growth

Ram Charan shares his views on management and leadership. He views Six Sigma as too internally focused and recommends a balanced approach with growth initiatives. ...

... "It's probably also true to say that Six Sigma has most often been applied to improve internal processes, by reducing costs and improving productivity. This is important work, of course, but you need to balance that by not forgetting initiatives that increase revenue. " ...

Via CEO Forum Group: Read

SixSigma Quality Healthcare ...

H. Edward Hanway, chairman and chief executive officer of CIGNA Corporation. seeks quality health and healthcare as a collaborative effort for employers, employees, health care providers and insurers. ...

... "In a keynote address delivered last week at the Global Six Sigma Summit in Las Vegas, NV, Hanway said, it's not a stretch to suggest that what happens at the micro level in the health care industry has an impact -- for better or worse -- of macro proportions. Refocusing on quality: Hanway called on the health care industry to stop focusing exclusively on costs, asserting that improving quality will actually reduce costs. As proof, he pointed to CIGNA's experience with continuous quality improvement, as engendered by Six Sigma principles. Since implementing Six Sigma and other quality-centered methodologies corporate-wide in 2002, CIGNA has realized annualized savings of $100 million, by significantly improving operations against a variety of metrics. At the same time, the quality of care and services delivered to CIGNA's members has been ranked at the top of the industry by independent organizations " ...

SixSigma Quality Healthcare: Via CIGNA: CIGNA CEO Links Health Care Quality to Nation's Economic Health: Says improving quality leads to better health and productivity, while reducing costs ...

Six Sigma Improves Cummins Cost Structure ...

CEO Tim Solso updates shareholders on Cummins 2006 performance which is forecast to break company records again. He provided details on growth and efficiency, which includes adoption of Six Sigma methodology. ...

... "Cummins is strengthening its balance sheet by paying down debt and significantly improving its cost structure through the use of Six Sigma, global sourcing and technical productivity. Cummins will have paid off more than $750 million in debt in 2005 and 2006. " ...

Six Sigma Improves Cummins Cost Structure: Via Cummins: 2006 To Be Another Outstanding Year For Cummins, Chairman Tells Shareholders ...

Lean Manufacturing: Packaging Industry Innovation ...

Lars Emilson, Rexam CEO, is still excited about the packaging industry, as his company accelerates innovation and increases operational efficiency through Six Sigma. ...

... "Rexam has been tackling these rising costs by focusing on efficiency and implementing lean manufacturing techniques, including Six Sigma. " ...

Lean Manufacturing: Packaging Industry Innovation: Where bottles and cans come in a package with creativity: Via Times Online ...

Lean SixSigma Hospital Staff Training ...

Hospitals invest in Lean Six Sigma training ...

... "Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO James C. Epolito today joined Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center President Michael Coast and leaders of four mid-Michigan hospitals to celebrate the success of an innovative training program at Saginaw Valley State University. Epolito presented special awards to Bay Regional Medical Center, Gratiot Health System, Mercy Hospital and West Branch Regional Medical Center for the successful completion of a pilot program to train hospital staff in Lean and Six Sigma operational methods. " ...

Lean SixSigma Hospital Staff Training: Via Michigan Economic Development Corporation: MEDC and Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center Celebrate Success of Innovative Pilot Hospital Training Program: $300,000 Grant to Mid-Michigan Hospitals Nets a $2 Million Return on Investment ...

Six Sigma: Core Company Fabric ...

As 3M unfolds its growth strategy, Six Sigma remains a core faric of the company. ...

... "Buckley announced the formation of several Emerging Business Opportunities (EBOs) - growth-oriented units to address commercial opportunities presented by the mega trends of society. 3M has enormous opportunity to flourish in high-growth spaces like track and trace, filtration, energy and minerals extraction, and food safety, Buckley said. Buckley said international growth plans include doubling investments in the developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Poland in the years ahead. International remains our single largest growth platform and we intend to invest to fully capitalize on opportunities around the world, he said. Buckley also recognized the gains 3M has made in recent years to improve its operating effectiveness, saying that Six Sigma and other performance initiatives are now part of the fabric of the company. " ...

Six Sigma: Core Company Fabric: Via 3M: 3M CEO Outlines Strategy for Growth; Company Will Focus on Innovation, International, Core Businesses and Complementary Acquisitions ...

Six Sigma Change Initiative ...

Six Sigma is a major change initiative ...

... "Larry Bossidy, while CEO of AlliedSignal, preceded the Six Sigma initiative with two smaller initiatives: Total Quality Management (TQM) and Total Quality for Speed (TQS). Using these first two initiatives, he taught the $14 billion company how to launch initiatives. " ...

Six Sigma Change Initiative: Via InformIT: Six Sigma in 90 Days: The Initiative, the Deployment, the Technology ...

Lean SixSigma Business Operating System ...

Ingersoll Rand will drive efficiency through its Lean Six Sigma business operating system as its seeks to drive global revenue growth ...

... "Operational Excellence: During 2005, the company's operational excellence activities grew operating margins a full percentage point to 12.9% despite a $175 million increase in material costs. The company expects its efforts to formalize its business operating system, a collection of best practices in continuous improvement driven by lean, six sigma and Ingersoll Rand's unique business processes, will continue to drive efficiency gains to largely offset anticipated high material, transportation and energy costs in 2006. With its portfolio transformation complete, the company plans to increase its investments by $80 million this year in initiatives promoting long-term growth. These investments will be made in new product development to drive long-term revenue growth across all five of its business sectors, and in expanding market opportunities for its recently acquired businesses. The company also intends to grow distribution channels for its Bobcat, pneumatic tools and air compressor businesses in promising geographic markets, such as Asia Pacific and Latin America. The investments will also be used to help build a new product development and engineering center in Bangalore, India, and expand the capabilities of an existing engineering center outside Prague. " ...

Lean SixSigma Business Operating System: Via Ingersoll Rand: Ingersoll Rand to Outline Strategy for Generating Consistent Growth: CEO to Discuss Long-term Plan at the Lehman Brothers Industrial Select Conference ...

SixSigma Healthcare Quality Improvement ...

Six Sigma improvement is enabled through seamless access for quality data. M.C. Moewe explores the improvement initiatives underway in healthcare, through information from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida CEO Dr. Robert Lufrano. ...

... "Lufrano also is a proponent of Six Sigma, a business improvement process popularized by former General Electric Co. CEO Jack Welch, whose book Winning sits on a shelf in his office along with titles by other leaders, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Lufrano cited Six Sigma in explaining his company's recent announcement to cut administrative costs by 5 percent to 8 percent in 2006. " ...

SixSigma Healthcare Quality Improvement: Educating consumers: Via MSNBC ...

Lean Program: GROWTTH ...

Dr. Mohsen Sohi, president and chief executive officer of Freudenberg-NOK, was named to the board of directors of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA). He is executive champion of the lean program, GROWTTH. ...

... "Named to his current position at Freudenberg-NOK in 2003, Sohi oversees all divisions of the $1 billion company, which is part of the global Freudenberg Group. With more than 16 years of engineering and management experience in the automotive, aerospace, electronics and retail sectors, Sohi is committed to the company's lean benchmark program called Growtth (an acronym for Get Rid of Waste Through Team Harmony). He has worked to integrate lean principles, Six Sigma practices and information technology to extend continuous improvement across the entire Freudenberg-NOK enterprise. " ...

Lean Program: GROWTTH: Via Freudenberg-NOK: Freudenberg-NOK President & CEO Named to OESA Board of Directors ...

SixSigma GreenBelt Becomes CEO ...

Six Sigma expert with GreenBelt certification becomes Katun Corporation CEO ...

... "Katun Corporation, the world’s leading supplier of OEM-compatible supplies and parts to the office equipment industry, announced that Carlyle Singer has been appointed president and CEO of Katun, effective January 1, 2006. A Six Sigma Green Belt, Singer holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, with concentrations in financial analysis and strategic planning, and a B.A. in history from Harvard College with a concentration in Latin American economic development. " ...

SixSigma GreenBelt Becomes CEO: Katun Corporation Names Carlyle Singer President and CEO: Brings 25 Years of Office Equipment Experience to World’s Leading Compatibles Supplier ...

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Katun Corporation is the world's leading alternative supplier of imaging supplies, photoreceptors and parts, as well as a leading manufacturer of fuser rollers and other select products, for the office equipment industry. With more than 25 years of expertise and experience in the business equipment industry, the privately held Katun now serves more than 19,000 customers in more than 170 countries.

Tags: Six Sigma

Six Sigma Outstanding Management Exec ...

GE exec leverages Six Sigma experience to outstanding management career. ...

... "Dr. Britell is the Chairman and CEO of Structured Ventures, Inc., advisors to private equity and venture capital firms, and has an extensive financial background, including serving as the former Executive Vice President of Global Consumer Finance and President of Global Commercial and Mortgage Banking at GE Capital. Her tenure at GE Capital also included responsibilities for GE Capital businesses in Austria, Switzerland and Germany. At GE Capital, Dr. Britell was recognized for her outstanding management of Six Sigma and compliance programs. " ...

Via West Pharmaceutical: West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. Elects Jenne K. Britell, Ph.D., to Board of Directors ...

Xerox Global Process Improvement: Six Sigma ...

Xerox leverages Lean Six Sigma as competitive advantage in their marketplace, extending its use in their value chain to drive global process improvement. ...

Xerox Global Process Improvement: Six Sigma: Via Xerox: Xerox CEO Says Color, Services, Partnerships are Keys to Drive Growth, Customer Value: New services for large enterprises, products for small businesses; OfficeMax signs $18 million contract ...

... "To expand its leadership position, Mulcahy said Xerox has placed top priority on improving all kinds of customer interactions. A series of Xerox Lean Six Sigma projects has been launched to make it easier and more effective to work with Xerox. Global process improvements are under way in areas such as account management, billing, and customer support. " ...

SixSigma Perfect Products Services ...

Upcoming seminar on Six Sigma perfection in product and service delivery. ...

SixSigma Perfect Products Services: Via Pacific Business News: Coming Up in Business ...

... "Oct. 25: Sales & Marketing Executives of Honolulu meeting. Speaker/topic: Dennis Holton, president and CEO of The Cavalry Inc.; Six sigma: Learn how to deliver near-perfect products and services. Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii hotel. " ...

Enterprise Lean Six Sigma ELSS

Deloitte contributes enterprise Lean Six Sigma, ELSS, services to the Save Your Factory initiative.

Enterprise Lean Six Sigma ELSS: Via FANUC Robotics: FANUC Robotics America, Inc. Forms New Relationship with Deloitte Consulting LLP to Help North American Companies Improve Factory Efficiency

... "We're enthusiastic that Deloitte Consulting has joined the Save Your Factory consortium as we help companies to more comprehensively evaluate the pros and cons of moving manufacturing off-shore and make a decision that's right for their organization, said Rick Schneider, president and CEO of FANUC Robotics America, Inc. Deloitte Consulting's extensive offerings include enterprise lean and six sigma (ELSS), which are process improvement and change management services that provide solutions to companies facing global competition. " ...

FANUC Robotics America, Inc. designs, engineers and manufactures industrial robots and robotic systems for a wide range of applications including arc and spot welding, material handling (machine tending, picking, packing, palletizing), material removal, assembly, paint finishing and dispensing. The company also provides application-specific software, controls, vision products, and complete aftermarket support. After 23 years of success, FANUC Robotics maintains its position as the leading robotics company in the Americas. A subsidiary of FANUC LTD in Japan, the company has facilities in Chicago; Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio; Toronto; Montreal; Aguascalientes, Mexico; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Over 145,000 FANUC robots are installed worldwide.

cGMP LeanSixSigma Accelerates Pharma Commercialization ...

cGMP LeanSixSigma Accelerates Pharma Commercialization: Via Cambrex: Innovative Biosensors, Inc. and Cambrex Establish Manufacturing Relationship ...

Manufacturing partnership will build upon a Lean Six Sigma and cGMP foundation to accelerate pharmaceutical commercialization ...

... "Cambrex's state-of-the-art facilities and scale-up expertise are among the many advantages of this manufacturing relationship, said Joe Hernandez, IBI's President and CEO. Cambrex's commitment to quality through cGMP and Lean Six Sigma will quicken the commercialization of our human clinical diagnostic products. " ...

Cambrex Corporation (NYSE: CBM) is a global, diversified life science company dedicated to providing products and services to accelerate the discovery and commercialization of human therapeutics. The company employs approximately 1,900 people worldwide.

Six Sigma Transformation: Galvin Electricity Initiative

Six Sigma Transformation: Galvin Electricity Initiative: Landmark effort to create blueprint for 21st century electric infrastructure and service ...

... "The Galvin Electricity Initiative officially announced its mission to create an actionable blueprint for transforming the U.S. electricity supply and service infrastructure into a resilient and adaptable system that can perfectly meet the needs of the rapidly evolving digital economy and society. The fundamental principle guiding this Initiative is that raising the quality of the nation's electricity supply system will create substantial cost savings for all consumers and society at large. The Initiative is sponsored by the Galvin Project, Inc., which is led by Bob Galvin, former CEO of Motorola and a key figure in establishing the internationally recognized Six Sigma quality control process. " ...

Albertsons Six Sigma Operational Excellence Program ...

Albertsons Six Sigma Operational Excellence Program: ALBERTSONS ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER 2005 RESULT: Owned Real Estate Holdings at Center of Continued Operating Strategy: 2005 Earnings Guidance Reaffirmed ...

Larry Johnston, Chairman, CEO and President of Albertsons, speaks about company performance and the impact of Six Sigma on their operational excellence program ...

... "We are now at the point in our turnaround where we are clarifying our end game preparing to exit even more underperforming markets in order to monetize their embedded real estate and business value for shareowners driving even harder for operational excellence with programs like Six Sigma and Check The Price. This will enable us to focus on a strong and growing set of Core assets that will form a smaller yet more profitable best-in-class company with leading market positions and a very exciting future. " ...

Albertsons is one of the world's largest food and drug retailers. The Company's divisions and subsidiaries operate approximately 2,500 stores in 37 states across the U.S. and employ approximately 240,000 associates. Its banners include Albertsons, Acme, Shaw's, Jewel-Osco, Sav-on Drugs, Osco Drug, and Star Market, as well as Super Saver and Bristol Farms, which are operated independently.

Lean Six Sigma: Senior VP Quality Appointed ...

Lean Six Sigma: Senior VP Quality Appointed: Via The Timken Company: Timken Names Donna Demerling Senior Vice President - Quality ...

Timken recognizes Lean Six Sigma leader with senior VP position ...

... "The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) announced today that Donna J. Demerling has been named senior vice president - quality and Lean Six Sigma. Ms. Demerling, who was previously senior vice president - supply chain transformation, will report to James W. Griffith, president and CEO. " ...

The Timken Company (NYSE: TKR) keeps the world turning, with innovative ways to make customers' products run smoother, faster and more efficiently. Timken's highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services turn up everywhere - on land, on the seas and in space. With operations in 27 countries, sales of $4.5 billion in 2004 and 26,000 employees, Timken is Where You Turn(TM) for better performance.

Six Sigma Market Leadership Customer Satisfaction ...

Six Sigma Market Leadership Customer Satisfaction: CyMed Beacon Award Win 2005

... "... commented Robert Lynch, CyMed's President and CEO ... Since AHIMA, MGMA and AAMT represent our clients and employees respectively; we feel their recognition of us as MTIA's top transcription service provider brings credibility to our Six Sigma approach and confirms our market leadership with respect to customer satisfaction. " ...

CyMed provides economical outsourced medical transcription and records management services through proprietary processes based on Six Sigma quality management principles and applied industry leading technology. Health care providers rely on the company to cost-effectively convert recorded free-form medical dictation into electronically formatted patient records. Headquartered in Richmond , VA , CyMed is a portfolio company of Hagerty Peterson & Company, LLC.

Solectron Lean Production System

Solectron Lean Production System: Lucent Technologies Names Solectron Worldwide Manufacturer of Wireline Products; Selection Positions Solectron as Wireline Supplier of Choice ...

... "Solectron is proud to have been selected by Lucent as their partner for this new engagement," said Mike Cannon, president and CEO of Solectron. This significant expansion of our existing relationship further validates that the Solectron Production System(TM), built upon the fundamentals of lean manufacturing and six sigma, is offering world-class leaders like Lucent new opportunities to make their supply chain a competitive differentiator. " ...

Solectron provides a full range of worldwide manufacturing and integrated supply chain services to the world's premier high-tech companies. Solectron's offerings include new-product design and introduction services, materials management, product manufacturing and product warranty and end-of-life support. The company is based in Milpitas, Calif., and had sales from continuing operations of $11.64 billion in fiscal 2004.

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide.

Tenneco Lean Six Sigma Operational Efficiency

Tenneco Lean Six Sigma Operational Efficiency: TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE REPORTS STRONG SECOND QUARTER OPERATING RESULTS ...

... "Our strategies for generating top-line growth and cash continue to be effective despite difficult and volati