Summary

With a perspective cultivated from having worked with more than 700 companies, Tom Taormina brings a unique talent for precision problem diagnosis, strategic thinking and effective written and verbal communications skills to his work as a quality consultant, trainer and liability avoidance expert.

Tom was a member of the team at Mission Control in Houston during the Apollo 13 disaster and recovery. His experiences during his 14 years at NASA formed the foundation for his ability to rapidly analyze problems and diagnose solutions.

Tom was part of the early evolution of Quality Control Engineering at NASA. Beyond writing standards for process excellence, he also pioneered early breakthroughs in supply chain management. This skill set makes him an effective business consultant and insightful expert witness in products liability and organizational negligence.

As a business consultant, Tom conducts strategic business assessments, root cause analyses, process planning, quality management and risk assessments for companies from startup to global brand leaders.

As a consulting and testifying expert in products liability and organizational negligence, he conducts formal assessments of the defendant companies to determine if they exhibited an appropriate or negligent standard of care in introducing their products or services to the stream of commerce. Tom’s proprietary methodology has been trademarked Forensic Business Pathology™ and has been an accepted credential by trial attorneys and judges.

Subject Matter Expertise

  • Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Quality Management
  • Quality Standards, Quality Processes and Methods
  • ISO 9000, ISO 9001, ISO 9002, ISO 9001:2008, AS9100, TS16949
  • Manufacturing, Manufacturing Management
  • Business Processes, Business Process Improvement
  • Workforce Accountability
  • Standard of Care, Foreseeable Risk, Organizational Liability

Noteworthy Professional Accomplishments

Co-founder of the Nevada Space Center. Member of the Advisory Board of The Challenger (NASA) Learning Center of Northern Nevada

Co-founder of the Center for Business Excellence (CBE), a non-profit that is chartered to bring world-class facilitation and training services to Nevada’s businesses

Past Chair of the Northern Nevada Development Authority’s Business and Professional Services Committee

Co-founder of APEX, the Nevada State Quality Award

Subject Matter Expert to University of Nevada Reno, Morrison University, Truckee Meadows Community College, Western Nevada College and Nevada Industry Excellence in the areas of quality management, business process improvement and leadership development.

Former Subject Matter Expert on these same topics to the American Productivity and Quality Center, The University of Houston Center for Advanced Management Practices and Productivity, Inc.

Lead Developer of Dell Computer’s Business Management Interactive System (BMIS), collaborator on Dell Computer’s Business Process Improvement (BPI) model and co-author of Dell’s Supplier Quality Manual.

Co-founder of FSIX, the Financial Services International Exchange, a non-profit organization founded to bring world-class quality management programs to banks, security firms and insurance companies

Past Chair, Quality Management Systems Committee, Quality Management Division, American Society for Quality.

Professional Certifications

  • Certified Management Consultant by the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), 1999
  • Certified Professional Consultant to Management by The National Bureau of Certified Consultants, 2000 (merged with IMC)
  • Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence, American Society for Quality (ASQ), 1996
  • Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001:2015, Advisera
  • Certified Lead Implementer for ISO 9001:2015, Advisera

Areas of Professional Experience

Fire protection systems, fine art, nanomaterials, training, prefabricated housing, oil well drilling, stock transfer agencies, renewable energy, commercial construction, residential construction, pollution control equipment, railroad, real estate, aerospace fasteners, steel and aluminum machining, sheet metal manufacturing, computer manufacturing, control systems software, ceramics manufacturing, precision metal stamping, computer refurbishing, journal bearings, custom electronic manufacturing, production electronic manufacturing, plastic extrusion, medical devices, voice over internet, direct marketing fulfillment, slot machines, property management, marketing, surgical instruments, investment banking, financial data services, home remodeling, etiological products, senior living centers, printing, commercial printers, personnel staffing, oilfield services, dehydrated seasonings, oilfield distribution, ink, laser products, drug distribution, custom windows and doors, aerosol cans, space heaters, tires, computer power supplies, medical dispensing machines, box fans, chain saws, power distribution, solar farms, oil well maintenance, bicycles, golf carts, plastics manufacturing, drywall, electrical outlets, office chairs, artificial Christmas trees, business management systems, commercial roofing, spun plastic fibers, oxygen generators, battery chargers, motorcycles, antenna structures, titanium metal manufacturing, boom boxes, oil derrick construction, command and control systems, remote terminal units, flow measurement, RF transmitters & receivers, HF antenna design, radio towers, RF transmission lines, supply chain management, quality control, quality assurance, quality management, ISO 9001, AS 9100, TS14969, cGMP.

Publications
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Books

It WAS Rocket Science: Flying the Mission of Business Success, Motivational Press, (2014), ISBN: 978-1-628650-83-9

Foreseeable Risk: Lowering the Costs of Products Liability Litigation and Lives Lost, Lawyers and Judges Publishing, (2011) ISBN 978-1-936630-00-0 (2011)

Implementing ISO 9001:2000; The Journey from Conformance to Performance

(Chinese language), Pearson Education/China Machine Press (2003) ISBN 7-111-12311-5.

Implementing ISO 9001:2000; The Journey from Conformance to Performance, Prentice Hall (2002) ISBN 0-13-061909-4. Co-authored by Dell Computer

Introduction to ISO 9001:2000 Self-Study Course, ABS Government Institutes (2001)

Assessing ISO 9001:2000 For Your Business, Key Elements and Strategies, ABS Government Institutes (2001) ISBN 0-86587-828-5.

Successful Internal Auditing to ISO 9000, Prentice Hall (1999) ISBN 0-13-856808-1.

Assessing ISO 9000 For Your Business, Key Elements and Strategies, ABS Government Institutes (1999) ISBN 0-86587-648-7.

ISO 9000 Liderazgo Virtual, Prentice Hall (1997) (Spanish language) ISBN 970-17-0027-9.

Virtual Leadership and the ISO 9000 Imperative, Prentice Hall (1996) ISBN 0-13-237074-3.

Booklets

The Essence of Quality Management, Anthologies 1,2 and 3, (1998-1989) (Managing Editor) American Society for Quality (ASQ), Quality Management Division.

What is a Quality Management System? (1997) American Society for Quality, Quality Management Division

Management or Leadership? (1997) American Society for Quality, Quality Management Division

Magazine Articles

The Future of Quality Management is Business Success – Quality Digest, January through November, 2020

“Clearing a Safe Path – A Breakthrough Approach to avoid and evade risk”, Quality Progress Magazine, November 2019

“Duty and Standard of Care Revisited,” Attorney Journal San Diego, Volume 178, 2018

“The Internal Auditing Forum,” (January thru December 2004) Quality Systems Update Magazine

“The ISO 9001:2000 Transition Workshop,” (January thru December 2003) Quality Systems Update Magazine

“Quality to Business,” (Spring 2002) Comstock’s Business Magazine

“11 Ways to Increase Profit with ISO 9001:2000,” (April 2002) Quality Systems Update Magazine

“From Quality to Business Success,” (April 2002), Quality Progress Magazine

“I Know It When I See It: The True Meaning of Quality,” (March 2002) Pearson Education’s InformIt.com

“FS9000 – The New Quality Standard for The Financial Services Industry,” (March 2001) Quality Systems Update Magazine

“ISO 9000 – 2000, the Journey from Conformance to Performance,” (December 2000) The Quality Management Journal of Australia

“Virtual Quality,” (Volume 11, Number 5, 1999) The TQM Magazine (England)

“Conducting Successful Internal Audits,” (June 1998) Quality Digest Magazine

“Como ter Sucesso com a Auditoria Interna,” (October 1998) BQ Qualidade (Brazil, Portuguese)

Career Summary
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1991 – Present                  Chief Operating Officer, The Taormina Group, Inc.
                                             Business Management Consulting, Expert Witness

1988 – 1991                      Manager of Training and Development, Schlumberger-Anadrill
                                             Created business training curriculum, evolved self-directed work teams

1980 – 1991                      Manager of Manufacturing and Quality at four companies

1966 – 1980                      Quality Control Engineer, Ford Aerospace
Pioneered Quality Control Engineering at NASA’s Mission Control Center, Houston

1980 – Present                 Business Consultant, Expert Witness, Author of 12 books, Columnist, Editor, Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator