James Pearson is an accomplished advisor and former Vice President of Corporate Quality at EMC Corporation, where he led the enterprise-wide deployment of Lean Six Sigma across global operations. With over 20 years of experience driving operational excellence at the executive level, James helps translate quality and risk oversight into long-term value creation.

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He co-founded a quality innovation platform funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and featured in  Harvard Business Review  (HBR).   He has advised startups, private companies, and nonprofits on strategic process improvement. His approach blends data-driven decision-making, risk-based governance, and stakeholder alignment—critical attributes for today’s boardrooms.

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James brings deep experience in:

• Governance-aligned operational transformation

• Risk management and quality assurance oversight

• Strategic execution and stakeholder communication

• Continuous improvement leveraging Lean Six Sigma and Generative AI

 

James holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Certifications in Generative AI.  He is an Entrepreneur in Residence at UMASS Amherst.  He is available for public and private company boards, particularly where growth, quality, or the impact of AI on transformation is central to strategy.