SUNDAR RAJ D V

• Responsible for managing North America's commercial electronic locks category, serving as a product leader, and supporting the sales team.
• Key responsibilities include developing and executing product strategies, conducting market analysis, leading Voice of the Customer (VOC) initiatives, and ensuring market alignment through customer insights, product enhancements, technological enhancements, and competitive pricing.
• Oversee the full product life cycle while collaborating with stakeholders to ensure alignment, and drive business success.

• Responsible for leading and managing a team of 25 engineers focused on electronic locks and safety products (exits, door closers, doors, and accessories), driving strategic alignment and tactical execution across North America.
• Key responsibilities include team leadership, talent management, employee engagement, and fostering growth through coaching and collaboration with cross-functional departments.
• Developed and implemented engineering strategies to ensure product quality, reliability, and cost targets were met.

Strategic Contributions and Achievements:

• Team Development and Growth: Planned and developed Advanced Engineering/CAE capabilities (2016-2019), Engineering to Order (ETO) functions (2021-2022), and Competitor Analysis and Benchmarking initiatives (2020-2022).
• Global Project Leadership: Successfully led engineering design and development projects spanning New Product Development (NPD), Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE), and Sustaining initiatives.
• Digital Transformation: Enabled virtual verification and validation by implementing advanced tools such as ANSYS, LS-Dyna, and Hypermesh, enhancing predictive capabilities, and reducing design schedules.
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Integrating manufacturing knowledge into the product development through automation strategies, improving efficiency, and quality.
• Verification and Validation Infrastructure: Strengthened problem-solving and root cause analysis capabilities by procuring advanced equipment, including microscopes, and expanding testing capabilities for electronic locks, exits, and door closers.
• Competitor Lab and Experience Zone: Led the creation of spaces for competitive benchmarking and customer experience enhancement.
• Leadership Impact: Established and maintained Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure team progress and ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
• Led initiatives for continuous improvement, strategic planning, and engineering competency development to support the organizational vision and strategy.
• Fostered a culture of growth, innovation, and employee development, creating an environment that empowers teams to achieve their potential.

• Collaborated with mentor on Commercial Mechanical Indicator Lock project, focusing on market research and strategic development.
• Led Voice of Customer and Voice of Sales initiatives to capture insights on customer preferences.
• Drove competitive analysis for targeted product categories to shape strategic direction.
• Evaluated sales data to develop a comprehensive business case for product commercialization.
• Presented a new business opportunity proposal to the leadership team, securing approval for initiating the project.

• Leadership in Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) - Mechanical and Electronic Locks (2009-2014): Led a team of 10 engineers focused on VAVE initiatives for the Schlage Commercial and Residential Mechanical/Electronic Locks, achieving an overall productivity savings of nearly $12M through the identification and implementation of high-impact projects.
• Delivered measurable results in productivity savings and engineering efficiency while maintaining alignment with organizational goals and fostering global collaboration.
• Technical and Project Leadership: Directed the end-to-end design, development, and implementation of engineering projects across NTI, NPD, Sustaining, VAVE, and line extension categories for residential and commercial marketplaces.
• Managed projects from initiation (P0/P1) to closure (P5), ensuring alignment with business unit goals and translating business requirements into technical specifications.
• Enabled the design and development of innovative and improved mechanical lock hardware tailored to market needs.
• Process Development and Collaboration: Developed and implemented VAVE engineering processes, ensuring compliance with quality standards, methods, and procedures.
• Collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams across design, product management, and operations in global locations, including the U.S., Mexico, China, and Italy.
• Focused on the growth and development of the India team, supporting global businesses, and fostering engineering excellence.
• Cross-Sector Contributions: Led VAVE sessions, workshops, competitor benchmarking, and teardown initiatives to drive innovation and productivity opportunities across diverse sectors, including Refrigeration Units (Thermoking), Industrial Tools, and Club Cars.

• Perform design, development, and technical analysis of an automobile window regulator and seat slider as part of a project team for Hyundai and Ford clients.