New director for Office of Industrial Outreach

The Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science is welcoming a new director for the Office of Industrial Outreach, Michael Testani.

Testani joins us from IBM where he spent the last 15 years as a business transformation and learning consultant. While there, he developed a strategic learning plan for employee development, served as a global program manager for Lean Six Sigma learning programs and worked as an instructor for a variety of training programs.

He is a member of the Institute for Industrial Systems Engineers (IISE) and previously served on the Lean Division Board of Directors in 2013 and as the vice president of technical operations for Lean from 2014-2017. He also has two U.S. patents and is the author of the book Lean for Sales: Bringing the Science of Lean to the Art of Selling.

Testani was brought on board because of his impressive background and his ambitious vision for the Office of Industrial Outreach:

• Expanding the industrial outreach offerings to grow the Watson School revenue
  
• Leveraging digital learning platforms
  
• Developing portfolios of profitable courses (both online and in-house)
  
• Developing new program offerings that utilize the unique learning assets that reside within the vast expertise and talent of Watson School faculty and staff
  
• Growing student technical and professional development through our Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR) program
  
• Establishing the Watson School Office of Industrial Outreach as the premier brand for continuing education and professional programs
  

We are all looking forward to having Testani as part of the Watson School team.

Astrid Stromhaug will assist Testani by continuing her role of support for the industrial outreach and SPIR programs.