Darby Ransom
General Manager · Triple Element, Ltd
Bailey, CO
Work Experience
General Manager
Triple Element, Ltd2009 – Present
Founded Triple Element Limited as company focused on China entry for western SMEs. Specialties include: strategic Due Diligence, Startup, Supplier Assessment, Business Development, and Quality Business development sales startup for American Electronics Company in Shanghai. Sourcing customers included automotive, medical, toy, outdoor, and sporting goods industries Developed standardized specification system for customers to shorten development lead-time with suppliers Managed supplier qualification, transition and quality for several North American toy companies Due Diligence consulting projects for western companies investing in China Developed patented line of compression apparel for sale in the United States
General Manager
Kunshan Oceanview Leisure Sports (Div. of Zebco Corporation)2006 – 2008
Developed strategic plan for China factory initiative in China and presented to W.C. Bradley Board of Directors Evaluated suppliers as potential acquisition targets vs. developing own operations. Led cross-functional, multi-national team in set up of Zebco/WCB’s first fully owned factory in Asia. Selected location according to cost, logistical considerations, proximity to supply base, availability of skilled labor, etc. Responsibility for capital investment and operations budget Responsible for change management as Oceanview converted from packaging to premium manufacturing in 2007 Spearheaded relationships with local government authorities Hired outstanding individuals and built a strong, successful team – growing headcount from 50 to 120 team members Led Procurement, Sourcing, Logistics, R&D, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and HR functions.
Director of Global Sourcing
Zebco Corporation2001 – 2006
Oversaw all Sourcing activities for Zebco with responsibility for negotiating costs and terms for nearly 2000 separate SKUs at more than twenty suppliers in four countries accounting for more than $50MM in annual purchases Found and developed new suppliers from outside of the fishing industry to bring innovation to Zebco’s product line Cooperated closely with Marketing, Sales, and Engineering on new product development initiatives Worked with Marketing, Sales, and Finance to set customer pricing and determine viability of new projects Reduced product costs in the face of rising raw material costs from Asia – by an average of 6% annually Developed company-wide Strategic and Tactical Assessment Report for Suppliers that removed subjectivity from supplier evaluations Developed standardized specification formats for new product which reduced development lead-time by 50% Selected for W.C. Bradley Leadership Conference
Asia Sourcing Manager
Tommy Armour Golf / Teardrop Golf1997 – 2000
Set up Asia Sourcing office in Kaohsiung Taiwan Found, evaluated, and developed low-cost, high-quality suppliers for golf equipment. Worked with suppliers to stabilize manufacturing and quality Negotiated costs and terms with suppliers
Sales Specialist
Advanced Multitech1997 – 1997
Worked with International customers in the U.S., Australia, France, and Singapore in development of Golf clubs and carbon fiber bicycle frames and forks for one of the leading OEM bicycle and Golf club suppliers in the world
