Juran’s CEO and executive adviser, also an Author, IAQ Member, Juran Fellow. Dr. DeFeo has worked in 45 countries.

Title of the Presentation: Profitable Quality in a Disruptive Era

Leveraging People Skills, AI, and Sustainability for Strategic Risk Management

Key words:

Join Joe for a powerful keynote exploring how quality professionals will drive profitability through next-generation quality and risk management by leveraging a reimagined set of skills, AI technology, and Strategic Risk Management. In this session, you’ll discover how we, as Quality and OpEx professionals, will harness the power of artificial intelligence, workforce adaptability, and sustainability in reshaping organizations across industries.

Joe will ask for a call to action to reimagine that quality management is about “profitable quality.” WE will answer these important questions:

• How quality and OpEx systems must be seen as adaptable systems and teams that can change and thrive amid uncertainty.
• How we can use new tech like AI to transform real-time quality and risk management – not just talk about it but lead it!
• What essential skills define the modern quality professional, and which mindsets must change

Whether you’re leading quality, managing operations, or navigating digital transformation, this keynote will equip you with practical insights to stay ahead of disruption — and lead with purpose.

Key message: 

1.   Introduction: The New Equation for Success

“The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.”
— Dr. Joseph A. DeFeo

Good day, everyone. It’s a privilege to be here among fellow professionals who understand that quality and risk management are that understand they are strategic levers for growth, trust, and profitability.

We are operating in an era unlike any before. Global disruptions, digital acceleration, climate change pressure, and shifting customer expectations and loyalty have converged. For organizations to thrive, not just survive, they must master three interconnected domains: People skills,  Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability. These aren’t buzzwords — they are the cornerstones of what will drive  “Profitable Quality.”

Are our quality systems designed to support yesterday’s problems — or tomorrow’s opportunities?

The organizations leading today are those that see quality not as a function, but as a strategy. Not as a cost center, but a value engine. And most importantly, they equip their teams with the skills and tools to adapt, anticipate, and act.

2.   The New Quality Skillset: What Competence Looks Like in 2025 and Beyond

For decades, we trained quality professionals to master control charts, fishbone diagrams, and Six Sigma tools. These skills still matter. But in today’s environment, they are not enough.

The world doesn’t just need problem solvers — it requires strategic thinkers who speak the language of business, technology, and sustainability.

Here are six core skill domains that define the Quality Professional of the Future:

1. Skills. AI and Data Literacy
   Quality professionals must understand how AI systems learn, where bias may reside, and how to interpret algorithmic insights. We don’t have to become data scientists, but we must know how to partner with them.
2. Technology Systems Thinking
   With complexity rising, siloed thinking is a risk. We need professionals who can see how process, product, and people intersect — and design with the whole in mind.
3. Risk-Based Decision Making
   Moving from reactive problem solving to proactive risk prevention. This means assessing risk not just in operations, but in design, suppliers, and even customer use.
4. Sustainability Intelligence
   Environmental compliance is no longer optional — it’s a business imperative. Quality teams must understand product life cycles, circular design, and the cost of carbon.
5. Adaptive Mindset
   Perhaps the most critical skill: adaptability. New tools, new markets, new expectations — the quality workforce must continuously evolve. Those willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn will lead.