Leadership

During his over 40 years of executive management in the field of supplier quality assurance, Jim McKay has maintained one principal objective: to assure to the greatest extent possible, the customer gets a quality product, manufactured according to specification. As manufacturing has increasingly become an international exercise, with suppliers often located at great distances, assuring compliance with specification has become difficult and most certainly expensive. Thus, clients have the need for a service such as SQA.

Mike McKay is a seasoned leader with nearly three decades of experience at SQA. As Chairman, he focuses on shaping the company’s strategic direction and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Previously, he served as President/CEO for over 27 years, during which he guided SQA’s growth into a trusted partner for some of the world’s most prominent organizations. Mike is passionate about leveraging innovative solutions, cultivating exceptional talent, and creating enduring partnerships that drive meaningful impact across industries.

Prior to joining SQA Services, Inc., Michael Guymon managed the Supplier Development Engineering group at Heliogen, an innovative concentrated solar power company. As the original member of Heliogen’s supply chain team, he designed and implemented many of the core processes, systems and controls upon which their global supply chain was built. Pulling best practices from automotive and aerospace industries, Guymon emphasized a data-driven, risk-based approach to quality, enabling rapid scalability with limited resources.

Before Heliogen, Guymon led the Supply Chain and Quality organizations for Rocket Lab USA. His teams were responsible for demand planning, sourcing, procurement, inventory, logistics, inspection and quality engineering for the Rutherford engines and avionics components used on the Electron Launch vehicle, the second most frequently launched U.S. orbital rocket behind SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Guymon’s previous roles at SpaceX started in 2013 as a Supplier Quality Engineer for the Avionics division, later moving into various leadership positions in Propulsion, Supplier Development, and Tooling.

In some of these prior roles, Guymon had the opportunity to partner with SQA to design and execute key strategies for supplier quality control. Through these partnerships, Guymon developed an immense appreciation for SQA’s expertise, agility, and adaptability to satisfy rapidly changing customer needs.

Guymon has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University, where he began his career with internships at Toyota and Denso. This early exposure to lean principles and quality-critical manufacturing formed the basis for his mindset of continuous improvement, which he has carried with him to this day.

Karla Topete is an accomplished leader in quality management within quality-critical manufacturing environments. Karla’s experience over the last 25 years covers a diverse mixture of best practices, industries, commodities, and management levels from the shop floor to the boardroom in some of the world’s most recognizable companies.

Throughout her career Karla has designed, implemented, and managed programs focused on internal and supply chain quality assurance. These programs have tackled quality challenges at various levels, incorporating contemporary quality methods such as Process Controls Assessment and Remediation, New Product Introduction, Product Qualification Planning, First Article Inspection, Process Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Process Audits, Process Improvement, and Quality System Audits to quality and regulatory requirements.

In addition to specific quality certifications such as Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, Karla has leveraged her formal background in industrial physics and biotechnology to develop, implement, and combine solutions in a variety of quality-critical industries, including Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, Aerospace, and Oil & Gas.

As the Senior Director of Operations – Life Sciences at SQA Services, Nick Healy brings 17 years of experience in collaborating with partners in highly regulated industries to ensure the safe and efficient manufacturing of products. Nick is a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) and Project Management Professional (PMP), leveraging industry best practices to tackle supply chain challenges. His passion lies in cultivating strong relationships with our global clients and associates to meet their quality, compliance, and project requirements.

Nick has the privilege of working alongside a talented, world-class team of SQA Program Managers, Program Coordinators, and Content Managers, overseeing hundreds of associates across 90+ countries. Together, we are committed to delivering excellence in throughout our Operations.

Gilberto Jimenez is the Director of Engineering & Auditing for SQA. Gilberto has been with SQA for 18 years.

Gilberto has 25+ years of experience designing and implementing Quality Systems and Process Controls, and designing Supply Chain Quality Strategies for Fortune 500 manufacturing and service companies worldwide.

Throughout his career, Gilberto has executed various technical projects and sustained several roles in the Aerospace, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Medical Device, and Electronic industries. He has also worked with Teledyne, St. John Knits, Toyota, and Honeywell in several quality management roles.

Gilberto’s academic background includes a BS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Management and Administration, and Specialization in Industrial Engineering and Quality Control in Japan.

Paul Parkin is a seasoned operations leader with over four decades of experience spanning aerospace, automotive, manufacturing, and defense industries. Currently serving as Senior Director of Operations at SQA Services, Inc., Paul oversees key operational initiatives and drives process improvements.

Prior to SQA, Paul held pivotal roles at Heliogen, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, and BMW, where he spearheaded transformative projects. At Rocket Lab, he developed advanced additive manufacturing systems achieving 91% yield, while at SpaceX, he designed a world-class central maintenance control system and logistics processes supporting high-speed delivery of flight hardware. His leadership at BMW revolutionized production efficiency, increasing throughput and pioneering industry-standard practices like the Integrated Paint Process.

Paul’s career began in the Royal Navy, where he rose to Chief Engineer, managing propulsion systems and earning accolades for engineering excellence. Transitioning to the private sector, he implemented lean manufacturing strategies and technical innovations at Britax and PepsiCo.

Renowned for his technical leadership, strategic planning, and team development, Paul excels in creating high-performing, cross-functional teams and delivering sustainable results in complex, high-pressure environments. His expertise spans business strategy, manufacturing processes, and reliability engineering.

Greg Restituito is an accomplished finance executive with deep expertise in global FP&A, M&A, and financial operations primarily across fintech, digital marketing, and telecommunications sectors.

Greg is skilled in transforming financial processes, enhancing budgeting, forecasting, and reporting systems, and improving profitability through rigorous financial analysis.

In previous senior roles, he led billion-dollar portfolios, managed pricing strategies, and executed financial planning initiatives that strengthened strategic alignment and organizational accountability.

Greg holds a diploma in International Business Management from Novancia, Paris, and is recognized for his leadership in driving operational efficiency and delivering high-impact financial insights in dynamic, fast-paced environments.

Leilani Aguirre brings over 30 years of finance and accounting experience to SQA, spanning both private industry and public accounting. Since joining SQA in 2002, she has built a reputation as a trustworthy, committed, and collaborative leader.

She oversees the accounting and human resources functions, where she has streamlined processes to improve operational efficiency and successfully navigated regulatory changes in accounting and labor laws. Leading a dedicated team of accounting professionals, she focuses on aligning her expertise with the company’s strategic objectives, to drive growth and ensure compliance.

Leilani is a licensed California CPA with a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA in Business Administration and Accountancy.