WQA - The Big Picture
Dave Haataja
WQA Executive Director
Presentation Information:
WQA - Big Picture. How members can take advantage of the programs WQA provides (e.g. Research Studies, Training, Final Barrier, Efficiencies and Salinity/ Septics, etc.) and how it applies in growing their business.
Speaker Information:
Dave Haataja brings more than 30+years of business development and operations leadership experience to the WQA. With him comes in-depth knowledge of global standards, testing, inspection, certification, and regulatory acceptance.
"I look forward to working with the WQA membership and staff as we tackle one of the most important issues facing the entire world - clean water. There are a number of very pressing issues to be addressed, including: water scarcity, sustainability, regulation and demands for new technology. I am anxious to lend my experience to advancing the WQA as the number one got-to resource for members and consumers seeking information on water treatment," Haataja said during an interview.
Dave is a customer focused and results oriented executive with extensive experience in building international operations, P&L management, and governmental affairs. He has a reputation as a problem-solver skilled at building productive relationships across varied constituencies and different cultures.
Haataja's 30 year career with UL includes a four year posting in Washington DC heading up Governmental Affairs. The job had 3 major facets: first was working with regulatory agencies such as the CPSC and EPA; second was relationship building with key trade associations; and third was positioning UL in the international arena by working with the USTR, and DOC on trade accords and trade missions.
Afterwards he moved to South America, living first in Argentina and then in Brazil while building operations there.
Returning to the United States, he took over the Restriction of Hazardous Substances business, and subsequently was asked to lead North America operations in the consumer and health sciences areas. He led a team of 500, and working with his counterparts and customers around the globe, drove sustained performance improvement for project planning and execution. At the same time, customer satisfaction was actively managed and increased significantly.