Scott Fallon
Waterford, NY
Master Black Belt, Global e-Business

Go ahead and ask. You won't be the first.

"Yeah, people ask what it means. They slow down:
'M-M-Master Black Belt...?'" says Scott Fallon with a smile. That's because his official title in e-Business at GE Plastics is simply - and cryptically - Master Black Belt. And naturally, it often elicits a question when someone sees his business card.

"There are Black Belts and Master Black Belts," Scott explains (leaving out the fact that there are also Green Belts, but that's another story). "Black Belts work out the tactical deployment of GE projects. Master Black Belts work on more of a conceptual level, setting goals and making sure the results come through."

While Scott is a member of the e-Business unit at GEP, he's also an instructor in Six Sigma training. That means his focus is quality processes. The types of projects he manages range from improving the way GEP identifies new market opportunities to helping create a transaction based web site for GE Silicones.

His nine years at GEP began with a 2-year training program, before his first job as a Production Engineer. After two years, he moved to Production Manager, then to Quality Manager, and most recently to Master Black Belt. "I think career progression at GEP is a function of opportunity and your own motivation," he observes. "There are always stretch opportunities available if you're willing to move outside your comfort zone."

Living and working in Waterford, New York, Scott finds himself moving outside in many respects. "This location is fairly close to 3 major cities. In 3 hours you can be in Montreal, New York or Boston. The winters are great if you're a snow enthusiast, and the fall is absolutely beautiful."

Scott keeps busy year round. From pursuing his lifelong dream of flying by getting a Private Pilot's license, to biking and being by the ocean, he enjoys being outdoors and staying active. "My wife and I are volunteers for our alma mater," says the University of Rhode Island grad, "and we recently started taking dance lessons."

His learning continues at work, where Scott feels he's had the luck to work with talented leaders in GE - "a tremendous management team" - some of whom have gone on to be CEOs of other Fortune 500 companies.

"Being part of GE can be humbling," he admits, "in that you recognize the enormous amount of talent and ideas that surround you each day. Just when you start to feel comfortable, you get promoted or a new initiative comes your way and you are on the steep part of the learning curve again. Because of that, you're constantly re-inventing yourself."

And what kind of personality does the Master Black Belt bring to the office? "A good sense of humor! When you have fun and can laugh you energize others and that's half the battle."

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