Alumni Update April 19 – 25, 2021

SU alumnus appointed as VP of aerospace and defense manufacturer

Silliman University alumnus Engr. Mike William Solera Balbuena was recently chosen by Essex Industries (St. Louis, Missouri, USA) as their new vice president of quality assurance and compliance, announced in a press release by Essex Industries, April 19, 2021.

Balbuena holds an MBA and degrees in mechanical engineering, quality engineering and quality assurance in manufacturing and has achieved certification in supply chain management, Six Sigma Lean black belt, quality engineer, quality auditor and quality manager/operation excellence.

According to the Essex Industries press release, Balbuena is a hands-on, process-oriented leader who is energized by working with people to solve problems and seek continuous improvement. His work experience includes leadership roles at Collins Aerospace, Crane Aerospace and Esterline Mason with 25 years in manufacturing and 15 years in quality leadership roles.

Essex Industries is a manufacturer focused on the aerospace and defense market, with product lines that include platform controls, aircraft components, liquid oxygen equipment, emergency breathing equipment, and gas regulators. Essex employs 450 people at its seven locations in St. Louis, Missouri; Huntington Beach, California; and Milford, Connecticut.

In his LinkedIn account, Mike shared that in his career of more than two decades, he had the opportunity to shadow, work with, and learn from highly experienced industry senior executives. He also reveals that this has been the best part of growing from an engineer, manager, director to a hands-on executive.

Engr. Balbuena finished his Elementary (1985) and High School (1990) at Silliman University. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of San Jose – Recoletos (Cebu).