Meet Joseph Roberts, one of Halma’s Catalysts
Joseph Roberts joined Keeler in April 2024 within the Malvern, USA office, as part of the Halma Future Leader programme, now named the Halma Catalyst programme.
Previously working in the outdoor industry, Joe joined Keeler for 8 months. In his role, he was responsible for identifying, planning and kick-starting projects to increase warehouse efficiency, enabling the team live access to visible sales and operation trends via data integration, and utilising AI.
Now that Joe’s time at Keeler has come to an end, we wanted to hear about his experience on the programme and at Keeler.
How did you hear about the Halma Catalyst Programme, and what attracted you to it?
I learned about the Halma Catalyst programme through a friend while we were sitting on a chairlift in Colorado. He had just been offered a place on the programme, so he told me all about it.
I had been working in the outdoor industry for several years at that point and was searching for an opportunity somewhere that would have a more profound positive impact on people’s lives. The programme sounded like a perfect fit for me, so I applied.
The programme offers recent graduates the opportunity to lead projects at companies in each of Halma’s sectors: Health, Safety, and Environment & Analysis. Over the course of 2 years, Halma Catalysts take on three different projects at three different companies within the Halma network. That level of exposure and experience was particularly attractive to me.
What industries/departments have you gained experience in so far?
Prior to the Halma Catalyst programme, I had worked in a variety of industries including Agriculture, Investment Banking, Brewing, and Travel and Tourism. While those roles were personally fulfilling, I knew I wanted work somewhere where I could directly improve people’s lives and well-being. I was fortunate to discover Halma, a company whose core purpose is to create a healthier, cleaner, and safer world for all.
I was especially grateful to be selected for a project placement at Keeler, a company that manufactures ophthalmic instruments and helps to prevent global vision loss.
Keeler is my second rotation within the Catalyst program. My first placement was with Labsphere, Inc. – a company in Halma’s Environment and Analysis sector that provides light measurement solutions. Their innovative technology is used to calibrate a wide range of instruments, from surgical tools to deep space telescopes. My project there focused on establishing and enhancing their service organization. This allowed me to gain valuable experience working directly with customers to improve their service experience. Given the cross-functional nature of service delivery, I collaborated closely with the Sales, Operations, Marketing, and Finance teams to ensure our offerings remained viable and customer-centric.
At Keeler, I have been dedicated to providing data-driven insights wherever there was a need. I learned what data points are most important for sales and operations to perform at their best and worked to display that data in forms that they found most accessible. I also learned the inherent requirements, challenges, and barriers that exist establishing those data pipelines.
What projects have you worked on at Keeler, and how do these tie into its objectives?
The overarching goal of my project at Keeler was to empower sales and operations teams with better data visibility and insights. I worked on building live dashboards, ERP integrations, AI forecasting, apriori analysis, and warehouse optimization projects. The dashboards I built gave Keeler’s teams visibility on sales trends as they were occurring.
The forecasting and apriori analysis I conducted used contemporary AI and machine learning techniques to draw insights out of historical data that might not otherwise have been found. The warehouse optimization project we started was based on data transformations that hadn’t previously been considered. It’s pretty cool to see my work used in so many ways at the business.
What have you found the most rewarding?
What I’ve found most rewarding is working towards upholding Keeler’s vision – pun absolutely intended. Knowing that at the end of the day, I’m helping Keeler assist eyecare providers that are literally curing and preventing blindness using our instruments… that’s powerful stuff.
Beyond that, I’ve enjoyed empowering the employees here with data tools that make providing eyecare solutions even easier. During our new ERP system migration, I created a dashboard that brought together our historic sales trends from our old systems and our current, live system into the same view. Now, our sales team has an even deeper understanding of the eye care providers they supply.
What key memory will you take away from your time working with Keeler?
During the “go live” week for our new system, I spent a significant amount of time in the “Epicor command center” that our leadership team had set up to handle any issues that could arise during the ERP migration. It was truly amazing to witness and participate in that collaborative effort. Despite the intense time pressure of such a critical project, everyone worked together seamlessly. Even amidst the palpable pressure, there were many smiles in that room as the team tackled challenges with a positive attitude.
Is there anyone at Keeler you’d like to thank in particular?
Everyone!
My cubicle was right at the cross-section of the sales floor, the offices, and the rest of the building. Everyone was always stopping by to chat, offering me support, collaborating with me, and made me feel welcome. I’ll miss them all.
However, I definitely want to thank Nathan Little, VP New Business Development and OEM Partnerships, for all of his guidance and support. Nathan helped me adjust here both on the job and off the job. During my projects he was always advocating for me and challenged my thinking in a constructive manner. He’s been a wonderful mentor and I’m looking forward to staying in touch with him. My rotation wouldn’t have been the same without him.
I also want to thank Tray Herman, ERP/Application Specialist. Throughout the ERP migration project, he expertly juggled the demands of managing various stakeholders, all while fulfilling his regular IT responsibilities. Despite this heavy workload, he always made time to support me, even when I was new to Keeler. Tray’s guidance and patience were instrumental in helping me thrive in this environment.
Thanks to Nick Schiavone, Clinical Applications Specialist, as well for his friendship. Nick welcomed me into his social life when I first arrived in the area. Thanks also to Carolyn Owens, Customer Service Specialist – my office neighbor.
Thanks so much to all of the leadership team at Keeler in the US. I had an amazing time here.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to take part in the Catalyst programme?
If there’s a better rotational scheme out there, I haven’t heard of it. The Catalyst programme offers the chance to learn while executing on projects that make positive impacts on businesses that are helping to save lives. And there’s unrelenting support along the way. I was skeptical when I first learned of the program, because it seemed too good to be true, but I’ve had enough experience now to know it is true. My advice to anyone thinking about applying would be to be yourself, go for it, and lean in. It’s a wonderful journey!
Interested in finding out more about the Halma Catalyst programme? Click here.