COE Staff

Kelly Reo, Executive Director

Kelly Reo is Executive Director at the Center for Operational Excellence (COE) at The Ohio State University, a business consortium that connects organizations of all industries on their journeys to build and sustain a culture of problem solving and continuous improvement. Kelly’s passion for operational excellence stems from her 20 years in IT and business consulting – first as a program and project manager of strategic initiatives and business transformations for clients in financial services, utilities, retail, healthcare, and higher education – then as Vice President of Operations & Marketing. She is a committed leader with a proven track record of managing technology-enabled business transformations and managing and mentoring teams.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a master’s of Operational Excellence, both from The Ohio State University. Kelly also received a Marketing Management certificate from Harvard University and maintains several other certifications including the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Blackbelt.

Kelly also applies her a depth of business experience and commitment to community and advocacy by sitting on boards of non-profits including Mental Health America Franklin County, Go Red for Women Executive Leadership Team, and Grandview Heights Public Library Foundation.

Kelly can be reached at reo.4@osu.edu.

Annie Platten, Member Relations Manager

Annie joined COE as Member Relations Manager in 2021. In her role, she leads efforts to ensure the center’s nearly 40 partner companies receive maximum value from their membership, whether engaging with Fisher College of Business faculty and students or connecting with other member companies to share best practices. Annie also participates in member recruitment and coordination of COE’s event roster and manages Leading Through Excellence summit sponsor and vendor engagement. Prior to this position, Annie was the Member Relations Manager with Heritage Golf Club where she engaged members and coordinated the event calendar at the club. Annie received her bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs with a minor in Engineering from The Ohio State University. She can be reached at platten.6@osu.edu.  

Hannah Conklin, Marketing & Communications Associate

Hannah Conklin joined COE as Marketing & Communications Associate in 2022. In this role, she develops and executes COE’s marketing and communications strategy, which includes its website, e-mail campaigns, social media, and event marketing. Hannah holds a master's degree in Communication Studies from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor's degree in Convergent Media from Bluffton University. Her professional background includes designing social media content for radio stations, instructing college-level public speaking courses, and working as a magazine editorial assistant in Washington, DC. You can get in touch with Hannah at conklin.157@osu.edu.

Wendy Douglass, Administrative Operations Specialist

Wendy Douglass joined COE as Administrative Operations Specialist in 2023. In this role, she provides administrative support for COE programming and events, manages office operations, and acts as a resource for COE members and partners. Prior to joining COE, Wendy worked as a mortgage processor for five years. A Columbus native, Wendy grew up in Gahanna and completed a degree in Paralegal Studies from Columbus State Community College. She can be reached at douglass.162@osu.edu.

Peter T. Ward, Director
 

Peter Ward, who has been with the Center for Operational Excellence since its founding, retired from his role as Professor but thankfully continues his advisory role with the center as Professor Emeritus. With his background in lean management, continuous improvement, Six Sigma and operations strategy, Peter brings invaluable knowledge to the COE team in terms of developing and implementing cutting-edge programs to meet our members’ current business needs.  Reach him at ward.1@osu.edu.

John Gray, Associate Director
Professor of Operations, Fisher College of Business

John works on COE’s Supply Chain Forums and coordinates the center’s research translation efforts. He teaches in Fisher’s MBA program and publishes research in areas including sourcing decisions, supply chain quality,  operations strategy, and supply chain risk and resiliency. Reach him at gray.402@osu.edu.