QCA Leadership

Jeffrey P. Jacobs – Executive Director

Jeffrey P. Jacobs

Jeffrey P. Jacobs has been an expert in building brands and brand stewardship for more than 30 years, working in commercial television, Hollywood film and home video as well as publishing and promotional brand merchandise. Having developed product for retail and promotional purposes that was delivered both online and from brick-and-mortar consumer facing stores, he is a staunch advocate of consumer product safety. Jacobs has a deep passion and belief regarding the issues surrounding compliance. As QCA’s executive director, he is responsible for increasing visibility of QCA both within the supplier/distributor community as well as more broadly outside the industry. Additionally, he ensures QCA remains a responsive organization in terms of educating its members and the industry on issues related to product safety, product quality, supply chain security, social accountability and environmental stewardship. He is also charged with advancing QCA’s membership with new suppliers and building distributor relationships through the QCA Distributor Advocacy Council (DAC).

Before joining QCA, Jacobs worked at Michelin North America for 12 years in a number of roles, including director of brand merchandise as well as director of business development for travel and lifestyle. He was also a member of the company’s initial social media executive team and was the sole North American representative on the Michelin worldwide committee for manufacturing compliance of non-tire products. He was the project manager for the flagship Michelin on Main retail concept store, which was a winner of three international awards for specialty retail design and lighting.

Prior to his time at Michelin, Jacobs spent seven years at Macmillan Publishing as the brand manager for Frommer’s Travel Guides. He spent the first eight years of his career in commercial TV–first as an award-winning photojournalist then as a reporter, producer and sports anchor. He also spent seven years in film production and home video. A graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, he has a Bachelor of Arts, Radio and TV as well as graduate studies in journalism.

D. Fenton, Executive Director – Compliance

dfenton@qcalliance.org
800-722-7601

Denise E. Fenton

For more than 20 years, D. (Denise) Fenton has worked in international manufacture-for-export. As QCA executive director – compliance, she administers all compliance aspects for QCA and is responsible for the ongoing evolution of the QCA Certification Program in response to ever-changing state and federal regulations and requirements.

Fenton works closely with QCA Applicants, helping them develop proactive, comprehensive compliance programs that are specific to their unique product categories while maintaining a focus on capacity building and integrating compliance into the daily business strategy for each organization. She also provides education on building compliance programs and the specific requirements for the U.S. marketplace.

Prior to joining QCA, Fenton spent three years as Director of Corporate Compliance for Walmart, where she focused on establishing management systems for measuring and assuring ongoing compliance in the supply base of retail product while participating in a management capacity on the transition team charged with bringing sourcing activities in-house from the former external sole agent. In early 2000, she oversaw the design and implementation of the Walmart Factory Compliance system, a program focused on identifying and addressing root causes of non-compliance through operations-based solutions. It was lauded as one of the most progressive and effective programs of its time because it recognized the shared nature of the international manufacturing base and the importance of working with those potential competitors to drive solutions. Fenton was also responsible for piloting the Factory Certification Program that acted as a gatekeeper for all purchases on Walmart’s proprietary procurement platform.

In 2003, Fenton left Walmart to start her own consulting company, working with U.S. importers and providing advice on supply base issues. In addition to her work with U.S.-based multi-national companies, Fenton has worked for organizations based in Taiwan, Sri Lanka and, most recently, China.

Fenton has a master’s degree in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution from City University of Hong Kong with her thesis being published by the Hong Kong arbitration authority in its journal as the first survey and study on dispute resolution between manufacturers and their U.S. importer partners in China. Fenton is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.