Chris DeGroof

Chris DeGroof is currently the Chief Operating Officer for North Star Alliances, where he oversees NSA’s programs and events, ensuring the timely and efficient execution of projects while staying within budget. He is an accomplished operations executive with 27 years of experience throughout several industries including community engagement and public outreach, consumer products, supply chain management, and management consulting.  Chris specializes in account management, project management, kaizen/continuous improvement, supply chain management, global sourcing, and the establishment and management of key performance indicators.

Chris is currently the lead project manager for NSA for several high-profile initiatives including LA County Metro’s “CBO Partnership Program Administration'', in which NSA recruits and directs community-based organizations in a wide variety of community engagement activities for Metro projects such as the Long Beach to East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan and the East Side Transit Corridor Phase II. Chris is also the lead project manager for Metro’s “Special Events and Promotional Items'', in which NSA provides staffing, support, and promotional materials for Metro events throughout Los Angeles County.  In past projects with NSA, Chris served as lead project manager for several high-profile initiatives including Metro’s “Long-Range Transportation Plan” and Google’s award-winning “Be Internet Awesome” campaign.

Previous roles include his five years at children’s toy company, Applause, Inc., in which he managed accounts and projects for Disney Consumer Products, Universal Studios, General Mills, and Tricon Global Restaurants, introducing more than 250 million toys into the market including 35 million talking chihuahua stuffed toys for Taco Bell’s famous promotional program.  During his 10 years as Vice President of Operations at EZ Shipper Racks, Inc., Chris managed teams in Asia as well as in the USA for concurrent and multi-faceted programs, including global supply chain operation projects for Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply, and MTD Products.  During his two years at Fitness Ventures International, Chris led the Operations and Supply Chain Departments in the delivery and installation of fitness centers for Hilton Hotels, multi-family housing complexes, corporate gyms, and universities throughout the USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Chris holds an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University and a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA. Chris has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the San Fernando Valley chapter of APICS, the Association for Operations Management. In his free time, Chris is passionate about the environment and wildlife, devoting the last 17 years serving as a board member, an officer, and volunteer for organizations dedicated to wildlife and scientific research.