Sheila Mello is the author of the best selling book Customer-Centric Product Definition: The Key to Great Product Development. Sheila is the managing partner of Product Development Consulting, Inc. (PDC), and is a widely known, well-respected expert in the field of product development. Her clients benefit from her many years of executive and hands-on experience in product development, software and hardware, engineering, marketing, quality, manufacturing, sales and service. Sheila has done extensive research in processes for defining customer requirements and is an expert in helping companies implement and institutionalize market-driven product definition programs.

Sheila has helped over 50 companies -- Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries and smaller high growth organizations -- to speed time-to-profit and market acceptance, achieve greater product predictability and profitability, identify improvement opportunities, and build capabilities that directly impact bottom line results. Sheila helps clients identify their "inch-wide, mile-deep" opportunities, build consensus, and implement the most effective solution. PDC has implemented the Market-Driven Product Definition (MDPD,) process discussed in the book at over 50 companies.

In addition to her consulting experience, Sheila is a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences on product development and is a recognized speaker on industry topics ranging from improving business performance and value-based portfolio management, to team management and organizational structure.

Before joining PDC, Sheila held director and vice president positions at Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Wang Laboratories, Palladian Software and Distribution Management Systems, and was a principal consultant with Arthur D. Little, Inc.

Sheila earned a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, in mathematics from Tufts University . She is a member of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), and the American Marketing Association.