Welcome SCORE Mentor Rick Cornell to TCEDC!

Rick Cornell is a wonderful SCORE mentor in our community and will be using an office here at the Oconee Business Center to meet with SCORE clients.

Rick brings more than 35 years of global operations leadership experience to the

work of supporting entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and growth-oriented companies across

South Carolina and the Upstate region.

Drawing on senior executive roles in complex, highly regulated industries, he helps businesses build the operational foundation needed to scale effectively, improve performance, and pursue sustainable growth.

Over the course of his career, Rick served as Vice President of Operations for Cytiva, a

Danaher company, and held executive global leadership roles with Seagate Technology,

Amersham Health, and GE Healthcare. His experience spans manufacturing, supply chain

management, quality systems, and continuous improvement across sectors including life

sciences, biotechnology, radiopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and computer hardware.

Certified in LEAN methodologies and trained in executive leadership through GE and

Danaher, Rick specializes in helping organizations navigate scaling challenges, optimize

costs, and improve execution through strong systems and human performance practices.

He is also deeply committed to leadership development, having served as both a coach

and faculty member in corporate leadership programs focused on building high-performing

global teams.

As an active certified mentor with SCORE Piedmont, Rick works closely with founders and

small business owners to translate enterprise-level operational discipline into practical,

right-sized solutions. He supports entrepreneurs in areas such as strategic business

planning, streamlined operations, supply chain and vendor management, and

performance metrics that drive long-term success. He now applies his leadership and

operations experience to help strengthen the region’s economic development ecosystem

and support the growth of local businesses.

Rick holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of

Nebraska and an MBA with a specialization in Economics from Creighton University. He

and his wife Billie reside near Salem, SC.