Managing partner of PPO Standards LLC, Charles Sidebottom, P.E., has been selected to receive the Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award for 2017 by the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day Planning Committee.
Sidebottom will be honored by members of the U.S. standards and conformance community during the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day to be held on October 19, 2017, in Washington, D.C.
Named for the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Brown award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership in promoting the role of standardization in eliminating global barriers to trade.
The U.S. celebration of World Standards Day is an annual event which honors the U.S. standards and conformity assessment community and recognizes its efforts to promote American competitiveness in a global marketplace, safeguard the environment, and improve the quality of life for workers and consumers globally.
Sidebottom was nominated for his extensive contributions to the international standards community during his career of more than 30 years. As an active participant and influencer in the medical device and health care standards fields, Sidebottom serves as secretary to the International Electrotechnical Commission Subcommittee 62A, Common Aspects of Electrical Equipment Used in Medical Practice.
He has held various positions in International Organization for Standardization Technical Committees, including ISO TC 121, Anaesthetic and respiratory equipment, and as a U.S. delegate to ISO TC 150, Implants for Surgery, and ISO TC 210, Quality management and corresponding general aspects for medical devices.
Additionally, Sidebottom served as part of the American National Standards Institute’s appeals board and is a former board member of ASTM International. He is a long-time member of SES—the Society for Standards Professionals. He also serves as the producer vice-chair of ASTM International Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices.
As a participant in numerous standards and leadership committees for the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Sidebottom has served as industry vice chair on its board of directors, and on its executive committees as chair. Additionally, he has served in various roles across AAMI foundation’s board of directors, including as vice chair, standards board chair, and was part of AAMI’s committee on standards strategy. Further to this, Sidebottom has been a featured speaker at many AAMI and other conferences, and is one of the world experts on the IEC 6061 series of standards for medical electrical equipment.
Sidebottom is the founder and managing partner of PPO Standards LLC. He served as director of corporate standards at Medtronic Inc. for nearly 14 years. After graduating with a B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Iowa State University, he launched his career as an industrial engineer with Kansas City Power and Light Co. He holds an M.Sc. in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.